The Global Grace of Being Dominican

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One of the joys of being in Washington DC is the international diversity.  This diversity includes the men and women religious studying at Catholic University.  I’ve formed an intimate, ad hoc Dominican community of sisters.  We gather periodically to break bread and share about our lives.  Raghad Saeed is an Iraqi Dominican earning her PhD in nanophysics.  Lien Do is a Vietnamese Dominican earning her Licienciate for Canon Law. I am a Sinsinawa Dominican lobbying for social justice on Capitol Hill.  

Each of us is here without family or other members of our congregation.  Our personal histories are dramatically different.  Our ministries are totally unalike.  We live in very different local community contexts.   In our daily lived experiences we don’t have much in common.
But we have a common bond in our Dominican charism and our conversations are rooted in sisterhood.  Each time we gather the conversation moves quickly from “How are you doing?” to meaningful sharing about our struggles, our questions and our joys.  
These moments with Raghad and Lien are beautiful gifts of grace available to me as part of the charism.  There is an exquisite harmony in how we come together.  Where three are gathered, Christ is present.   
Quincy Howard OP 
Washington, DC  

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