Catherine's Cafe

What Does Community Mean?

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

One pillar of Dominican Life has been the focusof my thinking and praying recently. I am a very independent person and havegrown up doing things for myself, so when I became sick and needed assistancein November I began to understand what community means. I had to rely on mysisters to lift things, pick things up off the ground and even take notes forme in class when I was not able to go myself. They willingly helped me butstill let me to do what I could do, however small it was. Community meanshelping even when it is not convenient, but also allowing others to still dofor themselves. When I went to the Mound this Christmas break I continued toexpand what community means. I was blessed to lead some of the sisters in anart project and to witness their sense of accomplishment and pride when theyhad a number of completed projects in front of them. Over the next couple weeksI heard what the pictures were being turned into. Community means sharing thegifts I have and being receptive to how those gifts are used for others andGod. When I returned to St. Louis a couple weeks ago my understanding ofcommunity expanded again. We participated in a two day workshop that prompted along conversation at supper one night where we learned quite a bit about eachother and deepened our relationships. Community means really listening to theother and being present to the person/people in front of you. It means mutualrisking of self as relationships grow deeper.

How do you define community?

Sr. Krissie Koll

St. Louis, Missouri

Trust in God

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

On your life journey, are you sometimes impatient of always being in process? I am and over and over again,I’m called to listen to the advise of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ.

“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reachthe end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way to somethingunknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made bypassing through some stages of instability.

And that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.

Your ideas mature gradually.

Let them grow.

Let them shape themselves without undue haste.

Don’t try to force them on as though you could be todaywhat time will make you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit gradually formingwithin you will be.

Believe that God’s hand will lead you.

And accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspenseand incomplete.”

What about you? What line or phrase speaks to you at this time in your journey?

Mary Ann Nelson, OP

Madison, Wisconsin

What Does the Vow of Poverty Mean to Me?

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

To me the vow means holding all things in common. I mightsay "my car" but it was purchased by the congregation. It does notbelong to me. I live alone so I am theonly one who drives this car but if I lived with other sisters I'd be sharingmy car with others.

Each spring I prepare a budget for the following fiscalyear. I presently have a good salary and my paycheck is payable to theSinsinawa Dominicans and deposited in my central bank account. What I need eachmonth to live on remains in my account. The remainder is transferred to thecongregation. The congregation paid for my education. I have insurance from myplace of employment and expenses not paid by insurance come from ourcongregation medical account.

I am expected to be accountable for the budget I submittedand had approved last spring. I also know if I have unexpected expenses thecongregation is there to help me. I knowI must do my part but I also know the congregation is there for me. We hold all things in common. We are therefor each other.

We continually ask ourselves how we can live simply.

Do I,do you, have too much "stuff?" How can you live more simply?

Laura Goedken, OP

Davenport, Iowa

Becoming Dominican

2012-01-16T18:00:00.000-06:00

January 15^th - That was the day I received theDominican habit and became a novice in a Dominican monastery here in Trinidadmany, many years ago. I only spent five and a half years there, but what ablessing they were to me!

I was only beginning my journey. God had many surprisesin store for me along the way. He has for all of us.

How is your journey? What surprises have you experiencedalong the way?

I am now a Dominican sister of Sinsinawa. I madeprofession 5years ago, and final profession 2 years ago. Twelve years ago I did not even know of thecongregation except as the group to which Sr. Glenda Rodriguez, a Trinidadianwoman, belonged. I don’t think I even knew the word ‘Sinsinawa.’ Then God surprised me.

Today, at our mother-house another woman - Kathy Flynn- isabout to be welcomed as a candidate for our congregation. Our God of surprises is at it again. Kathybrings her own giftedness, her own journey. So do you.

Christina Araujo

Multi-Tasking

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

We live in a fast-paced world. It is no different for Dominicans who try to fit prayer, study, community, and ministry into each day. Last October, I planted some garlic in my herb garden. Every once in a while, as I am go about some daily task, I love to think – the garlic is lying dormant now…the garlic is in process!!! When I pass this small plot on the way to school each morning, I smile just realizing that someday that garlic is going to be a super pesto sauce!!

Multi-tasking in religious life needs to always involve bringing about new life…making something grow, change, offer hope. Our tasks, no matter how big or small, must seek truth.

And you, what is your multi-tasking accomplishing these days???

Peggy Ryan, OP

Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

What Motivates You?

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

In the Constitution of The Sinsinawa Dominicans there is this passage noting among other responsibilities of our elected leadership this:

To help the members discover, appreciate, and deepen the fundamental gospel values which motivate them. (45)

Reflecting on these words speaking to our vowed life as Sisters I find a deep mutuality of our lives together. The statement doesn't say "new members" - it says "members" - from First Profession to final breath.

It speaks of our lives personally and communally. It contains clarity of where we look for our Dominican life - the Gospel of Christ. The words express movement, growth and hope in the future. They remind us of the relationship of leadership with the Sisters.

While it is directed to our leadership, we Sisters hear these words as profound reminders that our lives are for the sake of God's mission.

If I am motivated in any way, am I motivated from the context of these words. If I find I am straying from fundamental gospel values, I have within community leadership and friendship among my Sisters support and guidance so that my heart finds its way back to these core values.

How do these words from our Constitution touch your heart? What motivates you?

Roberta A. Popara, O.P.
North Palm Beach, FL

BTW as Dominicans we like to LOL

2012-01-07T06:00:00.002-06:00

Recently while visiting some sister friends, I asked “whose chair am I in?” After a long pause the listeners gave me a quizzical look? One said, “What do you mean? Who’s Jeremiah?” After I reiterated my question with more clarity, a round of raucous laughter ensued.

Often at our community supper table we can get into a fit of laughter over something that happened during the day…like the newly arrived refugee child who took Sister Nora’s chair and proclaimed, “Me teacher, you no”. Or Sister Emeric’s telling us about meeting a woman who was cleaning a toilet on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant. Upon questioning the reason she was doing this, the woman proudly proclaimed that she was writing a book: The Travelling Toilet and was getting the toilet ready for the trip.

Joy is truly a hallmark of Dominican spirituality. For me personally, I was drawn to these amazing motivational sisters who loved one another, embraced the gospel life and laughed so easily. I can’t remember any of them asking me to join them but I do know that their lives were the invitation.

BTW, where do you find yourself being invited into life?

Patty Caraher, OP

Atlanta, Georgia

“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another…” I John 3

2012-01-05T06:00:00.008-06:00

This first week in the New Year always holds special meaning for me. Primary, of course, is that January 6^th is the traditional celebration of Armenian Christmas! (In the West we know it as Epiphany, and the image of Wise Men and camels come to mind.) January is also the month when my family honors all the saints who have left this life to dwell forever in the peace of God: my mom, my sister and my aunt. Each of them left indelible marks on my life – even though it is taking me time (probably the rest of my life!) to understand and appreciate them!

I also look forward to reflecting on the words from the First Letter of John (quoted above), because they are an invitation to consider the year TO COME, just as anticipating the New Year was an opportunity to look back.

The message is that we are to greet each person we encounter with the same enthusiasm as those Wise Men from the East greeted the babe… We are to practice the spiritual discipline of that babe who grew up to be known by us as Emmanuel, God-With-Us, and who practiced his spiritual discipline not just in “word or speech, but in deed and truth.”

What is the message YOU have heard from the beginning?

Can you remember HEARING it or WITNESSING it?

Ruth Poochigian

Madison WI

My Prayer For The New Year

2012-01-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

Last Tuesday, three days into the Octave of Christmas we celebrated the Feast of St John, the disciple Jesus loved and whom Scripture tells us leaned on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper.

At Mass the priest said that because John loved he was able to know [Jesus] more deeply and hence the reason the Gospel of John is so different from the others. John is writing as a lover. He said at the end of time it is love that will last into eternity. Love he said lets us touch eternity in the now!

Isn’t that true of love? I find that I am able to look on things and on life from a different perspective – a more compassionate one. I am able to risk being vulnerable in the presence of another.

As I reflect back on the last year I am so grateful for Love and for the way Love has allowed me to touch eternity in the now!

My prayer for the New Year is that you and I would be more willing to risk in the name of the greatest love of all, Jesus.

This year, how are you being called to risk more for love?

Gail Jagroop, OP

St. Joseph, Trinidad

The Sounds of Music

2011-12-29T06:00:00.004-06:00

If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, you know how much I love returning home to our Sinsinawa Dominican motherhouse, “the Mound.” Christmastime 2011 was no different. The lingering memories of this particular visit are the gifts of music offered for liturgy, community prayer, and gatherings of celebration.

Supporting and celebrating the arts are part of our Sinsinawa Dominican history – another facet of our lives that is central to who we are and how we come together. At different times during the 24 hour period between Christmas Eve and Christmas evening we heard solos and duets performed by sisters of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, and ministry experiences. Instruments included voice, cello, violin, viola, flute, clarinet, piano, organ, string bass, and recorder. Our ensembles of choir and hand bells delighted audiences as well. The Sacred Scriptures are full of references to music. And we definitely make joyful sounds before God at Sinsinawa! It is who we are and how we are together.

I never know what I might be asked to participate in or help with in some way, when I go home to the Mound. But saying “yes” is always a good thing. I smiled and sang my way back to my home in Minneapolis, thinking that I can hardly wait until the next time.

What joyful sounds fill your heart today? Where might your “yes” lead you?

Tanya Williams, OP

St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Walking Together with Daring (Dominican Sisters under 45 gathering)

2011-12-27T08:14:00.000-06:00

What does Daring mean for a Religious Sister? For me, it is being open and trusting in God’s will. This means listening and responding to God’s call. Yesterday was Christmas day, for which we rejoiced in the birth of Christ Jesus. As I think of the birth of Jesus I also reflect on our Blessed Mother’s Daring response of “yes” in bearing God’s Son. So what is Walking together with Daring? This past October, Dominican Sisters 45 and under gathered in Freemont, CA. Sister Toni Harris, OP took us on a journey of our Dominican Identity and Roots. We each shared about our founders and the foundational sisters in our congregations. What faithful and Daring persons they were. How thankful we are for their Daring “yes,” because it is their shoulders we stand on today. Though we might be smaller in numbers, we are not much different from our past Sisters. We are spread out across the U.S. and come from different Dominican congregations, yet we are still religious women who have committed themselves to God, Jesus’ mission and the Dominican Charism of preaching the Truth. Our Walking together in Daring is collaborating, looking at common stances and finding common projects and utilizing modern technology to intentionally bridge different borders. Daring, most definitely, new to Religious life, not at all, just look at our Dominican history. In what ways can you be Daring this Christmas season to share love of Christ Jesus with others?

Have a blessed Christmas season.

Priscilla Torres, OP

Jacksonville, Florida

Christmas at Sinsinawa

2011-12-25T21:37:00.001-06:00

Today, on this feast of God's radiant love, we celebrate the gift of Jesus in our midst, our blessing today. The celebrations here at the Mound have been all about blessings. The evening Mass last night began with a wonderful variety of carols, accompanied by bells, voices, strings, flute and clarinet, and organ. Sister Mariel Bronson (profession 1947), returning after serious illness and therapy, played her cello accompanied by organ and strings. Even at Christmas, we celebrate Resurrection! We welcomed the blessings of several hundred neighbors who joined us for Eucharist and the refreshments that followed.

This morning Sister Alice Ann preached and called us to remember the setting of Jesus' birth, and the many peoples of the world today who live in shelters and humble spaces, or in war torn countries. As we celebrate the blessing of the world family, we recall that in our world the prosperity of some is directed related to the deprivations and suffering of others.

One of my best Christmas gifts was Jan Richardson's new book, In the Sanctuary of Women (Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2010). I leave you with one of her blessings: (p. 288-9)

Blessing

That you will be wise

to the longings

that come to visit you.

That you will see their true faces

and know their true names.

That you will welcome the ones

that have gifts to bear.

That you will be graceful with yourself

for the ones

that took you a fool,

for they have their wisdom

that can be gained

no other way.

Mary Ellen Gevelinger, OP

Sinsinawa, Wisconsin

Peace

2011-12-22T06:00:00.002-06:00

Peace -- That seems to be the message in most of the Christmas cards I’ve received this year, the message of this season. Yet, I do have to admit as I have climbed the learning curve in my new ministry, I have been just a bit overwhelmed at times, even during Advent. Our faith tells us this is a time of waiting for, anticipating the source of peace. But I, as a product of my culture, have entered into the hustle and bustle of getting a vast number of tasks completed. Fortunately, God has reminded me of the “reason for the season.”

God’s reminders have come through many sources and encounters. My sister Rita has been one of those messengers. She was diagnosed with beginning stages of an aggressive ovarian cancer. After talking with a friend and coworker who also has cancer, she has prayed not for release from the cancer, but for peace. She has received PEACE, and she lives in gratitude for the support and encouragement she has received from a cast of thousands.

With my sister as a model, how could I not know there is PEACE within myself if I only stay awake and pay attention to God’s voice.

Have you discovered God’s peace within yourself?

Where does that assurance lead you?

Anne Sur, OP

East Dubuque, Illinois

Darkness and Advent

2011-12-19T06:00:00.002-06:00

At times darkness is a gift. Advent is one of those times for me, and since it comes in winter Advent often means snow. After a snowfall a hush settles on the world, and outdoor noises become quieter. That together with a long dark Alaskan evening beckon me to go deeper, deeper into the stillness,

What does this say to me about how God became human in our world? With none of the usual trappings of wealth and fame connected with the birth of Jesus I am drawn to a different reality, one more real than wealth or fame. It's the mystery of life itself and how we share this life with our God who knows what it is to be born, to be weak, to be unknown. New life begins and is nurtured in darkness.

What new life is stirring within you?

Marie Lucek, OP

Juneau, Alaska

I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me

2011-12-15T06:00:00.003-06:00

Soon it will be time to read the story of Mary and Joseph searching for shelter. Each of us will be called to look into our own hearts and find room for the Christ. How will she or he come this year? Will it be a stranger? Or, will it be a familiar face to whom we do not want to open our door?

The Sisters of the Upper Mississippi River Valley invite us this Advent to consider welcoming the Immigrant. These Sister risk-takers, including the Sinsinawa Dominicans, want to ask us for a space in our hearts and our prayers and our lives for someone newly arrived to our country. Instead of the government’s stance on designing “secure communities,” these women want to be “welcoming communities.” They want to welcome the one who another would deport or cast away as unimportant.

So, for whom are you making room in these last weeks of Advent?

Peggy Ryan, OP

Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

Holding a Word - Mindfully

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

One of the ways I connect with others in ministry is through the interfaith community. At one time I co-chaired with a local rabbi the Interfaith Clergy Committee of the Palm Beaches.

Among the people I have gotten to know and consider friend and colleague is C.B. He is an assistant Imam at his mosque and a journalist by trade. He recently asked some of us to reflect on the days we hold as holy during December. He said it needed to be ‘tweet’ size but we could go over that word count just a bit.

In these days of Advent into Christmastide into Epiphany, I thought of the word Peace and the need for true peace within ourselves, our various relationships and in our world community. This is my offering to C.B.’s invitation to ‘tweet:’

Peace – Salaam – Shalom – Paz. In one word, in every language, the holy seasons of Advent-Christmas-Epiphany, for Christians, is one of peace. As Jesus says in the Gospel of John: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you.” In the midst of these seasons I call holy, will I truly believe in God’s way of peace?

When you consider these seasons we celebrate as holy, what word comes to mind for you? Then during these days hold that word – mindfully. Meditate upon it and be open to what you may learn.

Roberta A. Popara, O.P.
North Palm Beach FL

“Do you know? Have you heard?”

2011-12-07T06:58:00.000-06:00

We’re well into the season of Advent now – the liturgical time each year that encourages us to look ahead with hope, and as the reading from Isaiah says for today’s liturgy, because it is that hope which will renew our strength. Today I want to tell you about a group of people who have come to believe in that hope, and have experienced first-hand that strength – in part because others have believed in them!

I’m referring to people formerly addicted to alcohol or drugs, many of whom are also ex-cons. They live in nearly 1500 places all over the world (and in 44 US states) called Oxford Houses. Maybe you know people who live in one of those houses.

As I’ve become more deeply involved in prison ministry I have seen how difficult it is for people coming out of prison. They have looked forward to being free, yet too often they have limited education, and are not considered suitable applicants for employment. Housing is difficult to find, so these people often go back to the neighborhoods and relationships they knew before, and this often leads to offenses that take them back to the system they just left.

Since 1975, Oxford Houses have given thousands (of the nearly 25,000,000 addicts in the U.S.) a chance to re-build their lives through the peer support and disciplines of maintaining both their sobriety and safety, as well as their common house. I’m grateful to learn about hope from such a dedicated group of individuals.

Do you have a friend or a family member who would benefit from such an experience? www.OxfordHouse.org

Ruth Poochigian, O.P.

Madison WI

The Dominican Family - Unity in Diversity

2011-12-05T06:00:00.003-06:00

I had the privilege of spending Sunday morning with a group of Lay Dominicans. They represented three different areas in Trinidad. We spent the time together reflecting on our common Dominican heritage of study, common life, prayer and service. I am always amazed at the involvement of our non vowed members in ministry and service to the community. This group was no different.

They all shared of the way they tried to be faithful to the Dominican way in the midst of their work and family commitments. They blessed, praised, and preached the Gospel in their various ministries whether as teachers, taxi drivers, housewives, or lay ministers. It made me realize what a blessing being called to Religious life as a single celibate person can be…well, most times! In addition, I felt really grateful for our Dominican Family especially for the diverse ways a person, male or female, married or single can commit to becoming a member.

For you who do not know, in addition to the Dominican Laity, The Dominican Family also has members who are priests, religious sisters and brothers, associates and volunteers.

Consider then whether God might be calling you to follow us in the way of St. Dominic and give us a shout!

Gail Jagroop, OP

St. Joseph, Trinidad

Making a Lifetime Commitment

2011-12-01T06:00:00.004-06:00

Making a lifetime commitment in today’s time can seem like a very daunting and frightening thing to do. In a world where everything is instance and commitments made, many times do not last forever. I was faced with this reality of making a lifetime commitment about three weeks before I was due to make my final profession of vows. Doing this would mean that I would be vowing obedience which included poverty and chastity “even unto death.” I had to question myself and ask if I was really ready to make this huge commitment. In my mind and heart I went over what this really meant for me. No marriage, no children, no sex, not having my own money, living with others I would not necessarily choose to live with. These were some of the things I was letting go of. Then why did I want to make this commitment? I freely wanted to make this commitment firstly, because I felt that this is what God wanted for me and that God knew me better than I knew myself. Secondly, eight years ago I had met this extraordinary group of women and associates who I felt at home with and who challenged and encouraged me to be and become who God wanted me to be. Through lots of prayer and reflection, I realized that I wanted to make my final vows and that I was not losing or giving up, in so much, as I was gaining all that I needed to be happy and fulfilled and that I was making my vows to God and choosing to live it out within this congregation as a Dominican of Sinsinawa.

Lystra Long, OP

New Grant, Trinidad

The Season of Advent

2011-11-28T06:38:00.000-06:00

This week we start the season of Advent. Every year I commit to set aside more time for quiet prayer during this season of anticipation and waiting and every year it doesn’t happen. Holiday celebrations get scheduled, last minute shopping looms and the everyday details of life need to be attended to. As I approached the season this year a couple different quotes have taken up long-term residence in my head… “What good is it that Jesus was born 2,000 years ago if he is not born now in your heart” (Meister Eckhart) and a song we sang at a previous parish “let me be your Bethlehem”. This year my intention is to reflect throughout the day how I am being Bethlehem for God. How am I preparing for God to touch the world through me? I know that readiness will not come overnight which is why we are given a whole season to prepare. But actually, God already is using me to touch the world…so my preparing will just be to become a clearer vessel.

What are you doing to prepare in this season of anticipation?

Sr. Krissie Koll

St. Louis, Missouri

Feast of Christ the King

2011-11-24T06:00:00.005-06:00

Today is the Feast of Christ the King, the end of our liturgical year. For us as Americans the idea of a king ruling over us is not something to which we can relate. But if we look at the Gospel reading (Matthew 25: 31-46) we can see that what we are being called to is the building of God’s reign here on earth. We do this by feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked, etc. All over the world faithful Christians are doing such things – participating in the ministry of service. We create a more just, peaceful world when we work and speak out for justice.

This past weekend Sister Geri and I conducted a retreat for the catechists of St. Leo Parish in Murray, KY. Eighteen young men and women came together to nourish their spiritual lives as we end this liturgical year and prepare for the beginning of Advent. Every Sunday they give their time and talent in love and faithfulness to help young people learn what Christian discipleship is.

As you think about your own ministry of service reflect on how you nourish your spirit. As Advent approaches how will this season of “Christ’s comings” help you to be a more faithful disciple?

Georgia Acker, OP

Bowling Green, Kentucky

We never know….

2011-11-21T06:32:00.000-06:00

The older I get, the more I realize that there are very few, if any, coincidences in our lives. This is the way God works. I think back to when one of my brothers was dying of cancer and I came back to Iowa from California to visit him. Not until I arrived did I realize that I would care for him the last week of his life and be present as he journeyed to heaven. God gifted me with this deeply moving and holy experience while also helping my brother.

I watched “The Blind Side” last evening with a friend and was moved once again by this powerful story when a black homeless teenager and a white wealthy family transform each others’ lives. I don’t know if any of these people had faith in God but they certainly allowed themselves to change and be changed. It was no accident that these people came together.

Our lives are not ours alone. We have been given certain strengths and abilities in order to share what’s best about ourselves with others. Often we do not know how we change people’s lives.

As you look back on your life, were there times that seemed serendipitous or magical? Are you an instrument of God in the lives of those around you? Are others an instrument in your life?

Laura Goedken, OP

Davenport, Iowa