Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

I am no stranger to classrooms. In fact, I receive tremendous energy and joy from being a student, especially a student of theology. So, my Dominican sisters, friends, and family were not surprised that I registered to take a Christian Ethics course this semester. Two other types of classrooms are also capturing my attention and engaging my heart. For the past four years, I have been a student of life within the context of our criminal justice system, working with women sentenced to serve time in a county corrections facility. Two months ago, I additionally said yes to working with people facing a significant crisis of some kind because of a lost job, possibility of eviction from their homes, or lack of money to pay bills and buy food. I study hard, work hard, and learn something new every day. Mostly what I am learning these days seems to be about paying attention – to others, my attitudes toward them, decisions that I make, and how I choose t

Srs. Dulce (MSJ), Thobile (South Africa)  and Mary Therese (MSJ)      On October 7-12, 2011 in Fremont, CA I gathered with 34 young Dominican Sisters from North America gathered at Mission San Jose Dominican Motherhouse.  Our gathering was called Walking Together with Realism, Daring and Hope.  We were welcomed through videos sent by Dominican Sisters from Nigeria (Africa) and the Philippines (Asia).   We came from all over North America and represented ten congregations.  We shared about our present realities and discussed our experiences as young Dominicans.  It was exciting to find out how similar our lives were regardless of the Dominican congregation we belonged to.  It was evident in our sharing of how much we love our Dominican life of study, prayer, community, ministry and hospitality.  Many North American congregations founded in the 1800s are now diminishing in numbers.  It was invigorating to find out numbers were not a concern for us and in no way did these damper our D