“Zumba”

That is the shout you hear from our parish basement as our Latino women join together in a group we have named Santa Catalina after St. Catherine of Siena.  We begin with aerobic exercise, form a circle and eat a family meal together with our children and end with sharing “how the week went” for each of us.  The final sharing is done in the context of prayer.  This integrated spirituality is as relevant today as it was 800 years ago when St. Dominic preached against the heresy of dualism that says the corporal world is corrupt and only the spiritual world is good.  One of the blessings of our gathering is the way in which we are building community, making friends and being a presence to one another.  The relationships that we are forming are powerful and transforming us into a community where we experience more fully the meaning of the “Body of Christ.”  I truly believe the only way forward is community. How have you experienced the transformative power of community?

Margaret McGuirk, OP

Richfield, MN