Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

By Breath, By Blood, by Body, By Spirit, we are all one… these words by Sara Thomsen rang through my mind, body, and soul as I left the Sinsinawa Mound a month ago to the day. For me, being “sent out” on the feast of St. Dominic has connected me even more with the heritage of Dominican Life. My first month here is Whitefish Bay has been filled with contemplation and adventure. From evening prayer to fresh popcorn, I wake up each day with a sense of peace and happiness. Also, being a Dominican High school has helped me to recognize my own privilege of being able to journey with students who are still in search of who they are and how they can see God in all people. As Sara Thomsen sings, “The fire in my heart, my soul flame burning…” this also became real for me as I attended the Dominican Women Afire Conference in San Antonio two weeks ago. This conference broadened my perspective of what it means to be family, as each of our “soul flames” burned brightly together that weekend. My fir...

This is the time of year when commencement addresses go viral.  We see pictures of the First Lady, Mrs. Obama, read tweets about Tina Fey, and view videos of Gwen Ifill, as well as other celebrities addressing the classes of 2014.  Using humor, experience, and good old practical advice these speakers offer clues into a successful life for graduates.  I heard an address to the Senior Class of 2014 at Dominican High School this past week.  These students were told to go make the world Dominican !!!  The speaker challenged the students to dare to dream the future, dare to live without fear, dare to change lives. Using examples such as Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who challenged the Taliban, Jack Andraka, who took what inspired him in freshman biology to develop a diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer, and Blake Mycoskie, the young owner of TOMS shoes who uses his success to give away shoes all over the world. ...