Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Recently, I was privileged to attend a weekend during which more than 130 Dominican women from 16 Dominican Congregations whose ministry is in 6 different countries gathered in San Antonio TX to: Pray and contemplate together Engage in significant conversations Share our wisdom Deepen our relationships Open up possibilities Through diverse prayer rituals, deep conversations, and sharing our collective wisdom, we did in fact deepen our relationships.   We quickly came to realize that despite the unique charisms, cultures, and languages of our Congregations, we were in fact one Dominican family.   At the beginning of the weekend as we stood to speak for our tables, we introduced ourselves as NAME, a CONGREGATION NAME Dominican.   By the middle of the first full day, we were introducing ourselves as:   “I am NAME, a Dominican.”   How enriching is this! When was the last time you became more aware of the expansiveness of your family? Are you dra...

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...