Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

 Each year, I try to observe this national day of recognition by joining with others in some kind of anti-racism action.  Some years, I have attended church services or prayer events.  I have volunteered on other years.  I have participated in marches.   This year, I will be part of a growing movement in this country to bring restoration in our cities.  This year, I will participate in a racial healing circle.  These circles embrace our shared human journey.  The dynamic of the circle operates out of the truth that we are one.  Deep listening, attention, and focus create experiences of truth and transformation.  This work touches into the very heart of our Dominican vocation to praise, to bless, and to preach.   This year, I will join with others to imagine and bring about a desired change that our world hungers for.  What will you do to honor our national holiday, Dr....

This   is one of my favorite quotes from St. Thomas Aquinas. It is at the heart of my Dominican vocation. As much as I am reluctant to leave my comfortable warm bed when the alarm goes off at 5:30 I do appreciate the quiet freshness of the early morning.  At this time of year, it’s very dark and the moon and bright stars are my companions. I sit and watch in stillness as the sky becomes lighter and a thin sliver of red or orange moves along the horizon, slowly widening to welcome the rising sun.  I drink in the beauty and am grateful for the gift of the new day. As the light dawns, I eat my oatmeal watching as the chickadees, nuthatches, finches, come to my bird feeder. The cardinal and Juncos feed from the seeds that are scattered.   They take only what they need and fly off into the adventure of their day. I too fly off, to catch my shuttle which takes me to Edgewood College where I teach Digital Art and Design to undergraduates in my 8 o’clock class...

Last Sunday in our parish church Sister Uloma renewed her vows as a Missionary sister, Servants of the Holy Spirit (Techny). She is from Nigeria but has been in the US several years. I am renewed in my Dominican vocation seeing this public act of faith and commitment. My ministry engages me each day to serve others. Our life as women religious is a public declaration of our love for God and our role to serve others. This public witness of vows sustains my Dominican vocation and nourishes me spiritually. This week I’ll be preparing classes as our English Language learners begin their Fall sessions. And then to close the week we will have an outdoor public vigil asking for justice for immigrants in the United States. One ceremony to another fills my week in realizing the need to be servant in this world. What is your week like? How are you called to be of service to others? Come join us! Kathleen Long OP Waukegan, IL

These past several weeks have been an extended time of family celebration - a time truly representative of what religious life, Sinsinawa Dominican life, and life, in general, is about. A time of honoring the cycle of life and the family that makes that journey with us.   The Celebration of my first profession of vows on August 2 came on the heels of a huge family reunion that we call Community Days.   These distinct yet intertwined joyful events had as bookends goodbyes said to two of our beloved Sisters - Florus Castle and Jean Brennan.   As I sought the mercy of God and of all, Florus and Jean had fulfilled their profession promises, ‘even unto death’.   What an extraordinarily graced cycle of birth, life, death, and birth into new life! During these sacred celebrations, my family experienced the truth that they were not losing a sister (or mother) but are now loved by and part of a much bigger family… a family of Sisters, Brothers, Associates, Mound brot...

This week some of us in initial formation had the opportunity to spend a week at the motherhouse of the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic , a global missionary congregation based in New York.   It was an honor to spend a week with these women, especially because of the unique Sinsinawa connection: when the Maryknoll congregation was just beginning, sisters from Sinsinawa moved to New York to assist them in its foundation. I found myself drawn to photos of their foundress, Mother Mary Joseph: she has a jolly smile on her face in almost each one.   She was clearly a woman who valued a good laugh!   In describing qualities that should mark a Maryknoll Sister, she finished with “the saving grace of a kindly humor.” It’s easy to see the Sinsinawa connection in these words!   Humor and laughter are not only qualities that drew me to my sisters; they’re also important components of a healthy spiritual life.   They’re reflections of the deep joy that comes from ...

A couple of weeks ago, Ruth Poochigian, O.P. wrote a blog declaring “I took the WHOLE weekend off!”  She asked at the end, “When was the last time you took time off from your ‘important’ work?”  I realized it had been over a year since I had taken some extended time off.  I just kept pushing myself until my scheduled vacation because there was so much to get done. Now that I have returned from a 10 day vacation that included a family wedding and reconnoitering with my 4 biological sisters, I am aware how much I needed that time away. Even though there are multitudinous tasks, projects, emails, etc. awaiting my attention, I am REJUVENATED.   My spirit is revived!   I have more energy, and tasks do not take as long.   I have to ask, “Why do I do this to myself?   God gave us the gift of Sabbath.   Why do I not let myself enjoy that gift more often?”   Jesus showed us the way when he slipped away from the demanding crowds to spend time alon...

Before entering religious life, the word “jubilee” was not part of my customary, every-day language. Anniversary, yes, but not jubilee. We have 39 Sinsinawa Dominicans celebrating Jubilees this year of 50, 60, 70, 75 and 80 years of vowed life. Three Jubilarians live in our Twin Cities (MN) area. Jubilees are celebrated annually at our motherhouse. Some sisters, however, also choose to celebrate their jubilee in the geographic area in which they live and minister. I attended such a celebration last weekend. One of our 50 th year Jubilarians currently ministers at a local parish in the Twin Cities, where there has been almost 140 years of ministry by the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation . (An amazing historical fact, don’t you think?) An estimated 500 people gathered to celebrate with her. Our dinner meal included Mexican and Midwestern USA cuisine, complimented by a mariachi band, and a variety of music and theater performances by the kids afterwards. I left the ...

I am in the last four months of a year of full-time study.   I have been writing a thesis relating to the unaccompanied minors who have been crossing our southern borders.   As a Dominican, I have not and cannot just sit behind a desk to study.   Twice during this past year, I have traveled to the borderlands to understand in a deeper way what these young people experience.   During these trips, I have sat in court rooms, hiked into the desert to migrant trails, and spent days welcoming these newcomers at a social service center.   My study has also sent me to a nearby parish where these unaccompanied minors now live with family members.   I have interviewed service providers and organized focus groups with the minors themselves. For the Dominican women of Sinsinawa, study is a way of life.   It happens everywhere we are and everywhere we go.   What we learn is that the mystery of God is unfolding. Study is actually not meant to make us smart...