Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

This week is a very special week in our congregation because two of our sisters are making their final, or perpetual, profession.  This is a most joyous event, but also a solemn one.  We are filled with joy that God has chosen them to join us for the rest of their lives, but we also stand in awe at their courage in this time of uncertainty. Since I live with one of these sisters, I have been personally involved in her discernment process, and because of this, I have reflected on my own commitment made more than 50 years ago. What a gift and a grace it has been in my life, and I pray that our two sisters will always see this as gift, too. Our whole congregation joins together in asking God's abundant blessings on them.   Marie Lucek, OP Madison, WI

Last Saturday, the Dominicans Sisters of Sinsinawa and the people of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated the perpetual profession of our Sister, Gail Jagroop, in Curepe, Trinidad. It was a wonderful celebration of Gail's YES to God and to her sisters “even unto death!”  Celebrating Gail's final profession, was also a time of re-commitment for me, and, I suspect, others of our sisters as well.  I both pondered my first YES made many years ago and my desire to continue to make this choice today.  This life to which God has called me has been a great life for me.  My life has been full and meaningful.  I’ve been able to join with others in helping to build a holy and just society and church doing a variety of ministries and  in so many places.  Life in this community has both challenged and supported me in becoming the person God created me to be. Our sister, Kaye Ashe, says it so well: The search – for self, for wisdom, ...

There are many forms of commitment and promises people make.  For Dominicans, we make (or take) Vows – first, Temporary Profession and finally, Perpetual Vows/Profession – unto death. Since the beginning of the Order of Preachers in 1206 there has been a lay branch that also takes Vows.  They have been referred to as Tertiaries, Third Order and now – Dominican Laity – who also are given the letters O.P. when they make their Profession. Recently, a young man (Joseph in the center of the picture) who comes for Spiritual Direction took the first step – temporary vows for three years – to become Dominican Laity.  He gives much energy and creativity considering how to encourage his generation to be engaged in the life and mission of the Church.  He hopes that his Dominican commitment will be a way to do this. This July, his First Vows were celebrated at the closing Mass for our annual Young Adults Retreat at which he was part of the retreat ...

If I were to assess my heart at this moment, I would say that it is filled with gratitude – gratitude for having been called to Dominican life and gratitude for the gifts I’ve received these past couple of weeks that have resulted either directly or indirectly because of that call.    If you’ve been following this blogspot, you’ve read about our Sr. Priscilla’s profession of final vows.  What a gift to have been there to celebrate the event with Priscilla and many of our sisters!  In the midst of a very busy week, I managed to contract an eye infection.  I am so grateful for a caring doctor who diagnosed the problem, prescribed treatment for it, and even gave me a follow up call today to ask about my well-being.  I am also thankful for the increased energy I am experiencing today after healing has begun.  I am grateful to be in the midst of my Dominican sisters who have supported me even when I wasn’t feeling well. Anothe...

What a grand celebration Priscilla Torres, O.P. gifted us with last weekend!  Priscilla made her perpetual profession as a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa, and there were about thirty members of the Dominican Family present to witness it, plus her family and her many friends.  Priscilla is a Texan, so everything that happened over the weekend was BIG!   She is also Mexican-American, with many of the participants Spanish speakers, so the liturgy was truly bi-lingual.  The presider and deacon had been friends of hers since St. Louis days, and the preaching, by Mary Ann Nelson, O.P., the Director of Initial Membership, was both exquisite and poetic.  There was even a mariachi band to serenade us at the reception.   And while we were in San Antonio for the celebration, we enjoyed mild temps – to say nothing of the boat ride along the River Walk!!  Priscilla spent a year living with our Sisters in San Antonio, and then later completed ...

Two days ago in San Antonio Texas, I witnessed Sr. Priscilla Torres O.P. make final profession of vows with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. Sr. Priscilla would have been on this journey for some years now.  Saturday's ceremony was the climax of a long period of discernment.  After all, ‘final’ translates ‘even unto death!’ During this time Priscilla waited all the while in her room for the voice of God to boom down from heaven with the words: “GO AHEAD PRISCILLA MY BELOVED DAUGHTER, THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO AND WHERE I WANT YOU TO BE.”  Sorry!  God doesn’t normally work like that.  For important decisions wouldn't it be nice though if God did?   Rather, the process requires that we engage all of ourselves, in attentive listening to God, however, whenever and wherever God will speak. The good news is we don’t do this alone.  Priscilla, in addition to her life of prayer, wo...