Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

One of the Gospel images of Jesus I have when I read and ponder scripture is that of being on the move. He is moving towards people (crowds, followers, religious leaders & even the Romans), moving people away from false claims and ideologies, calling people to move (stand and take up your mat) and more. In our time and place, trusting that Jesus travels with us, where are we going together? This past year, I continued to travel with people who yearned to hear the voice of God in their lives, to make sense of sad events and who wondered if they were worthy of God’s love.  I traveled with my Dominican congregation as we continue to look to the future needs we have together.  And these travels have not ended. I also met up with fellow travelers in the concluding days of their cross country mission to bring the truth of the work we have to do in this country to ensure all are able to not only survive but to thrive.   Nuns on the Bus  ...

During October I had the chance to participate in the  Nuns on the Bus  project sponsored by Network, a Catholic social justice lobby founded by Catholic Sisters [Check out networklobby.org] This was the 6 th  cross-country bus trip led by Sr. Simone Campbell, the Executive Director of Network. This year the theme was promoting “reasonable revenue for responsible programs,” a response to the tax law passed in December 2017 that will have devastating effects on programs for poor and middle-income citizens.   I joined a group of 9 other Sisters and some amazing staffers for week 3 of a 4 week journey. During week 3, we traveled through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and finally, Washington, DC.  We did lobby visits with legislators, held rallies in which local constituents spoke about their concerns, and had town hall meetings to help educate people about the tax law and how we can encourage the new Congress to change...

How do we mend the gaps and reweave the fabric of our society? That is the question at the center of this summer’s Nuns on the Bus tour/pilgrimage which covered more than 2,400 miles to meet with individuals, families, and communities in 13 states, 23 cities, and both the Republican and Democratic conventions. Being a part of this endeavor has been the most profound experience of my life and I am sad to leave this loving community of sisters.  We grew together as we gathered for prayer each morning and cried listening to the stories of ordinary people who cannot make “ends meet” because of lack of transportation, low wages and no affordable housing. Along with the great suffering and growing inequality in our country, we met people who inspired us with their commitment to peace and justice.  In Terre Haute, a convent has been turned into a homeless shelter for women and local houses have been donated and rehabbed where these women have begun a new life surrounded by supportiv...