Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In this season of slumber… Pregnant pauses… Dormant possibilities… We wait. Grieving leave-takings Celebrating homecomings And Home-goings. In stillness We wait. Longing for His coming And, with His coming, Our awakening. Be still And know He is already here… Peace to you this holy season of Advent. Kathy Flynn, OP Whitefish Bay, WI

Sister Felicitas Farrell, OP, was missioned in Fairbanks, Alaska for many years. She loved Alaska and the people she met there. She knew everyone from mushers to school children to those who were going through difficult times. One of her main jobs was in the copy room at the Catholic school, grades K-12. She became known as the “Copy Lady.” Over ten years ago she went to Wisconsin for knee replacement surgery, fully intending to return. However, she died from complications of the surgery, In Fairbanks there was shock and an outpouring of grief for this dearly beloved Copy Lady. Just recently I was able to visit the school where she had worked for so many years. In the copy room there is a bulletin board dedicated to her. Her picture, signs of her Irish heritage and other mementos are on this board; above it is a special certificate she had received, and in the bookcase sit several of her cherished items. After these many years she has not been forgotten. Living life fully ...

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

An email picture -- associates and me at a conference-- reminded me of an article sent by Sinsinawa's Relation For Mission team --"Concentration on Connections Will Keep Religious Life Alive." I am connected to Faith Communities of Madison through an organization called MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength Equality and Solidarity.)     I am the leader of its religious leader caucus.   I bring the clergy and other spiritual leaders of our 20 some organizations together to strengthen the spiritual bonds of individual communities that are helping bring an end to mass incarceration. In order to build relationships with the leaders and people of the various faith communities, I take time each week to attend special events and/or Sunday services with Lutheran, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, Unitarian, Unity or Friends communities. Last Saturday I joined James Reeb Unitarian community   as they ordained their new minister.   I neve...

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...