Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

On Memorial Day weekend this year hundreds of people     came to Sinsinawa Mound.     It was the first time for some, and home coming for many. The Chapel was filled with people, song and light reflected from richly colored windows.   People came from as far away as Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon to witness perpetual vows of Christin Tomy and Nicole Reich. It would take all the electronic space in the world to write all the wonders of the day, but best was being able to personally greet these two graceful women who had begun to discern a lifetime commitment to being Dominicans nine years ago. You might watch the ceremony yourself at  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/sinsinawa/portal.htm?eventId=690739&streamType=video Then pause and ask, “what stands out for me”? I especially love this question they were asked -- Through apostolic poverty, do you choose freely to live in Gospel simplicity and to be generous with the gifts of life, recognizing you...

On the wall at the end of the Diamond Walkway connecting the main dining room with the Foyer at the Mound hangs a huge vertical poster showing prairie bluestem grass – a staple of the original prairie of this part of the country.     The poster is life-size – showing the 5 feet height of the blooming plant and the 8 feet depth of its roots!     Because of these deep roots, the plant is “protected from danger and disasters, like wildfires and drought.”     Wow is what I think every time I see it.     I never thought roots would go so deep….and that leads me to thinking about the roots that protect me from other dangers – like despair or cynicism, self-absorption or ennui, jealousy or indifference.     The deeper I sink my roots in the sacred mystery of God, “rooted in love,” as St. Paul says, the more I strive to deepen my roots in pursuit of truth through study and contemplation, I will find that I have what I need to lead me through the...

Each moment of each day I can tap into the grace of my life. I try to be aware of the ordinary blessings and my gratitude grows. Sometimes the blessings are so commonplace that I take them for granted. As I write to you today I have a visitor with me who comes each month and makes a “mini” retreat at Sinsinawa Mound. Her presence here makes me aware of many aspects of my daily blessings. She articulates the blessings she notices: . . . the beauty of our land, . . .the friendliness of our community, . . . our daily chanted community prayer and meaningful Eucharist. The more she comes the more blessings she expresses: . . . the broad experiences of our Sisters, . . .the wealth of our education and the opportunities we have to grow as life-long-learners, . . .our awareness of critical concerns of our world and cosmos. . .commitment to peace and justice. Most of all she notices the love and care of our Sisters for one another. When she leaves, my heart is filled with gratitude for my ...

Surprises happen to us all the time. Sometimes they are small, like walking into a Ben and Jerry's and finding out they are giving away free samples of their newest flavored ice cream. But sometimes they are significant, and then you wonder if God is behind the surprise. This is what I experienced recently. I had moved to the Mound, our motherhouse, last November, expecting to  live there for a number of years. I had settled in and was beginning  to be asked to help in various ways. But then, unexpectedly, in April  I was made aware of a need for someone to move to a house in another  city. What was this about? Was I really being asked to be uprooted so  soon? I went to visit the community, I prayed about it, and in the end  I felt God was calling me to answer this need. Was it hard to leave the motherhouse? Yes, but I knew that if God was  behind the surprise I would receive all the graces I needed to begin  anew in another location. And that ...

My life at the Mound and Villa is unique. Each day is different and yet meals and prayers are regulars that everything revolves around. Every night I connect with my two sisters on a 3-way call. We each share about our day. My sister Elaine says to me, “You are getting older yet your life seems to be fuller. Shouldn’t you be getting ready to retire?” They both comment about all my social “engagements.” Before I came here I knew that my life would be different, however I didn’t realize the many blessings I would experience each day. The Isaiah readings during this season of advent have new meaning for me here. On this “holy mountain” we call the “Mound” I know a peace-able kingdom.   Our co-workers and sisters are often reaching out to each other, offering support and wisdom, prayers and affection. We had an opportunity to come together for a retreat day during which Ann Willets invited us to reflect on the Mound-Villa community as an “Advent Village.” The sharing revealed ...

Residents of Fourth Floor Siena Community who meet daily to share Scripture readings I recently needed to take time out from my ministry to have surgery.  I came home to our Motherhouse and spent six weeks on one of our assisted living floors.  Healing is often a journey, full of ups and downs.  Throughout this sometimes painful, sometimes slow process, I was surrounded by the love and healing energy of my sisters. Encouragement, hope, courage, strength, and deep prayer were shared with me each and every day.   We heal in community.   I am so very grateful for my time at home.   I am so very grateful for the love and affection of my sisters.   How about you?   How do you heal? Peggy Ryan, OP Waukegan, IL

I’m not referring to the weeks in the year when Sundays in the Church year are counted by the ordinal numbers 1 through 32, but I’m speaking of those times to be expected in the normal course of living.  In our world at Sinsinawa Mound, 2017 Summer Jubilee celebrations are history, and 2017 Community Days are past.  Now during our everyday days, all of us live into the experiences we had during those stirring, inspiring, and uplifting events of the summer doing what we usually do on an everyday basis. In the midst of those ordinary days, I’ve found highlights animating, heartening, and supporting me.   Several of my sisters came for a visit this past weekend, and we enjoyed each other’s company in the midst of ordinary events.   We really didn’t have any great plans; mostly we sat around the dining room table playing games, telling stories, and laughing a lot in the midst of sharing meals and snacks.   When I came into work this morning, someone greet...

Last week we gathered at the Mound. For me, it is going home. At first it seems it will be overwhelming seeing 200 good friends all at once.   Spending time thinking and praying together about future directions. Discerning together where God is calling us now. “So who is making you go?”   My friend asked.   ‘“ I am going because it is my place of belonging, my family. It is a responsibility that I promised long ago.   I vowed that I would listen to God through this community of sisters.” Through our time of gathering we sang together, prayed together, listened together.   We were blessed by sharing our longings and our concerns. We were blessed by being present together when one of our wise sisters came to speak to all of us.   She told us to remember to love beauty and to always preach the Gospel.   She went to be seated, and then died of a heart attack in the presence of all of us. The next day we celebrated with two new sister...