Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Sixteen years ago, on September 11, 2001, I was in New York City with several of our Sinsinawa Sisters.   Four of us were attending a meeting at the United Nations and we were staying at our convent in Manhattan.   Beginning with that Tuesday morning in New York, we navigated together through the devastating and frightening days that followed the attacks on the World Trade Center.   This terrible event that we remember as “9/11” marks for me a catastrophic shift in our understanding of ourselves and of our world.   For many, “security” seems to be the reality that trumps many values that have been essential to the fabric of our nation.   Seeing the “other” as a potential threat rather than as an opportunity to encounter Jesus is a view that seems pervasive.    Each year when the anniversary of “9/11” occurs, I find myself reflecting about how this event continues to shape us.   In these days of many disasters at home and around the worl...

  For the past 3 months, I have intentionally engaged in reading and reflecting on collective hope, resistance, and resilience. I am currently re-reading a book about spiritual resistance and hope. It is food for my heart and soul, and I have shared it with several friends. Last night I was invited to have dinner with two of my Sinsinawa sisters and a guest who is in town to speak on her advocacy work, insights, and current social justice lobbying efforts.   There were several times, before and during dinner, when injustices and collective or communal hope entered into our conversation. It has become increasingly clear that I am definitely not alone in being comforted and energized by the power of hope, grounded in faith and community. In my daily work, I encounter significant loss and worry, individual and collective grief, and way too many “isms” and biases to count. But reflecting on the power of spiritual resistance, collective hope, and resilience reminds me what...