Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Like many of us, I look forward to my morning cup of coffee! This morning, I wondered how often we consider the people who grow our coffee. I am on a committee our Congregation created years ago called the Alternative Investment Committee . It's sole purpose is to make loans to nonprofit organizations that help low-income women and families around the world. Small Farmers in Latin America these past two years have suffered great losses due to torrential rains that have destroyed their coffee trees. The loans from Root Capital make it possible for local co-ops to provide training and loans, helping small farmers buy new trees and seeds as they learn how to diversify and not  depend on their coffee crop to survive. Many of these farmers are seeing their income rise thanks to the International markets now available to them via the co-ops and the variety of local produce and animals they can sell locally.  This morning, I am thinking about these farmers a...

Cruise ships pull into the Juneau Harbor every day during the summer--sometimes as many as five on a given day.  Passengers are into the leisure and shopping scene while crew members try to snatch a few hours on shore to shop for personal items or perhaps just to be on land. This summer a dancer on one of the ships asked to be baptized.  She had wanted this for a long time, but circumstances and a somewhat transient life style prevented her from being in a structured program of catechesis.  With the help of several chaplains and a committed godmother (lead singer on the ship) she began the process of becoming Catholic on the ship itself.  Once a week the ship came to Juneau and during those days she connected with us at the Cathedral.  After meeting with her several times I knew her heart was ready and that she understood the basics of the faith she was soon to embrace.  With the whole cast from the ship and her parents prese...