Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

When the feast St Andrew was announced before morning Mass, bells went off inside me.  I suddenly remembered that it was on the evening of St Andrew I received the sacrament of Confirmation with other members of my sixth-grade class. It came to me that the bishop that confirmed us also commissioned building the Parish where I belong now.  I was smiling at this wonderful intersection when an older man, Tony, offered to walk me home so I would be “safe” on my long walk from the church to the sisters’ house where I live.  We both laughed, since it is about 50 feet away.   I learned that my escort had worked as a landscaper and had helped prepare the land where the Diocesan office now stands.  It is named for the same bishop! Tony talked about trees, and the gift of nature which provides us with clean air and nutritious soil.      I encouraged Tony to preach his truth. What truth are  we  called to preach these days?...

Our act of perpetual profession of vows, made to God, to our prioress and her successors, ends with the words, “even unto death”. We make profession publicly. By the same token, we live publicly – regardless of our particular ministry, our age, or our time in the congregation. We are called to live our vows in the daily-ness of life – even unto death. Recently, one of our dear 60 th  Jubilarians at St. Elizabeth Manor – Sr. Mary Louis “Louie” Russley, died a mere days after her Diamond Jubilee. Louie was a quiet, steady spark in our community at the end of her life, just as she was a force in education, science and law earlier in her life. Despite a decline in memory, Louie engaged everyone, was kind to everyone, daily marveled at the awesomeness of Creation, and loved unconditionally. It was our privilege to know her and to witness how she lived her vows, even unto death and into the arms of Mystery.  

On Labor Day I labored to create more useful spaces in my bedroom.     The box containing books “saved to read” had been covered with a colorful afghan and many items     “To read some time” were stacked on top. Now the box is gone and “the books to read”     face me with their inviting titles visible. I found out the day after Labor Day is called “National read a book day” What a great coincidence!     I am reminded that an essential element of Dominican life is STUDY. I pledge to create a sustainable study time in my day, my week, my life. Now I am studying methods of forgiveness proposed by Robert Enright. In addition, I am reading  No Future without Forgiveness  by Desmond Tutu.  Even my fun book (light reading before bed) is  All the Forgivenesses , a novel by Elizabeth Hardinger.  All this study is helping to prepare some input time for the religious leader caucus of MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength, E...

As we began Community Days 2022 this week with great anticipation of being together – albeit virtually - we were challenged by this statement of Parker Palmer:   “Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it,  ask your life what it intends to do with you.”   It really is an illusion to think we are in total control of our lives. We are part of the unfolding universe, living in relationship with everything that makes up the Earth community, spinning in a tiny part of the Milky Way Galaxy, among millions of galaxies, some of which are coming into view for the first time through the lens of the James Webb Telescope.   Can we learn from the universe what our lives intend to do with us? We are inextricably tied to  planet Earth, and we are called to be her caregivers and life-givers and co-creators with our God. Whatever else we intend to do with our lives, it will be in the context of that primary responsibility. May we accept it with gratitude and j...

The Community's Cup is overflowing with Divine Cosmic Presence! You and I, along with all life, are privileged to sit and sip together around its rim.   Hand-picked leaves of compassionate love, forgiveness and inclusion have been seeped together to create this brew.   Really smell life's aromas.   Feel their textures. Taste their flavors. See similarities and differences in this ONE Cosmic Cup of Tea.   Eighty-five of us from twelve different countries (Nigeria, Spain, Philippines, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, USA, Iraq, Lebanon, Belgium, England, Australia) attended an English boarding school, in Southern England. We slept, played, prayed, talked and ate together.   When Tea Time came around, each of us excitedly brought out our prized treat packages received from home to share at table.   As Sinsinawa Dominicans I believe we live on the rim of this Cosmic Cup, looking outward and looking inward. Grounded in Contemplative Wholeness. I personally imagine the Co...

My journey started with a determination to respond to God’s call. I would follow the steps and see if doors would open to a Black woman requesting membership. I would follow all the steps and if the doors did not open, I could say with a clean heart, God I tried. I requested to experience living in “community” that was granted. I lived a semester with sisters and experienced their prayer life, daily routines, celebrations, house meetings, ministries, and concerns. We became family together.     When I asked to start the entrance process the answer was yes and the rest is history.   There is not only room for sisters of color, but also a need for representation of sisters of color in religious life.   Pat Rogers, OP Glendale, WI

When I realized it was “my turn” to write a reflection for this website, I continued asking the Holy Spirit, “What is it you need me to say?”     The answer came around the table in the Dining Room as I ate breakfast with 3 other Sisters in the community.     In the very act of sharing a meal together, we deepen our experience of community life.  It’s not so much the tales and ideas that are exchanged (although some of those conversations are quite delightful and engaging) or the joys and sorrows expressed as it is our knowing that we are together; and we are supported in whatever happens to all of us and each of us.  During the days of ministry at the Mound and especially when the day’s schedule becomes quite intense, this is the reason I look forward to meal breaks.    Perhaps this is also why Jesus told so many stories about food and gathering with others to eat together. Jesus, being totally human, knew that in the very act of f...

One hundred years from now, I hope people will remember this about our community: We were people who spent our lives advocating for the rights of women, people of color, native peoples, immigrants... all the while treating each person we encountered with profound dignity.   Carol Fox, OP

One hundred years from now, I hope people will remember this about our community: that we used our talents and time to reach out to people in need. Sheila Griffin, OP 

When I entered the Novitiate, conformity, uniformity were the themes of the day. No casting of the eyes. Hands under scapula. Little sleeves had only one purpose, not to be used for dusting pianos! Particular friendships were frowned upon. It was 1902, no, 1964.   The rolly polly pope, John XXIII, had just opened the doors of the church to experimentation and ecumenism. What a breath of fresh air it was for many of us.    Time has changed us. Seasons have nurtured our vision to embrace a global world deepening Cosmically our Contemplative spirituality.   Our soul's field has and is being tilled and composted by pandemics of every sort. Sexism, racism, inequality, politics, lies, cover ups, climate change, division and abuse rage while the Institutional Church remains almost mute.   As Sinsinawa Dominicans, we have taken visual and active stances against these wildfires of rage and displaced power.   Now it is time for harvesting. Just as Vatican II opened d...

  “Whatsoever you do to the lest of these you have done to me.” Matt. 35 “Yours are the hands through which Christ blesses all the world. ...Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” Teresa of Avila I have tried to live out my religious life following these two quotes, realizing they are addressed to lay folks as well. In 100 years from now, I hope people will remember the Sinsinawa Dominicans for doing this, responding to the needs of the day with courage and love, strengthened by living the 4 pillars of the Dominican order (prayer, study, community and mission) and knowing that we have each other's back. Stella Storch, OP

Since the beginning of 2020 and COVID following shortly thereafter, we Dominicans of Sinsinawa have said good-bye to 53 of our Sisters who entered eternal life.     Three of those Sisters left behind a biological sister who is also a member of the congregation.     This becomes an even more significant loss for those Sisters.     We, both as a community and also as individual human beings, are mourning our losses.     Our beautiful wake/remembering services and funeral liturgies do help.     Since COVID restrictions have become less stringent, we have been able to accompany a Sister’s remains to the cemetery.     This also assists us saying our “good-byes.”   Although we are happy for the Sister who has entered eternity, nevertheless, we are grieving.  Today, I gathered the memorial cards for all of these Sisters, held each of them and all of them in prayer, and recalled my connection and encounters with each Sis...

Let’s celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—everyone is Irish on that day. Right? Though Ancestry.com testing might not indicate I’m Irish, the influence of the Irish culture lives within me. I will claim to be Irish by association.   On March 17 my “Spirit” circle will celebrate by sharing our insights from our study of Celtic spirituality. It’s my turn to choose our topic, offer resources, and facilitate our conversation. I’ve wanted to discover the essence of Celtic spirituality and I found it resonates with who I am.   Spirituality is a way of expressing who we are and how we live out what we believe. A central wisdom of the Celts is that all life is sacred and God is always with us, in us, all around us in the ordinariness of our lives.     The great discovery for me is how Celtic spirituality is so similar to Dominican spirituality. Celts have monastic roots. They pray always, not enclosed in a monastery but live in community wherever they are. Contemplation and stu...

I never imagined that once I joined the Dominicans I would return to my hometown to live. Every place I have been called/sent has been an adventure—Suburbs of big cities, alternative school in Omaha, subsidized housing in Tulsa, Trinidad and Tobago, between black towns and white suburbs in Mississippi.  Each has been a place of learning and caring.  Each place and now Madison has been a place of community.   “Community” sounds like such an ideal place.  And yet It has both blessings and tensions.  We ourselves are blessing and tension.  Learning from each one gives us experience needed to live in a neighborhood, a parish community, a city of challenges, a polarized nation. I am looking at the back yard, where I brought the commercial composter from 3 other places where I lived in Madison. Each place had its challenges and blessings.  Each place had banana peels and vegetable leftovers to compost and turn into nourishm...

I believe we've been living a COVID Lent for over a year and counting.   Locked down. Restricted. Masked, and socially distant.   After some thought, I realized, we are much like my hardy garden veggies.  Transplanted from garden to pot. Placed in a greenhouse and covered in a mask of cloth.  The subzero temperatures like Covid threaten.  However all they request is to be watered!   Lent is about greening, being watered, replenished. This Lent let's treat ourselves to a good watering. Yes TREAT ourselves. Turning ourselves inside out, to expose our Winter/ Lenten growth. Will Community, friends, church, world see our greening and be changed by our example?   We, like my veggies, are all Covid transplants. Don't forget to water. Treat yourself. Our growth is already visible!   Caroline Sullivan, OP DePere, WI

Recently I was watching  Amanpour & Company  on PBS as Andy Slavitt talked about Covid-19 and the impact of wearing masks. He believes that if 80%-90% of people wore masks consistently, the virus would almost disappear. When he was asked why wearing masks is such a problem for people in the U.S., he said that because there is such a deep cultural value placed on individual liberties, many don’t want their lives to be inconvenienced on behalf of other people. To explore this idea further, he suggested making 2 lists: One with words such as individualism, entrepreneurship, great wealth; and the other, with things such as society, community, equality. He speculated that countries described by the 2 nd  list will have fewer Covid cases because they are willing to wear masks out of concern for others. He mentioned Japan and several African countries as examples. This was a new moment of clarity for me. It is straight up evil that the value we place on individual liberties ...

Recently I was part of a Zoom sharing on what elements of life-giving Dominican Community we are currently experiencing,  Of course, everyone mentioned praying together, eating together, sharing household tasks and showing care for one another. Study was mentioned, too, either together or sharing what one has learned with the other members. In addition, I shared my experience of living in a multicultural, intergenerational community. Two of us are older and two are quite a bit younger. We find it enriching to learn from each other as we share life together. The younger members are so considerate of our limitations, but we older members are able to contribute quite a bit to our common life.  One sister is from Vietnam, so as she is getting to know our culture we are getting to know hers. We pray the Our Father in Vietnamese each night and we are treated some days to Vietnamese-based meals, such as spring rolls with peanut sauce. Artwork from Vietnam adorns our walls an...

How sad we have been!  In the midst of sickness and death of the pandemic, we saw repeated over and over again the murder of Mr. George Floyd by those who are named peace officers.  Three Dominicans share community where I live .  Gratefully in the midst of such sadness and stay at home challenges we can also make one another laugh. We reflect on scripture together.  Share articles of interest.  Come together for wake services and Mass that are live streamed from the Mound. We take turns cooking and pray together. We mourn with those who are mourning and speak out for justice with those who are protesting. For a number of years the Sinsinawa Dominicans have supported me in the work I get to do to advocate for change in the criminal justice system with another community called MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength Equality and Solidarity.)  Then there is the parish community with which I share scripture study each Friday. I am...

Sequestered, quarantined, moving our ministries and relationships to digital realities, and keeping a social distance in all that we do has not encumbered the Resurrection of Christ.     Nothing could ever impede God’s unending love.     Nothing ever will.     We see Resurrection in our movement from outside to inside, opening up the opportunity to deepen our relationship with the Risen Christ. We see Resurrection out the window and on our daily walks or bike rides as we witness spring happening everywhere, even with some Easter snow.   We see Resurrection in the indomitable courage and strength of the hospital workers and first responders who are bringing healing and hope.  We see Resurrection in the community spirit that fills balconies and porches every night to applaud these heroes and heroines of goodness. We see Resurrection in the naming of long-term disparities and the sin of racism behind them, which this global crisis ...

Recently, I attended a Circle Keeper’s gathering at Sojourner Family Peace Center, my place of ministry, a gathering based on the circle model of restorative justice. The group that evening was racially, economically, gender, and experientially-diverse. As each participant, in turn, picked up a talking piece, full attention was given to that person alone until they had shared what they wanted to share. Wounds buried surfaced and were held up to the light, which began the process of healing ragged edges. I was struck by how similar and universal our individual woundedness seemed and by the healing power of circles. We must have been created to be part of circles, rather than lines. Lines can be relational but only at the point of intersection. Circles, on the other hand, embrace. Lines can lengthen, but only on one end or the other. Circles widen, making room for more. Lines are not very welcoming. When we stand in line, we see only the back of the person in front of us but when we...