Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Community life (living together as sisters) has always been a high point of my vocation. The rhythm of a community can give, or stifle life in all forms of communal living, families, roommates, etc.     Time dedicated for prayer, meals, study, and play are essential components in a religious community. The morning hours, in all the communities I have lived, are quiet times. There is always movement about the house, but silence provided an opportunity for private prayer.  Time to sit in silence with scripture and in God’s presence was my “get right” opportunity to start my day.   In community living there is designated time for communal prayer and meals, and opportunity to talk about your day. There was time after the evening meal to play games (Hand and Foot was my favorite card game), watch TV, read a book, grade papers, or visit with one or two sisters. Usually between 9-10 pm there was silence, another opportunity for private prayer. The rhythm of these communitie...

In our Constitution we say that we open ourselves to be changed by a  new member who wishes to join us, and we also open ourselves to the  Spirit speaking in her. Recently our local community was blessed with  a new member. Are we ready to be open to being changed by her? This is one of the challenges of community life.  We know she will  bring her gifts and share them with us. But what about her food  preferences?  Is she vegetarian? Allergic to gluten? Since she is  Vietnamese she will want to prepare some food she is familiar with. We  need to be willing to eat what she prepares. She is a student, so will  she need more quiet in the house?  Does she have any art work she  would like to display on our walls?  These are just some of the  beginning questions we explore with her. The pace of our prayer needs to be slower since she still struggles  with some English words.  One way we are showing her that we a...

One member of my Dominican community made a special effort to buy  Pączki  so we could have them for Pączki  Day or Fat Tuesday, the day before the 40 days of fasting we call Lent. My Polish ancestors could have told me how to pronounce Pączki , the delightful Polish filled donuts, but now I had to look it up on the internet. Pączki , but then 40 days!  What should I do for those long 40 days? When I was teaching religion in a school in Tulsa, I encouraged the students to reflect on 40 days of Lent, but I delighted more in telling them to celebrate the 40 days after  Easter. Now I am appreciating that both 40 days are important and go together like vinegar and honey. It’s not all a bowl of cherries.  Community life itself has Pączki  days and searching days.  Days to struggle with knowing how to be intentional in our antiracist actions and days to rejoice when we realize transformation and celebrate all people ...

The little things in life make the big things work—and vice versa.   Sometimes I look around in my small community and notice how many little things get done—seemingly without organization.   I’ll be in the kitchen getting my breakfast, and I notice that “someone” has bagged up the garbage and left it at the back door.   A little later, “someone” else has quietly taken the bag out to the trashcan in the alley.   “Someone,” me, in this case, empties the dish washer while waiting for my oatmeal to cook. These tasks are very little things, but in a smooth-functioning community, they just “happen.” My local community consists of a disparate crew of four Sisters from different congregations and nationalities, of different ages, and with different jobs.   What makes us notice and deal with the little things, I think, is that we share values—including sincere care for another.   Yes, we do our jobs, and one or another of us also volunteers at a food pantry, h...

I have always believed that living in community allows one to become an Easter person, or a person dedicated to resurrection and hope.   As Dominican women, we are offered the great gift of living in community “for the sake of our mission.”   In other words, our lives at home should give us all we need to be gospel women.   We live together to cherish gifts, inspire prayerful hearts, accompany each other in whatever struggle arises, learn to laugh, dream and act to make the world a better place, as well as occasionally love off the rough edges.   We can let each one become new, no matter what the circumstance.   Where do you find resurrection happening?   Where do you hear hopeful voices these days? Peggy Ryan, OP Whitefish Bay, WI