Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

What is calling you to newness this season? The tree out my window, barren a month ago, is now rich with new green leaves. So many seeds buried for the winter are sprouting, and the songs of birds announce hatchlings. Recently I responded to a call to dream and plan with a group that is taking a long look at our stewardship of the land at Sinsinawa, the Mound.  On Memorial Day, Mark Shepard came as a resource person to the group.  His vision of permaculture agriculture helps me to see that care of people, concern for fair distribution of resources and care of earth is one rich piece.  We hope to visit his farm, New Forest Farm, Viola, Wisconsin this summer. (see www.newforestfarm.net ) to see how permaculture might apply to the Mound. The call that I experienced in my youth, to give my life to care for others, and to search for and teach truth  has come together in a new way. We, Sinsinawa sisters, stated our vision and mission for 2011-2016 thi...

Continuously saying yes to God and my call to be a religious sister with the Sinsinawa Dominicans at this time in the twenty- first century, is not something that comes easily to me.  It means blindly saying yes to a future that is unknown and trusting in a God who I cannot see, but who I have experienced constantly. This continuous yes always means a lot of letting go and dying to self.  However, through my continuous yes I have been blessed tremendously in various ways in my life and I have seen myself continue to grow into someone who I think I was meant to become, the real Lystra.  Having to face surgery earlier this month was also blindly trusting in something or someone who I had no control over.  The mere thought of general anesthetic and the cutting of my body totally terrified me.  I felt betrayed by my body, which has been so good to me over the years.  Preparing for surgery was doing a lot of mental and emotional work.  It me...

Two years ago in April 2011 over 200 Dominicans of Sinsinawa gathered for a special meeting, called a Chapter. Together we created an inspirational direction statement that launched us into the future.   This is what we desire: Having opened our hearts to this profound time of grace and being created anew by the Fire of Love, we commit ourselves to living boldly together into the next five years. We call one another to speak courageously and risk for justice live authentically and relate transparently reverence Earth and expand consciousness dream globally and collaborate intentionally search contemplatively and study communally explore the emerging Wisdom of God. ~Direction for 2011-2016 Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary Since this Chapter, we intentionally refer to this statement to guide us in our prayer, study, community, and ministry. These are not just words; they are alive in us. Presently our congre...