Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Even after over 2 weeks have passed, I am still savoring the joy of the Jubilee celebration. During the weekend close to the feast of the Most Holy Rosary, those of us who have been professed for 50 (Golden), 40 (Ruby), 25 (Silver) or 15 years (Crystal) gathered with family, friends, and the Mound community of Sisters to commemorate our professions. We participated in beautiful liturgies, shared a bounteous meal, and visited with each other, family, and friends. Due to everyone’s generosity, each of us received a large gift bag filled to overflowing with cards, notes, and other momenta. Even after 2 weeks, I am still opening and reading messages in cards and basking in the love of each sender.  I remember saying once or twice, that we need to tell each other how much we appreciate each other before the remembering service after our death. The notes the Sisters have written to me do just that.     As Dominicans of Sinsinawa, we say, “Relationship is at the heart ...

Last weekend I enjoyed celebrating the Diamond Jubilees of 26 women. The festive celebrations, with colorful decorations, and joyful music, and delicious food created an atmosphere of “jubilation.” Smiles were contagious along with well wishes and lots of storytelling. This time last year I was busy sending out invitations for my Golden Jubilee. I am so glad I am on the other side of my jubilee. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my jubilee very much. But, do you ever realize the deeper meaning of something after you have experienced it?  Jubilee is a year-long celebration. It has its roots in the Jewish tradition. (Leviticus 25:8-12) A year of jubilee was announced with trumpet blast and was heard throughout all the land. Every fifty years marked a jubilee year. It was a consecrated year when all debts were forgiven. The peoples were set free. Jubilee is a fresh new start.  The tradition of jubilee is alive in our Judeo-Christian lives. Women and men religious honor...

I love Summer not for the usual reasons we hear proclaimed, but because that is the season of many celebrations of who we are as Dominicans of Sinsinawa: Community Days, Jubilees, Receptions, and Professions.  Community Days is a time we come together as a community to pray, study, plan for the future of our Congregation, and re-connect with one another. This past weekend after having said “goodbye” to the sister friends who live far away from the motherhouse where I am in ministry, as I was sorting through papers that had accumulated in my book bag, I came across a reflection I had composed 9 years ago in preparation for Final Profession.  Quite frankly, I was “blown away” by what I had written.   The Spirit had certainly been with me during the creation of that document.  Among the many thoughts I found in the reflection was a question one of the sisters in my discernment circle had asked me, “What did you learn through your experience of liv...

Before entering religious life, the word “jubilee” was not part of my customary, every-day language. Anniversary, yes, but not jubilee. We have 39 Sinsinawa Dominicans celebrating Jubilees this year of 50, 60, 70, 75 and 80 years of vowed life. Three Jubilarians live in our Twin Cities (MN) area. Jubilees are celebrated annually at our motherhouse. Some sisters, however, also choose to celebrate their jubilee in the geographic area in which they live and minister. I attended such a celebration last weekend. One of our 50 th year Jubilarians currently ministers at a local parish in the Twin Cities, where there has been almost 140 years of ministry by the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation . (An amazing historical fact, don’t you think?) An estimated 500 people gathered to celebrate with her. Our dinner meal included Mexican and Midwestern USA cuisine, complimented by a mariachi band, and a variety of music and theater performances by the kids afterwards. I left the ...

Last month the parish where I minister had a celebration in honor of my juiblee.  It was a joyous event and I was flooded with cards and well-wishes.  I didn't want to miss thanking everyone who came so I wrote a note to be printed in our Sunday bulletin.  One woman who had given me a substantial gift told me that this note was enough—I didn't have to write anything more. However, I did not feel comfortable with this.  I knew all the people who had given me a gift; I wanted to give them something more personal, some words that would express not only gratitude for the gift but also gratitude for the connection I had with them.  This was a time-consuming project and took a month to complete.  However, already two of those who received notes have told me how much they meant to them:  "This note is a keeper."  "I'm going to keep this note next to my chair and when I start feeling down I'll read it again." Wow!  A few minutes of my time--it w...

When I am in a large group I prefer to be in the background.  It's not that I don't want to be involved, but I don't like the focus of attention to be on me.  All of this changed last month when I went to our motherhouse to celebrate my jubilee.  For three days twelve other sisters and I were the focus of attention as we gathered with family and friends to celebrate our jubilees.  As I began to read the overflowing abundance of cards and well-wishes I received I realized that the focus was not so much on me personally as it was on the witness of 50 years of living a life of faithfulness and dedication to God, the Giver of all our gifts.  What we were really celebrating was all the good accomplished through us by our Creator. After that realization I stopped thinking about being in the spotlight and joined in celebrating with gratitude the presence of God in our lives during these past years and the many blessings and graces we have each received. ...