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?...

Contemplative kayaking along the edges affords me the opportunity to become more deeply aware of the many expressions of life. The amazing rocks and roots systems of gnarled fallen trees that bridge themselves between land and water and sprout all kinds  of new growth moss, grass, and plantings. They become warm places for turtles to climb on and soak up the sun. They become places for otters to play. Badgers can pull away small bits of dried twigs to build their dens. Herons stand sentinel in the cattails and mother ducks keep watchful eyes on their exuberant young chicks. Native plants flower around the edges, loons nest and eagles perch on the tops of the tall living trees and swoop down to fish.  We are so  blessed to be part of this amazing abundance of life expressing itself at this moment in time. Where do I belong in this tapestry of life? For  certainly I am an integral part. How do I honor all life? How do I honor all living beings? Contribute to the healin...

  How I love and admire our teacher Nature. She always invites me to insight, change, and integration. I have been preparing my garden for winter’s approach and found myself digging in a much, overgrown area of tangled, immersed Japanese Irises! When was the last time I did this, I asked myself?!     The tangled root system indicated to me that it had been 5, 6, 7? years! Whew! The Iris roots resisted being moved. They were so woven together and tangled they did not take well to my spade and shovel. It was obvious they ‘liked’ being close together and yet I knew that they all did not have the breathing space to bloom. Once broken up I could move some clumps to other spots in my large backyard for future growth. Our Congregation is just beginning preparations for our every 5-year Chapter meeting where we review how God’s Mission has us and how we are responding to this. It is a graced time of paying attention to our growth and opening ourselves up to where the Spirit is le...

The pandemic has distinctively changed my perspective on life. I find blessings that I used to take for granted and welcome new learnings. Relationships have strengthened and new ones formed. My spiritual life is deepening as well.   Each summer for the past 20 years I have participated in a retreat entitled  Nurturing Life’s Blessings . Last year we had a “virtual” retreat and I missed being together, in person, in a place that is  extra  holy ground at Siena Retreat Center in Racine, WI.    This summer we gathered at Siena Retreat Center. What a difference! We adapted to the new protocols for safety and also appreciated being together. The gifts of nature and being with others truly nurtured my spirit. I celebrate this sacred time. Being on the team and creating the rituals for each day expands my love of life. I am also privileged to companion women on their journey and learn from them. The Spirit’s presence was palpable.   Lake Michigan graces the ...

In these times of chaos and uncertainty, where hatred and violence seem to run rampant, I am comforted by our Orderly God and the Fibonacci Sequence. I am no mathematician by  any  stretch of the imagination. Math gives me a headache, it makes me hyperventilate. I can’t really explain the Fibonacci sequence except that each number is the sum of the two numbers preceding it. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc. and that it has many scientific and mathematical applications. But it has also been used in music, poker, and the financial trades, among others.  The point is that the application of the sequence came  only  after its discovery, found everywhere in Nature. The pattern existed first, perhaps God’s way of scattering crumbs to help us find our way, letting us know that while we are not in control neither are we alone. That there is Order amidst the chaos and uncertainty. How beautiful; how hopeful!   Seeing beauty and working to dismantle systems of injustice...

Hello! My name is Annie Henkel, OP and I live in Mobile, Alabama. I teach art and ukulele for the City Parks and Recreation Department. I also give some occasional retreats. What I’m thinking about as I listen to the surf and soak in the beauty of sea and sky, is how easy it is, for me at least, to lose perspective. Current events have a way of blocking the horizon. Dissonant voices drown out laughter and the sound of the breeze. Nature’s gift to me is to reestablish that fundamental connectedness. My morning prayer usually concludes with, “Okay God, please help me go forth from this place of oneness with You.” Toward mid-day, I often say, “Okay, God, show me something.” It’s amazing to me that this request seldom goes unanswered. Could be a butterfly or somebody who needs more than ukulele help. In any encounter, my question to myself is usually, “To what end?” How will my words be received? My hope is to live and preach what life lived in God can be like. To that...

At a recent regional meeting in Montana with our sisters and associates we were asked during prayer to picture a scene from nature that spoke to us. Living in Alaska my picture included snow-capped mountains, wild flowers, warbling birds and the ocean with its whales. I thought especially of the whales breaching, their huge majestic bodies coming straight up from the water. I thought of them bubble feeding, when they gather in a circle, rise up from the water and open their mouths to feed on the krill that come to the surface. These are awesome sights, but I see them very rarely--they are a special gift. Most of the time I know the whales are in the sea, but I don't see any sign of them. Once in a while I might see a spout of water which signifies their presence or a fin rising from the water. This is a good way for me to think of God's presence in my life.  Like the whales God is always present, is always there, but I only get a glimpse now and then, perhaps in a sacr...

A couple of Sisters of mine just returned from fishing in the Clearwater River in Idaho where one caught a 20-pound steelhead, which is a species of salmon. (Or maybe trout.)   It is a magnificent fish that, because it is endangered, was released after a quick photo.             Steelhead migrate from the ocean to their ancient inland spawning ground – their reproductive home - traveling up to 800 miles, jumping fish ladders and swimming upstream in the process.   Wow!   What keeps the steelhead going? I don’t know…dead reckoning, magnetic fields, smells, instinct? There are lots of theories behind animal migration.   All I know is the steelhead persevere; they just do it… year after year after year after year… always moving toward that which beckons.   And by doing so, they produce new life. There are times in our own lives when we might feel as though we’re swimming upstream, fighting current,...