Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Do you remember the book Dead Man Walking ?   Or you might have seen the movie that was made, starring Susan Sarandon (who got the Oscar that year) and Sean Penn.   About ten years ago it was made into an opera!   It recently was performed where I lived, and there were many (free) public events for almost two months leading up to the performance.   In the couple of days prior to the opening of the opera here Sister Helen Prejean (who wrote the book), longtime Catholic activist, who speaks often about her own conversion regarding the death penalty, was in Madison.   She and Jake Heggie, the composer of the opera, spoke to about 800 people at First Congregational UCC.   Helen talked about her own conversion – which began when she finally understood that the Jesus of the Gospels went about doing justice , not just being kind to people.   (And in the case of the first man she accompanied to his death he was clearly guilty !) In this country it...

I’ve always loved shoes!   When I was younger I thought they needed to be high heels…   Now I realize that they don’t, and I can look for other things that I want.   I go beyond comfort (which is a given ).   Last week I was out shopping and I saw a pair of shoes that met all my expectations.   They were both comfortable and soft .   They were RED, and, best of all, they were on SALE!   I had to have them!! Not only that, but in the past week I’ve found plenty of things to wear them with.   Needless to say, I absolutely love my new red shoes!   They’re perfect for the nights I am at the hospital as chaplain.   They’re quiet and lightweight, easy to slip on and off.   And I can even wear them when I go to a Wisconsin State Prison, which I will this week.   As I sit in a circle with others I’ll notice their shoes.   They do not have the luxury of shopping, as I do.   And many of them cannot afford to buy the at...

In the midst of this Advent season, many of the people I encounter have very little to look forward to, though they are definitely in a waiting mode.   Sometimes I’ve written about those who are incarcerated.  This month I’m thinking about adults who have a loved one in prison or jail.  They are serving time as well, along with the many children they are caring for while mom or dad is incarcerated. Those of us involved in prison ministry have been trying to reach out to them lately. And what we’ve learned is that there is such a stigma attached to having a family member incarcerated that adults don’t want to admit it to others.  That includes in their place of work (where they spend so much time) and even their church communities – where one could expect the disciples of Jesus to surround them with love and concern and prayer.  That last part is my own thought, though the rest of it is what I’ve learned from these adults. Statist...

Some of the most interesting people I know live in Wisconsin State Prisons.  I’ve learned many things from them, including this: “They may be ashamed of who they were, but what is important, what really matters, is who they are now and who they want to be.”  And that’s just as it is with all of us, isn’t it? This is a reminder to me of so many things I never would have known, so many people I never would have encountered, so many institutions I had never even noticed or known anything about before I took the risk of going inside the walls. Like many, I went inside with all kinds of preconceived ideas. I first went into a maximum security prison for men about four years ago.  Since then I’ve been inside eight prisons, for men and for women, many times.  Sitting in a circle with them, I never know what they have done in the past, unless they choose to reveal it.  I’ve learned to listen carefully to what they have to say, and to trust the...

Talking with others about my faith is something I do a lot.   Talking with men who are incarcerated about faith is something I’m learning to do.   At one of prisons for men I visit, I was one of several religious leaders who participated in an 8-week session called “Interfaith Dialogue.”   As we went around the circle each person had a chance to talk about his or her spiritual tradition – and it was fascinating.   Prisons are not places where you’d expect to find spirituality.   Yet, one of the things I learned is the importance of spirituality to the men.   It gives them hope, and for many of them it offers a form of independent study, prayer and meditation. We represented several Christian denominations: Catholic, UCC, Baptist. Others in the circle were Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Native American.   Several also practiced various kinds of Paganism.   These were the least familiar to me, and among those from whom I learn...