Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Where I dwell, I witness Creation's resources being shared. Deer, rabbit, squirrel, sandhill, oriel, frog and me. Turkeys strut. Red wings and mourning doves eat from the same table. Wild flowers, grasses, weeds and trees converse in the wind. Fireflies blink to the starlit sky.  Diversity, thankful for the other's gift, enabling all to live. Together we pray and converse, sharing the collective wisdom. Unknowingly or perhaps knowingly, we weave a tapestry that reveals the Devine's portrait! Without God's presence Eden's Garden in the Cosmic  womb would not exist.   How do you contribute to the Community's tapestry? Will you join the sisterhood?   Caroline Sullivan, OP DePere, WI

At this moment, I am joyfully looking forward to a week of vacation with my youngest sister.     I live in Wisconsin and she in Florida.     Though we are 6 years apart in age and have very different personalities, we have come to be each other’s best supporter.     She called me last night to ask a couple of questions that could easily have been answered when I arrived, but I think she, like me, just wanted to connect in anticipation of my arrival.     Though she as hostess looks for a “fun” event or two in her geographical area during our visit, mostly we just enjoy being with each other - sharing stories, teasing each other, offering support to each other through life’s challenges, and laughing a lot.  We have come to respect and honor our unique personalities and life choices.     My relationship with my biological sisters (there were 5 of us growing up together) has prepared me well for being sister with my nearly 300...

I’m spending the summer at our Camp WeHaKee in northern Wisconsin, far from my home in Austin, Texas.  The setting is gorgeous, and the camp is full of the laughter and struggles of girls as they navigate new relationships as well as develop new skills in such things as teamwork, arts, music, horseback riding, sailing and archery.  While there are still some Covid protocols in place, we have been able to enjoy seeing one another in person again, sharing meals outside and singing our favorite camp songs.  I am especially impressed with the camp counselors, young women mostly college age, who bring energy, enthusiasm, and many talents they can share with their campers Surely,  This is holy ground; we’re standing on holy ground, For our God is with us, and where God is is holy.   LouAnne Willette Austin, TX

During the past 15 months, in addition to family calls, I called four people on a regular basis.  This was important for me, as I hope it was for them, because our ministry has always been relationship-based.  But a phone call is not as satisfying as a face-to-face visit.  So with great joy I celebrated when I became fully vaccinated.  Now I could have real visits from others who were fully vaccinated.       Last week I was able to invite two different people to my home. What a thrill it was to prepare lunch for one and breakfast for the other. This is something I have truly missed.  There is something very special about inviting someone to your table, sharing conversation, sharing your home, and being present to one another in a face-to-face visit.  In preparing for my guests' arrival I try to think of what would be the best way to show I am happy to see them and that I treasure their presence.  This helps me to focus on them and n...

Today I went to a really good meeting.   What, you might ask, is “a really good meeting?”   The materials were well prepared!   Not only that, but the leaders had done a very good job preparing others to take a role in leading various parts of the meeting and everyone’s voice was heard.    Best of all, we got out EARLY!!! EACH of these things contributed to a very good day!    So, why doesn’t every meeting go this well?    Sometimes we have to listen to one voice, droning on and on, as though no one else in the room has anything to contribute.    As a former teacher, I know that time goes faster (for both leader and participants) when all are invited to take part in the process.   I wasn’t looking forward to spending my Saturday this way.    But we needed it done, and in my way of thinking it was time well spent! I left the meeting wondering why it was so good.   First of all, the preparation w...

Earlier this week I watched the “Contemplative Dialogue” around the habit that the congregation hosted and livestreamed.  I was unclear what to expect and—perhaps like many of the sisters that tuned-in—felt a tad anxious about how such a charged discussion would go.  The group discussion demonstrated a model of interaction and engagement that was inspiring: of respect, diverse expression, articulate sharing, and unity.  How wonderful to be a part of this congregation!  I watched it with my community, which includes as diverse a set of experiences with the habit as the group of women on the panel.  The dialogue was a success in that it stimulated our own conversation on the topic; we shared our experiences, opinions and perspectives about how, when, where, and what the habit can and does represent.  While we had our share of differences, there was consensus that the habit is a powerful and complex symbol that has multi-layered meanings to us, as women...

That is the shout you hear from our parish basement as our Latino women join together in a group we have named Santa Catalina after St. Catherine of Siena.  We begin with aerobic exercise, form a circle and eat a family meal together with our children and end with sharing “how the week went” for each of us.  The final sharing is done in the context of prayer.  This integrated spirituality is as relevant today as it was 800 years ago when St. Dominic preached against the heresy of dualism that says the corporal world is corrupt and only the spiritual world is good.  One of the blessings of our gathering is the way in which we are building community, making friends and being a presence to one another.  The relationships that we are forming are powerful and transforming us into a community where we experience more fully the meaning of the “Body of Christ.”  I truly believe the only way forward is community. How have you experienced the transformative power of...