Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

In one of her short stories, Barbara Kingsolver’s character, Great Mam, who is of the Bird Clan, asks the question, “Why are there state lines on the map if you can’t see them?”  What a great question.  Why do we label borders that are not there?   How do we decide who is a neighbor and who is not? How do we decide who is a sister or brother and who is not?   As Dominicans, we are called to offer our lives in community with a selflessness that mirrors that of Christ.  Who do we see?  How do we offer our gifts and talents?  What are our priorities?  Dominicans have to ask the question, in the midst of all our own troubles and brokenness, “How does my life relieve the misery of another?”  Whether the suffering of another falls within our borders, within the lines of our map, or takes place across the globe, we are called to accompaniment.   Love knows no border. Peggy R...

…after nearly 47 years living in Dominican community:  people do their best! What do I mean?   All of us were called by God.  To do what?  Whatever needed to be done!   I was a high school teacher of religion for ten years.  I went to summer school during those years to learn more about my faith.  Then I discovered that my students were learning things that their parents didn’t know.  So I pursued a degree in adult education, and used it in Des Moines, Iowa, Milwaukee and for the congregation. All that time I lived in Dominican communities, where I was supported in my growth –  as a woman, as a teacher, as a learner, as a sister. Who has supported your growth over the years?   Ruth Poochigian, O.P. Madison WI

Today over lunch a Sister asked me why I joined the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters.   I responded as I always do: the Sisters here laughed and hugged more than anyone I’d ever met.   They were so down to earth, so human, and so joyful .   Being around them made me feel at home, brought out my own joy, and left me wanting to be a part of their life and mission. The Sister I was with listened knowingly, because like many around here it was the joy that first drew her, too.   She then shared a fresh way of understanding an individual’s attraction to the charism (or spirit) of a community. Charisms are like magnets, she said, and individuals as well as communities have them.   Vocation happens when my little charism magnet and the big charism magnet of the community are attracted to each other.   It might be a mystery, and it’s different for each person, but somehow we just know the attraction is there. I continue to discover if and how my little magn...

At this moment, I am joyfully anticipating a week we have called “Sister Week.”  Once a year, my 4 biological sisters and I gather together to celebrate our sisterhood with each other.  After our first gathering, we said to each other, “We have to do this every year.  We don’t know how long we’ll have each other on this earth.”  Though each year’s hostess usually looks for a “fun” event or two in her geographical area, mostly we just enjoy each others’ company - playing games, sharing stories, teasing one another, offering support to each other through life’s challenges, and laughing a lot.  We have come to respect and honor our unique personalities.  Who would ever think that 5 babies coming from the same parents and same culture could be so different from one another?  Fortunately, we have all worked through the sibling rivalry and jealousies from our childhood. My relationship with my biological sisters has prepared me well...