Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

We say that the one constant in life is change.  We may not be sure of many things, but one thing that we can be absolutely sure of is change.  In religious life we like to call this transition.  I think it has a nicer ring to it.  However, it is the same thing- change.  I remember when I first entered religious life I dreaded the idea of change, yet it is part of religious life and also part of being Dominican.  It is with this itinerant spirit that Dominic founded the order and was himself itinerant. Over the years I still don’t like change much.  I like to be in control and for change to happen one has to let go of control, of the known and the unknowns.   I am still learning not to dread it as much.  In my eleven years with the Dominicans of Sinsinawa I have probably moved about six times already, and I am sure there is more to come.  One of the many things that have drawn me to this courageous group of wom...

This past week marked a significant anniversary for me and those who entered with me. On September 7, 1966 I journeyed by train from Minneapolis to Sinsinawa, WI. My life opened to new possibilities and many blessings. The years have flown by! These past 3 weeks my ministry has been with my 97 year old father. He recently was in the hospital and then a rehab center. Now he is at St. Therese Senior Living Community in the “Towers” in his own apartment for the past 20 years. However,” his life is taking a turn as he will now go into assisted living at St. Therese in the “Terraces” right next door. Being a member of the Dominicans of Sinsinawa is truly an on-going blessing. “Leaving home” does not require “leaving family.” I am supported by the Dominican community with love, prayer, and encouragement to be a compassionate presence for my father and my siblings. My heart overflows with gratitude. As I witness Dad I am amazed at his acceptance of the next phase of his long li...

Recently I spent some time visiting with my sister and her family.  She has three daughters.  Mira the eldest, adores horses.  She takes riding lessons and we went with her one evening to feed and groom the horses and tidy their stables.  I felt proud of my niece taking time to do this community work and doing it so well!  Anya and Riane, shown in the photo with me, LOVE to play.  So I spent a lot of time with them PLAYING!  It was fun to go to the park with them.  They dared me to swing and slide, climb and long jump, all of which I did to their glee!  On other days I was happy (and relieved) just to walk alongside them talking with them as they rode on their bikes.   I don't play often enough so I was grateful to my nieces for inviting me to share not only in their work but also in their play.  What a delightful balance!    I returned home rejuvenated.   As you busy yourself with work, do you also tak...

By Breath, By Blood, by Body, By Spirit, we are all one… these words by Sara Thomsen rang through my mind, body, and soul as I left the Sinsinawa Mound a month ago to the day. For me, being “sent out” on the feast of St. Dominic has connected me even more with the heritage of Dominican Life. My first month here is Whitefish Bay has been filled with contemplation and adventure. From evening prayer to fresh popcorn, I wake up each day with a sense of peace and happiness. Also, being a Dominican High school has helped me to recognize my own privilege of being able to journey with students who are still in search of who they are and how they can see God in all people. As Sara Thomsen sings, “The fire in my heart, my soul flame burning…” this also became real for me as I attended the Dominican Women Afire Conference in San Antonio two weeks ago. This conference broadened my perspective of what it means to be family, as each of our “soul flames” burned brightly together that weekend. My fir...

John 14:2-4 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.   If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. These passages from John are particularly meaningful to me right now.   Before entering religious life, I had basically lived in one place near my tight-knit family.   In the last 2-1/2 years, I have moved six times… which means I’ve had to say my good-byes, but also my ‘hellos’, at least six times.   As difficult as the good-byes are for me, (and they are very difficult,) I am always surprised at how quickly the next place becomes ‘home’.   Yet the places and people I’ve lived with and loved along the way remain in the deepest part of me, too…..in one of those rooms. I am beginning to understand in a much more profound way that God truly dwells in each of us, in the deepe...