Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

I’ve been humbled again and again in my ministry with homeless women at Transitions in Spokane.   A sampling: Next time Election Day rolls around, vote.   Women, who had previously been denied that right, proudly stepped up and registered in late October, then voted.   When we’re called for jury duty, let’s serve without grumbling.   I’ve met women who yearn to serve for the paltry daily fee.   Sure, that’s probably not the motivation our judicial system wants, but it is a wake-up call, reminding me not to take for granted the many blessings of my own life. Several women had tears in their eyes at Christmas, upon receiving a roll of toilet paper as part of their Christmas gift bag.   Wow. Getting high fives and shouts of ‘you’re awesome’, simply for making Ants on a Log - that snack of peanut butter and raisins atop celery.   I made them because I have good childhood memories of my mom making them; I thought the women might like them,...

One of my favorite ministries is being a catechist for the RCIA program in my parish.    Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the baptism of Jesus, so naturally, part of our class last Friday was spent reflecting on this.  We focussed on how Jesus at his baptism was affirmed as the beloved of God in whom God's favor rested. They all expressed  a longing to be similarly affirmed at their baptism this coming Easter.   As I reflect on my life I realize that I am my best self when I live from this truth about what baptism affirms - that I AM the beloved of God; that God's favor rests on ME!  I am able to risk for justice, to affirm others in their own beloved-ness, and to say yes to whatever God might ask of me.  In fact, the certainty of this is what grounds me as I strive to be faithful to the call to live the consecrated life as a religious sister.   As I read the amazing stories filled with hope amidst terrible injustices, coming from...

“What’s his name?” “DONTRE HAMILTON!!!” “How many shots?” “Fourteen!!!” This chant is one of many that we have shouted throughout the streets of Milwaukee. The case of Dontre Hamilton, the young unarmed Black male who was executed in a downtown Milwaukee park last April has made national news. All of this being said, the tragic narrative of Dontre Hamilton is not a new narrative. Therefore, the murders of our Black brothers and sisters has sparked a new movement within the USA, from marches to “die-ins” our voices are loud and clear: BLACK LIVES MATTER! For me, being a part of this movement in Milwaukee with a social justice group known as The Coalition for Justice, which was formed after the murder of Dontre, has been a blessing. As we have blocked highways, shut down malls, and spent the night outside of jails, this group has helped me to delve even deeper within the meaning of my discernment. Being a Candidate with the Sinsinawa Dominicans Sisters here in Milwaukee du...

"Wake Up the World" challenges those of us who live the consecrated life. This is the theme of the Year of Consecrated Life celebrated in the United States. Both Kathy Flynn and Roberta Popara have mentioned this in their blogs.  The Church observes this year from November 30, 2014 through February 2, 2016 (not an ordinary year). To what are we called to "wake up the world?" To injustices? To the beauty of our world? To the truth of the gospel? To the privilege and responsibility of every person to   make a difference for good? To "wake up the world" implies that we need to be fully alive and alert. How do I awaken the world around me? I start where I am, with the gifts and experiences I have, and intentionally live what I profess. I am summoned to go beyond my 'comfort' zone. The way I live has the power to wake me up and others around me. Fortunately,   I am in community with many committed religious and together we can respond to ...

In the flurry of these holidays I have been struck much by the push and the pull, the beauty and the pain, brute strength and hope.   I so enjoy the loveliness of the lights, the invitation to be quiet.   And when I seek out some of this solitude I feel the angst of the year’s ending.   Hunger, violence, racial inequity, addiction to gratification all want to crowd out the hope that the birth of a child born in love and poverty brings. It reminds me of a favorite Christmas quote from Rilke:     “Dear Mr. Kappus, celebrate Christmas in this devout feeling, that perhaps He needs this very anguish of yours in order to begin; these very days of your transition are perhaps the time when everything in you is working at Him, as you once worked at Him in your childhood, breathlessly. Be patient and without bitterness, and realize that the least we can do is to make coming into existence no more difficult for Him than the earth does for spring when it wants to ...