Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

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

  “There are days we live as if death were nowhere in the background, from joy to joy to joy…”  Li-Young Lee I thought of this quotation as I have experienced the joy, relief, sense of freedom, and the delight in the tangible presence of loved ones now that the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us – though I am aware of necessary caution.  It has been a going from joy to joy to joy.  I just helped my cousin celebrate her 93 rd  birthday, surrounded, finally, by people who love her and had longed for her delightful conversation, sass, spark, and tenderness – we truly rejoiced in that event – from joy to joy.   I am led to ponder, however, the deeper meanings to these days – what opens us, me, to joy?  How do I know it as God intends?  How is it different from being happy?  Contented?  How does being “in joy” open me to give, respond, step out more courageously, more generously? ...

Are you awake to the  sacrament of the present moment? What a gift to really live in the NOW! That’s all we have. The more I choose to practice mindfulness, I am able to “wake up” and welcome each day with a grateful heart. What a privilege to assist our sisters in these uncertain times as we learn to “be” and live more fully in the present moment. Together we are “waking up” to this day, discovering the sacredness of each moment.    Brother David Steindl-Rast shares a simple practice  that leads to grateful living. He encourages us to:           Stop!  Be present. . . awake. . .alert . . .aware!   Look!  Gain perspective. . .let go of judgment. . .be open. . .live in awe!      Go!  Cultivate a sense of possibility. . .deepen your appreciation for life. . .             be creative. . .make a difference!   Brother David’s “A Network for Grateful...

The motto of the Dominican Order is veritas…truth. We are truth-seekers. This week could be called a week of veritas, of truth-seeking. June 14 is Flag Day, a day celebrating the first flag resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress, made official later in 1949; a day regarded as one way to teach children about history. June 19, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States, the day when the Civil War ended and slaves were ‘set free’, even though people of color are still fighting for equality and justice. The problem I see is that our history has most often been taught through the lens of those holding power, through the perspective of white people. In our pursuit of truth, we must ask what history is  not  being taught? Who/what people are invisible in our telling of ‘history’? Whose very real and painful stories are not being told?  I wasn’t taught about white supremacy (except in relationship to Hi...

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...

I am blessed to live on a beautiful lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. These spring days are breathtaking. When I get up in the morning I open my door to a view of the sunrise. The room is flooded with light, a light so bright that it hurts my eyes. I thank God for a new day, a new opportunity to enjoy creation and to share its beauty with the people in my life. If a spring morning on earth is this awesome, what will heaven be like? Our Dominican sister Catherine of Siena tells us that “All the way to heaven is heaven because Christ is the way.” How are you experiencing heaven today? How are you sharing that experience with others?   Mary Ellen Green, OP Woodruff, WI

“Zoom” used to mean “move very fast in your favorite vehicle” Now we say “I am zoomed out”.  I attend more meetings and events now that I no longer get in my car to zoom from one meeting to the next.  I just push a few buttons on my computer.   Two ZOOMS one after the other were helpful to me as I work with others to advocate for changes in the criminal justice system.     Where does your passion for justice lead you?   There are so many worthwhile initiatives.     After my second ZOOM, I stayed on to talk with my coworker.  What do we need to do? Where should we go from here? Then my friend shared a poem from Martha Postlethwaite, which I share here:   Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life And wait there  patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then...