“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one [most] traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” 

We like to think that we are unique and special, in some cultures more than others, and while we are each created in God’s image and with a diversity of gifts that testifies to God’s abundant love and mercy, we are finite beings that need to be reminded of our humanity not just of our divine heritage.  In the end, we all share a longing…

A few years ago I embarked on a beautiful, challenging journey that is both unique and ordinary.  I joined a wonderful religious community, and that has made all the difference.

Whatever path we take, someone else has already walked that road, and yet by the very fact that we make this choice at this particular time and place, we shape the path in a new way.  But in order to be able to choose, one needs to have the freedom to make that choice. Unfortunately, freedom can be mistaken for obedience to society, or cultural norms, so what is freedom?

Growing up on another continent I never thought I would be entering religious life in a foreign land, and yet, here I am.  But isn’t this a path that so many women and men have taken?

A question I often get is, “Why would someone who experienced an oppressive government join a religious congregation?”  The shorter answer I give is, “Why not?”  The longer answer is a statement on the rights and responsibilities of a free person.  People who take freedom for granted forget that in a free society one has the right to make his/her choices in accordance to one’s conscience, and following our informed conscience is a responsibility we have as free individuals. 

At the time of my reception into the novitiate, on April 17, 2011, I stated, “Continuing my discernment with the Adrian Dominican Sisters is a walk into freedom.  With each choice I am my own individual and at the same time part of a community of women who walk side by side with women and men across centuries and continents.  We are indeed members of one body, diverse by our very existence, and yet united.” 

Today I continue to stand by that statement. My sisters have been witnesses to the commitment it takes to stay faithful to the choice they made many decades ago, and their faithfulness has always been rooted in their love for God and God’s people. I am inspired by their life-long faithfulness to our Catholic identity, and with them I never have to be anything else than be who I am.  I treasure the support and love they so freely give because they know that once you have experienced God’s love, you cannot exist but by loving God’s people. 

There is much to be said about respecting people’s freedom to make their own life choices, and maybe from time to time we all need a course on the rights and responsibilities of a free person. I wonder if we realize the tremendous gift we have to be able to freely choose our path, and the responsibility we have to use that freedom not as a weapon against those who make choices different than ours but rather as a tool to dig deeper in our own identity and foster respect for all life.  

~Adela

I Have A Dream

You might have read the title and thought this post would be about Martin Luther King, Jr.  However, these words were spoken to us by Bruno Cadore, OP the Master of the Order of Preachers last Saturday.  We traveled to the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield upon the invitation of the Springfield Leadership Team.  The cloistered nuns were gathered for a conference and Brian Pierce, OP (Southern Province and liaison to the Dominican Nuns), as well as Bruno were attending the meeting.

Following Morning Prayer and Mass with the group, we had a chance to visit with Bruno, who asked how vocation promotion was going.  We explained that although we do some things collaboratively, each Congregation has their own vocation promoter, so there is not any consistency across the board.

Bruno then began his, "I have a dream" speech, sharing his hopes that one day nuns, sisters and friars will all work on vocations together for each other.  What if the friars who served in campus ministry encouraged women to join the various apostolic or cloistered communities?  What if the nuns, who often learn of interest of vocations through the internet could help send men and women to appropriate places for discernment?  What if sisters encouraged young men and women to consider all forms of Dominican religious life?

Bruno Cadore has a dream -- and so do we -- how do we make it a reality?

Jenn Schaaf

CDN Group with Brian Pierce, OP and Bruno Cadore, OP

Birthday and Balloons

Last night we celebrated Joye's birthday by attending the Balloon Glow in nearby Forest Park.  Here are a few pictures from the event:

 

Novitiate Follow-Up

Last Saturday, Sr. Christine De Anna, one of the novices at the CDN last year, made her first profession with the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill.

Sr. Joye Gros shared her reflections on the readings:



To read more about Sr. Chris's profession, visit this link:  http://www.domlife.org/2012Stories/sparkill_profession.html

Short Story & Update

Our schedule at the CDN is beginning to have a rhythm with ministry mondays, Aquinas classes on Preaching and the Vows on tuesday, joining with other orders for ICN speakers on wednesday, History of Religious Life and Dominican Life on thursday, with days of reflection bridging the weekends often filled with events. We were especially fortunate this friday to be graced with Don Goergen, OP leading the friday of reflection examining prayer and contemplation.

Despite the packed and exciting schedule, we have also been finding ways to join together as a community for some fun. The following short story relates a harrowing escape of friday evening as narrated in 1930s pulp fiction style. This is what happens when a novelist is asked to post on the blog.

- Sr. Alexa

The Narrow Escape

This would be trouble—I knew it from the first moment we hit the pavement. An unearthly wind blew its solemn melodies down the grey shadowed street sending leaves trundling like helpless fairies into a flooded creek. Our intrepid trio rounded a looming edifice to face black clouds darker than a dungeon in the dead of night after its inhabitant had spilled ink on the ebony stone floor. The dames put on a brave face, but we knew it was only a bus ride and taxi away from real trouble. We pushed through the bristling blasts of wind and dust racing the oncoming monster of a storm. What foolish thought had sent us out? Distant snarling threatened us standing helpless in the deserted street surrounded only by candy wrappers blown by and that guy in a suit with a nefarious air. We were in a heap of trouble as sure as a tree casts shadows on a saturday afternoon. 

Wheels screeched the pavement as I felt the first drop on my hand, blown from miles away by the forceful gale. "Ya need a lift?" A strong New York lullaby rent through the stormy air by now thicker than molasses in January. She'd come through alright, as she always did. Giving her fedora a roguish tilt, she opened the doors. My boot had barely crossed the threshold when the rain came louder than the engine as we floored it for safety. Relentless water flung itself at our metal auto faster than greyhounds run to Fourth of July BBQs. Skidding to a stop, we poised for the sprint to our door. As I stood dripping on the grey-studded mat, I knew we'd had a narrow escape. Those St. Louis skies were not to be trusted. They were trouble alright, and we'd been caught square by them.

Our First Road Trip

This past weekend, we took a road trip to the roots of U.S. Dominican life in Kentucky.  Here are a few photos from our trip:

At the "Overlook Restaurant" on the Ohio River in Indiana

A cow came to visit us while on a hay ride through the Dominican
Sisters' farm in St. Catharine, Kentucky

Sr. Rosemary Rule brought us to St. Rose Priory, the place where
Angela Sansbury and her companions were inspired to begin
the first Dominican Congregation of women in the U.S.

At Maker's Mark, Alexa points to the vat of
yeasty Bourbon brew.

Renee sips the final product at the end of the tour

We visited Gesthemani and prayed Vespers with the monks

On the way back to St. Louis, we stopped at Marengo Caves.

The beauty of the formations in the cave were reflected in natural pools.

Introducing the 2012-13 Dominican Novices

Adela-Iuliana Langa

Dominican Sisters of Adrian, MI

Place of Birth: Romania

Education: Bachelor of Arts in French and English; Master of Arts in English

Previous Ministry: Working with women coming out of prison

After meeting one of our sisters on a Megabus ride, I continued visiting Adrian for a couple of years before I decided to explore religious life. At first I was intrigued by how much I had in common with these women, especially in their commitment to social justice and prayerful living. But as an immigrant it was not easy to enter the process of discernment. While I had been in the U.S. for several years and had started to feel at home, the call to religious life was another invitation to leave the familiar and trust that the journey would bring me to a life-giving place. I now think of discernment itself as a source of nourishment, one that continues to enrich my life and draws me deeper in my commitment to follow Jesus Christ.  My hope for the year is that we will grow roots in God and stay open to that which unfolds as our calling.

Alexa Chipman

Dominican Sisters of San Rafael

Place of Birth: California

Education: Bachelor of Fine Art

Previous Ministry: Web Editor at San Domenico School

While there were many factors that led me to consider religious life, what actively started my research into practically pursuing it came through reading a history book by W.H. Lewis (C.S. Lewis’ brother). As a side note while discussing education, he mentioned a convent of nuns that had a belief which clashed with the prevailing theology of the king of France. Together their voice was so powerful that he felt threatened enough to send the army in to disband the convent at arrow point. The only way the king could silence the women was to separate them, and that impressed me—I remember crying out, “Oh! If only we had that today!” It did not take long before I realized we do still have that in the religious women of modern times. I began several years of researching different ways of living in community and after talking with nuns and sisters from all over the world I realized the cloister was not a good fit for me. I wanted to find women who were compassionate yet strong and willing to stand up for the truth while being open to preaching in keeping with our era. I found them in the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael.

Jennifer (Jenn) Schaaf


Sisters of St. Dominic, Blauvelt, NY

Place of Birth: Washington State

Education: Bachelor of Music Education;

Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry

Previous Ministry: Director of Communications,

Sisters of St. Dominic, Blauvelt, NY

I first encountered the Dominicans at the University of Portland. My undergraduate dean and two of my graduate professors were Dominican Sisters—all from different Congregations in the East. At the time, religious life wasn’t something I was considering.  I was focused on teaching and school work, singing in my church choir, shopping and spending time with friends. The closest I had come to religious life was singing songs from the soundtrack of The Sound of Music with my roommates. Who didn’t want to be Fraulein Maria? However, what I saw in the women at the University of Portland resonated with my own life. These were bright women, fully engaged in Church life, but not afraid to question the Church either. They were passionate about bringing about peace and justice in a way that was both gentle and strong. In doing volunteer work with Dominicans in Chicago, then working in Campus Ministry at Ohio Dominican, I continued to find the same qualities in other Dominican women from across the country. I am grateful for finding a home among the Dominican Sisters in Blauvelt and look forward to continuing the Dominican journey with my sisters.