September Highlights!

Welcome to the last day of September! We are in awe to the velocity of time, yet appreciative for the various enriching experiences gained this month.  Following are some of the experiences captured from our visits to Kentucky and Illinois, spiritual insight and joyful gatherings. September was certainly a memorable month and now, as we embrace the fall we are eager to continue our Dominican Collaborative Novitiate to October!

We began September with a trip to the “Holy Land” in Kentucky. As part of our Vowed Life class we learned of the important role that the brave religious men and women played in embracing uncertainty, relaying in God and going to the frontier.

We visited the historic grounds for the foundation of the first American Dominican Sisters and the various spiritual centers of Kentucky.  Their stories are filled with challenge, opportunity and a vibrant legacy that fuels our present!

In St. Catherine we visited with the Dominican Sisters of Peace, learned about their farm and various ministries! We also experienced St. Rose Priory Church, The Abbey of Gethsemani, the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Loretto, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill and as part of the Bourbon Trail, Maker’s Mark.

Lovely hayride, great friends and amazing information!	Joye sharing historical information at the Valley!	Enjoying the hayride!
Breathtaking views at St. Catherine's Farm and Home!	Members of the St. Catherine's Farm.	The Lady of the Valley: The grounds of the first American Foundation for the Dominican Sisters.
Thank you Dominican Sister of Peace for your amazing hospitality!	Novices and members of Dominican Sisters of Peace in St. Catherine, KY.	Historic tour with Sr. Mary Louise

  

CDN at the Overview!	Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill	Apple and cider making machine at Shaker Village
Getting to ride the Dixie Belle at Shaker Village	Joye demonstrating the broom making style of the Shakers!	Getting ready for the Maker's Mark tour
Concluding our tour of Maker's Mark

We had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Land of Abraham Lincoln and the home of the Springfield Dominican Sisters! We learned about the value of celebrating our uniqueness, while contributing to our richness as a global community.  We concluded our trip in Springfield, Ill by visiting Jubilee Farm, a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. Part of our insight included an immersion in the natural beauty and a brilliant reflection by Sister Sharon Zayac, O.P.  

Thank You Springfield Dominican Sisters for a delicious dinner and wonderful welcome!	Wonderful tour by Sister Elyse Ramirez, O.P.

 

Dominican Brothers and Sisters were treated to "Brown Cows!"	Listening to our stories!	Thank you Sister Carla Mae Streeter, OP for your hospitality!
Margaret and Ana at the St. Louis Japanese Festival	We enjoyed great performances.	The festival showcased fabulous cultural insight.
OPA! We had a wonderful time at the St. Louis Greek Festival	The food was fabulous.	All were invited to celebrate in the culture and Greek heritage.

Becoming Contemplative

Blog by Margaret Uche

In the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN) we had our day of reflection on contemplation led by Fr. Don Goergen. We also had an evening discussion on prayer as one of the four pillars with two friars and two sisters. This is an experience I had from this discussion and reflection.

During the discussions, we learned that contemplation is being in that sacred place, which is also a temple of Holy Spirit. It requires us to take a look into the deepest part of ourselves. This allows us to go inward, so that our lives might be transformed internally and in our exterior.  Then our heart can be opened and invited to go forth and share the fruit of our contemplation with others.

In this journey we are not alone. Even when prayer feels dry, God is present in our emptiness. Sometimes in that stillness we might have many different thoughts that enter our hearts. We learned the importance to

simply put those thoughts aside and let God work in us. We are in a relationship with God.

Just like in any other loving friendship, our personal connection with God requires our presence, time and nourishment so to grow deeper in that relationship.

In contemplative prayer we discover ourselves, having a sense of what is important.  We are invited to focus especially when we are being pulled in so many directions at one time. In this way, we get in touch with our real self. Here we discover the love of God.

My hope is that our prayer life will flourish this year as we enter into a deeper relationship with God.

Getting In Touch with Our Roots

Blog by Ana Gonzalez

I begin this week’s blog with celebration! September 15 marked the start of the month long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and on September 16 Mexico is celebrates its Independence Day.  As a Mexican-American, these celebrations invite me to get in touch with my roots. I am invited to think of my ancestors; their diverse cultures, heritage and traditions and how they all came together. Their stories were driven by hopes for a better future, were founded in love and sacrifice, and it all culminates with me.

Site of the first foundation of Dominican Women in the U.S. 

We all have a rich personal story which was built on the love, sacrifice and hopes of our ancestors. The same is said about our Dominican Heritage. Last week the Dominican novices and directors traveled to Kentucky and explored the historical site of the first foundation of Dominican Women in the United States. In 1822, nine women from Baltimore, Maryland answered the call to minister and educate the children of pioneers in Kentucky.  Against all odds, the women ventured to minister in the unknown.

The original community planted their seeds and they blossomed in members called to religious life and ministries in the Blue Grass State and beyond. Members of the original American community branched out to other states like Nebraska, Ohio and Illinois and tended to the diverse needs of the church.  In 1904 the first foundation of Dominican Sisters was threatened by a fire.  After building a beautiful mother house, the community lost it all and was asked to send their women in formation back home and consider shutting down. Instead, the Dominican Sisters came together as a community, prayed and decided to trust in God and once again venture into the unknown future.

As a woman in religious formation, I was inspired by our visit and the story of the brave women who in 1822 took a leap of faith and walked into the unknown guided by God. Their bravery continued in 1904, when the community of Dominican Sisters trusted in God and rebuilt from the ashes of a fire that threatened their existence. Moved by God, the early American Dominican Sisters were aware that their ministry was needed.  Our Pioneer Dominican Sisters heard the call, planted fertile seeds and provided us a rich heritage, which still fuels our ministries and serves as inspiration.

Today I rejoice in my roots! I carry my heritage with pride and I am inspired by the brave American Pioneer Dominican Women who embraced a full reliance on God and took a journey into the unknown.  As I continue my Novitiate journey with my CDN companions, I pray that we can have the strength in God to pursue the call into the unknown and continue to build on the foundation of love and courage.

As a last note, I close this blog with one more celebration! 

Today, we are also rejoicing in Joye’s Birthday! 

Happy Birthday Joye!!!!

Bless This Home!

Blog By Katherine Frazier

I have the great joy to tell you about our first few weeks here in the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate, and we’ve certainly been busy!

These last few weeks have been full of firsts: our first course at Aquinas Institute, our first house meeting, our first time visiting St. Dominic Priory to spend time with the student friars, our first time cooking for this community and so many more! As you can imagine, we novices have at times felt overwhelmed as we made this transition into living in St. Louis and life here at the CDN.

All of us have complicated descriptions of what “home” means to us. We’ve traveled to live in different cities and countries from where we were born and grew into adulthood, and we have family scattered all over. In addition, we have our home congregations which we spent last year getting to know better during our candidate year. Now all of us find ourselves calling St. Louis home for this year. I still have much to learn about this city, especially in finding my way around this place, but I have begun to find places that make St. Louis special, whether sitting in Forest Park or exploring some of the local festivals.

To help us transition into our new home and into our new community, at the end of our first week

here, we all proceeded to bless this house where we’ll be living over the next year. During our prayer, we went through the house, reminding ourselves of the value of each room and of the people who inhabit those rooms. We were reminded of the prayerfulness and contemplative atmosphere of our chapel and of the ways that the kitchen nourishes our community through the food prepared there and the conversations that happen while helping one another prepare for a meal or cleaning up afterwards. As we visited each other’s rooms, we each had the opportunity to explain why objects in them were meaningful to us.

At the end of our blessing, the knowledge that this was the place I’m calling home for this year had seeped a bit more deeply into me. This doesn’t mean that the process of transition is over yet, but the difference now is that I have a place where I can ground myself before I go forth again to explore all the newness in my life. I know I can go into my room and see the quilt made by a family friend and the icon I was given at the beginning of my volunteer year. I know I can go into the chapel and find a place where I can rest in God and into the kitchen and find the pots and pans and ingredients to make dinner. Finally, I know that I am creating this home with my community members, and that together we are creating relationships that will ground one another throughout this year.

2016-2017 CDN - We Have Arrived!

Welcome to the launch of the 2016-2017 Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN) Blog! As I reflect on the past month, I can’t help but to be filled with sentiments of excitement to embark on this exciting journey. After much anticipation, our arrival to the CDN and the beginning of our Canonical Novitiate is here!


I echo the shared feeling of my community of gratitude for the vast words of love and prayers from so many sisters, associates, friends and spiritual friends.  As we begin our CDN Adventure and our narrative through this platform, we considered it important to introduce ourselves briefly in what we will call – One Minute with the 2016-2017 CND! Following our brief introductions you will find some pictures of the August highlights!

Katherine Frazier
Home Town: Ft. Wayne, IN
Birth Day: June 13
Professional Background: Archaeologist/Campus Minister
Fun Fact: I once rode on a pig.

My name is Sr. Katherine Frazier. I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as the daughter of a pig farmer and a journalist. I went in a different direction than my parents, and I studied archaeology before becoming a campus minister.

I became a candidate for the Adrian Dominican Sisters on August 8th, 2015, and, a year later, I was received as a novice. I have found so many graces on my journey with the Dominican Order, whether meeting my sisters in the Dominican Republic or the students at Dominican high schools from all around the U.S. and beyond at the High School Preaching Conference.

Now, I’m at the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate in St. Louis, and I look forward to all that this year holds. In my spare time, you’ll most likely find me reading a fantasy novel, but you’re also likely to find me writing. I also love to sing, dance, listen to music, and to take long walks.

Ana Gonzalez

Home Town: El Paso, TX

Birth Day: August 4

Professional Background: PR/ Communication

Fun Fact: My theme song is "Golden" by Jill Scott.

I was born in Mexico City, and throughout my childhood, I was fortunate for the experience of my Mexican heritage and enjoy mi familia.  In 1989 the family migrated to the border community of El Paso, Texas, making it my home and the place where I expanded my roots. 

I was blessed to attend Loyola University in New Orleans for my Bachelor Degree.  It was during this time that I met the Dominican Sisters, and my vocation seed was planted.  After college I worked in Public Relations; and with a pressing need to give back, I volunteered and was active in my community, yet I felt like I was not doing enough. 

Through a series of experience and “nudges”, I felt God’s invitation to discern religious life with the Dominican Sisters of Peace.

 I loved my experience as a Candidate in New Haven, CT, and I am eager to continue my discernment and grow as a Dominican with my CDN Community

Margaret Uche

Home Town: Sugar Land, TX

Birth Day: May 5

Professional Background: Biologist/Nurse

Fun Fact: I enjoy walking and embracing the beauty of God’s creation and love to read.

I am originally from Nigeria, where my parents were crops and flocks farmers.  After graduating high school, I came to the United States and pursued my college education. Interested by the sciences, I studied Biology and worked in a testing laboratory, but it was not my life’s passion. 

I needed more interaction with other people and felt the need to minister through my work. 

I then went back to school and got a bachelor’s of science in Nursing and love my ministry of caring for the sick and suffering.

Through my mission I show God’s love. While ministering, I realized God was calling me to religious life, hence, I was drawn to the charism of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. 

In 2014 I was welcomed as a Candidate in New Haven, Connecticut, and this past July I was received as a novice.

I look forward to continuing this journey through the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate and be transformed by God’s grace. 

Joye Gros, OP                                      

Dominican Sisters of Peace

Home Town: Memphis, TN

Birth Day: September 17

Fun Fact: Visited five National Parks this past summer.

Joye is a Dominican Sister of Peace.  She is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, where she first met the Dominicans.  She was attracted to the Dominicans by the peaceful joy, passion for mission, and a connection of deep faith and life she saw in the sisters. 

She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Education, a MRE from Seattle University and a D. Min from the University of St. Mary of the Lake.

Most of her ministry has been in some form of education and/or formation.  Joye served in congregational leadership for 13 years.  She has participated on various boards and is currently on the national board of the Religious Formation Conference. 

Joye is beginning her 7^th year as Co-Director of the CDN.  She finds it a profound and sacred privilege to journey with those discerning the call to Dominican life.  Feeling blessed by her call and commitment, she wants to pass on the gifts that have been given her. 

Megan McElroy

Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids

Home Town: Royal Oak, MI

Birth Day: July 5

Fun Fact: Spent three weeks this summer with the nuns of the Order of Preachers in Squamish, British Columbia.

Megan was born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, and joined the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1988. She credits her years in religious life for teaching her a deep trust that “God knows what God is doing.”

She was a novice at the CDN when it was located in Manchester (1989-1990) and has very fond memories of the gift of that year. It was in that experience that Megan became deeply rooted in the Dominican Family and discovered a love for preaching. Hoping to graduate in May, 2017, she is currently writing her thesis for her DMin in Preaching, focusing on the preaching of the nuns of the Order.

In addition to preaching, Megan enjoys golfing, walking, playing cards or board games, and movies. 

Her hope for this year is that the novices and co-directors will discover more of who God continues to create them to be and to grow more deeply in their love of Dominican life and their commitment to the preaching mission of the Order.

Welcome to the CDN and Blessing of our Home:

  

       

Orientation and Activities at the Aquinas Institute:

   

     

Poetry Reading with Paul Murray, OP:

    

  

Fun Around Town!