Since we arrived in St.
Louis, Joye and Megan have worked hard to expose us to a multitude of
Catholic communities in the area. Each Sunday we worship at a different
church so Nicole and I have the chance to see the variation in services
and get a feel for the congregations. The idea is that we will each
select one parish which will become our community for the remainder of
the year. First, we visited St. Francis Xavier (aka College Church),
the Jesuit parish on the campus of Saint Louis University. The cantrix
was phenomenal and we got to witness a baptism during the service. St.
Pius V is the home parish of our Sinsinawa Dominican sister Mary
Margaret--and of several Dominican Brothers from Aquinas Institute. The
urban faith community is located in the heart of St. Louis. We also
visited St. Vincent de Paul parish. Their diverse parishioners pride
themselves on their active social ministry, which includes a daily lunch
window for the homeless. They also serve the best church donuts I've
ever had! This past Sunday we attended mass at the Washington
University Catholic Student Center which had a surprisingly broad range
of ages represented in the pews--from families with small children to
the elderly to, of course, college students. The homily was my favorite
so far. Soon, I will be going to Rock and the Cathedral Basilica
to attend their services.
The
CDN has also provided us with opportunities to get to know our
Dominican Brothers here in St. Louis. Although we're only at Aquinas
Institute on Tuesdays, we've already enjoyed a few events where we got
to mingle with the faculty and student brothers. Last Saturday was a
very big occasion for our Dominican family: we attended the Solemn
Profession of 5 student brothers at St. Pius V. We met so many
Dominican Religious at the ceremony and had the chance to get to know
them a bit when we all celebrated at the Priory afterwards. Christin
and Kelly (2014-15 CDN Novices) even drove in for the weekend so it felt
like a bona fide Dominican Family Reunion! Then, on Labor Day, we
joined the student brothers for a BBQ at the Priory.
We
recently had our first ICN day (Inter Community Novitiate) where Nicole
and I got to meet the extended group of discerning men and women
religious. Alexian Brothers, Daughters of Charity, Oblates, Sisters of
Charity, of Mercy, and of Providence and the Adorers of the Blood of
Christ were all represented communities. With novices from all over the
world: Texas to Sri Lanka to Australia, it was quite a diverse family
of Catholics!
Finally,
we enjoyed a "ladies' night" out last week to connect with more of our
extended family: this time it was with our sisters in Giving Voice.
This group may not have been as diverse as some of the others we've been
rubbing elbows with of late, but it was wonderful for its easiness.
These introductions quickly developed into familiarity as healthy doses
of humor acted as the common theme. Thanks for organizing, Christin!
As
you can tell, we're being fully immersed in a variety of Catholic
circles here in St. Louis. My hope is that the relationships developing
this year will last for years to come and will lay a solid foundation
for future collaboration within the Church.
Blessings,
Sr. Quincy
Enjoyed reading your latest post all about your wonderful experiences! Keep them coming and know you are in our thoughts and prayers!
ReplyDeleteMichelle Sherliza, OP - Chris McManus, OP - Dominican Sisters of Peace - Watertown, MA
Thank you, Quincy, for your update. It is indeed a 'family affair'. I think it's cool that in each year, at least one novice writes a blog about family -- at least, since I've been reading CDN blog; the earliest I recall was written by Kelly in 2011! It is a very powerful and meaningful experience! I pray that you all have a great year.
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