To Galilee He Goes Before You

   By Sr. Angela Thanh Tran

This video includes our Holy Week experiences and our trip to the OP Northeast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIE!

 The weeks are flying by, here at the CDN. Winter gives way to spring, as we see crocus, daffodil, and even tulips blooming all around us. In our backyard, the birds and squirrels are busy, and naturally we've been busy too. 

We were blessed to host an in-person panel on the topic of consecrated celibacy, with our sisters Julia Schideler MM, Mary Jo Sobieck OP (Springfield), and Christin Tomy OP (Sinsinawa). Our guest panelists shared with us their experience, understanding and practical wisdom in authentically living this important element of our vowed life. We so appreciate the gift of their time. 

On St Patrick's Day, we were delighted to be able to attend Mass at Old St Pat's in downtown Chicago. It was a distinctive celebration of the saint, the parish, and the culture of the many Irish immigrants who contributed here to our Catholic life and history. You might notice a new face in the picture; we were privileged to welcome Paula's daughter for a visit that weekend. Maintaining connections with family and friends looks a little bit different for each of us; fundamentally, our priorities have changed from what they were before we entered religious life. Each of us is in the midst of learning what that might look like for us.

We had a Zoom panel, discussing the Rule of St Augustine and our vowed life, with our sisters Denise Glazik OP (Springfield) and Betsy Pawlicki OP (Sinsinawa). It's so helpful for us to hear our panelist's personal stories and examples, as well as their thoughts and best practices. We are grateful to you both!

For our most recent in-person panel, on the topic of consecrated poverty, we were pleased to be able to welcome both Dominican sisters and brothers to be with us. Our sisters Barbara Reid OP (Grand Rapids) and Bernadine Karge OP (Sinsinawa) joined us, along with our brethren from the Central Province, Louis Morrone OP and James Pierce Cavanaugh OP. The discussion was both lively and enlightening, sparking at least as many questions as it answered. Our panelists, in sharing their experiences, helped us to understand the call and meaning of consecrated poverty, within a world filled with people experiencing unchosen poverty. 

As we enter together into the Triduum, we hold in prayer all persons in need. Please join us in prayer; pray with us and for us, on this journey toward resurrection.

Let love be sincere

By: Sr. Shingai Chigwedere

“Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.  (Romans 12:9-13)

As part of my study this semester I am volunteering with Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI). I am learning more about how we are welcoming new arrivals who have been displaced from their home countries. At times, our policies seem to contradict each other. For instance, the mayor has closed five shelters and yet a shelter that is known to be unsafe and potentially toxic is still open and housing new arrivals. It is a messy, flawed, inconsistent, and complex process! The need in Chicago is urgent because it is a sanctuary city.  The sanctuary city ordinance states, that this “means that the City will not ask about one’s immigration status, disclose that information to authorities, or, most importantly, deny one City services based on one’s immigration status. Undocumented individuals will be detained by the Chicago Police Department if they are wanted on a criminal warrant by local or federal authorities, if they have been convicted of a serious crime and remain in the United States illegally, or if they are otherwise a clear threat to public safety or national security.” An often overlooked fact is that those being forcibly bused by the Texas Governor are asylum seekers and are thus not undocumented. 

So even with our imperfect systems we can and are trying to provide a welcoming presence one family at a time. Through ICDI we recently assisted an Indigenous (Quechua) family from Ecuador who spoke Spanish. A group of eleven, three adults and eight children from 6 to 15 years of age. We learned that in Ecuador, the family was impoverished and things had gotten so difficult for them that they could no longer afford to buy milk. The adults are siblings and risked their lives on this treacherous and uncertain journey in hopes of a better life for their families. It took them one month, and when they arrived in Chicago from NY by bus they discovered they didn’t have enough resources to get to their final destination, Minneapolis. They were exhausted, hungry, overwhelmed, and uncertain about what to do next.

Fortunately, we had two Spanish speakers in our volunteer group and we were able to get them connected to resources that allowed them to get food, water, shelter and transportation to Minneapolis. These were the parting words from one of the women, “Thank you for all you do for the poor, WE are the poor.” As I reflected on this day with my novice sisters, I wondered how we know we have done enough? After all, we do not have capacity to spend 3-4 hrs or a whole day helping every single family. Once we have provided the basics, at what point do we have to trust the system and let the families be helped by the system, imperfect as it may be? When is something better than nothing? There is no general answer, each situation will be different and the beauty of community is that we can discern together when to move on while at the same time advocating for changes to improve the infrastructure.

Rule of St. Augustine with guest panelists:

Srs. Dulce Aguilar Rodriguez, OP, Ana Gonzalez, OP, and Mary Ann Nelson, OP 

We Dominicans follow the Rule of St. Augustine. As Adom Zumkeller wrote, “The Rule of St. Augustine was written around the year 400 AD. It is the oldest monastic rule that we have today…In spite of its ancient origin, the Rule of St. Augustine endures because it expresses enduring principles and manifests an understanding of the human condition.” It is a short eight chapters and yet is filled with practical ways to approach living in community. I was grateful to hear the lived experience of three of our Dominican Sisters on our Zoom panel as they discussed the Rule of St. Augustine.

Grounded in Acts 4:32-35. St Augustine describes in the rule that while things in community life may not be distributed equally, they are distributed equitably, in accordance with each one’s need. I appreciate the way one sister explained how she lives this. She said, “I have to trust that my congregation is looking at me in a loving way and respecting me and also looking in the same way at my sister who is very different than I am and has different needs.” In chapter six of the Rule, St. Augustine mentions interpersonal conflict, “You should avoid quarrels altogether or else put an end to them as quickly as possible…” A sister affirmed the need to address conflict. She spoke about the importance of lovingly having difficult conversations and leveraging the Dominican practice of disputatio. The ability to listen to each other even though you disagree. Listening so deeply that you can accurately explain the other person’s argument. Love is at the core of these conversations and this is a skill we can use in every aspect of our lives.

 

In-person panel about the vow of consecrated obedience with:

Srs. Jean Keeley, OP, Joanne Delehanty, OP, and Mary Soher, OP

We also had our first in-person panel about the vow of consecrated obedience. Three sisters graced us with their presence and joined us for evening prayer, dinner and a riveting conversation about the vow of obedience. Again, I was grateful to hear how the sisters navigated living this vow and how it has evolved since Vatican II from legalistic to more about discernment and relationship. Obedience was discussed as a freeing way of entering into mutual discerning dialogue, after all the word obey comes from the Latin ob-audire, which means to listen. As Herbert McCabe, OP wrote, “Obedience for us is not a denial of self but a discovery of self. For- to say it again- obedience is not the suppression of our will in favour of someone else’s, it is learning to live in community, in solidarity, which is simply learning to live.” The sisters were candid that it takes self-awareness, humility, and practice to live into this. It does not negate the opportunity to ask questions or voice your concerns or wonderings. These panels are invaluable. They are an interactive way to gain a deeper understanding of how the vows are practically lived.

In addition to study, we have time built in for celebrations. We celebrated another birthday in March. Sr. Teresa has a deep connection and love of St. Martin de Porres. Our local parish pastor allowed us to borrow a life size statue of St. Martin de Porres so we could surprise her for her birthday. The giggles of surprise and joy, the never ending hugging of St. Martin de Porres and the look of awe on her face was priceless! She is also a fan girl of some theologians whom she quotes often. So we made face masks and they showed up to celebrate her birthday. It was a lot of fun! Sr. Teresa was moved and said, “the fact that you know what makes me happy means a lot to me.” It was a great joy and gift to be part of this communal effort to make our sister feel special on her birthday. 

Friday, March 8 was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It also began the US celebration of Catholic Sisters Week, a time to shine a light on the spirituality, mission, and community building of women religious. Thank you to all the sisters who have said yes to this vocational call. May your steadfast faith, consistent acts for justice, sincere love, and joyful witness continue to inspire generations to come to be a living part of writing and telling HerStory.

One Body Many Parts. Paula's Blog

 One Body, Many Parts.  

1 Corinthians 12:18 "But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as God intended."  God has a sense of humor.

Five women of different ages, nationalities, and histories living in an unfamiliar house in an unfamiliar city for the intentional purpose of learning about a countercultural, alternative way of living: a way of living together that is meant to be an example for the life of the world.

The Philosophy in our Collaborative Dominican Novitiate handbook talks about things like, openness and inclusion, respect, personal flexibility, mutually respectful dialogue, willingness to collaborate with others, and joy.

The women of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate had a chance to reflect, review and articulate what it means to be a Dominican Sister when we traveled to Columbus Ohio from February 17-21, to present to the Board of Directors of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate just what the first half year of our novitiate meant to us.

In our presentation we decided to just sit down and have conversations with each other using the framework of the four pillars.  The board of directors were just kind of observers to what we discussed about our experiences over the past few months.  That was the serious part of our presentation.  To warm up the listeners, we chanted a psalm parody that we wrote, complete with an antiphon, set to one of the complex psalm tones from the Dominican Praise book. We sang about some of our experiences at the Collaborative Novitiate.  We chanted about “pork chops, intuitive feelers cooking for dinner guests, CDN directors who maybe should come with subtitles, among other things.  This was so well received that the directors asked us for a repeat performance.  We also chanted the Psalm at lunch for the Dominican Sisters of Peace who hosted us in Columbus.  

Now lest you think that writing psalms and traveling to board of director’s meetings were all we have done in the last month…

We attended a Superbowl Party with the Augustinians.

Invited Don Goergen, O.P.  and Brian Bricker, O.P. over for dinner.  The food was delicious.

We attended mass at the Vietnamese Parish “Holy Child of Jesus", to celebrate TET or Lunar New Year.   

Angela looking stunning in her Vietnamese Dress “ao dai”.

Of course, we could not celebrate the opening of the Year of The Dragon…without Dragons. (I was so excited to have Dragons in church on TET.)

A way of living together that is meant to be an example for the life of the world…. and joy.  

So many amazing things are happening here in Chicago at the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate.

Donald Goergen…and Dragons, in the same month.  Who wouldn’t be joyful?  

Many Parts, One Body.  

Thank you for reading and please have a blessed and fruitful Lent.

Boundary-Crossing

  By Sr. Angela Thanh Tran

“We possess the prophetic word that is unwavering. Pay careful attention to this word, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

Dominican Preaching: Encounter the Gospel-Actualized Community
with Fr. Greg Heille, OP

Scriptures at the Heart of Preaching
with Sr. Mila Díaz Solano, OP

We had powerful and in-depth sessions on Preaching with Fr. Greg Heille, OP, and Sr. Mila Díaz Solano, OP. They both connected us to the core of our Dominican charism. We all preach in and for the community. The invitation to expand our idea of who is included in "common" has lingered, specifically in the call to situate ourselves in solidarity with the marginalized. The challenging question is, how can we locate ourselves with the marginalized if we are so privileged in many ways?

We had our volunteer orientation at
Greyhound Bus Station with the Maryknolls,
Norbetines, and Franciscans.

With the increasing number of new arrivals in Chicago these days, some of us have committed to help at the Greyhound Bus station on certain Friday mornings (5:45-7:45 am). We collaborate with the ICDI (Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants) to offer migrants food, water, clothes, directions to their next location, etc. One Friday, one of us came home and called for a house meeting after Morning Prayer, she said, “I encountered a family that I think was homeless. A young couple with a child. They speak Spanish. Only the wife knows a little English. They slept on the street the night before and couldn't afford the ticket to get to where they wanted to go. I would like to take them into our home and provide them food and a place to rest, while we help them get their tickets. Is it okay for you?”

I initially thought this was a crazy idea. None of us knew the family. Is it safe for them to come to our house? Is it safe for us to let them in? How are we doing with space? What about our schedule? It was not like we had “a day off.” Is it even possible to alter anything? The unexpected proposal disrupted the convenience of the day, and it opened up the door to a way of living consecrated poverty that we, as a community, did not experience before. It reminded me that we hold in common not only our resources, but also the time we choose to offer. This life involves a constant choice of saying Yes to one thing while saying No to the other, so I can fully be present in my Yes. We are not separated from reality. Consequentially, it became challenging when there was a choice that interfered with my privilege – my time. As we affirmed each other’s freedom by not looking for a right or wrong answer, we were also aware, the question was asked because one of us recognized our capacity to respond.

Holding together the ongoing unmet needs around us, we listened, asked questions, named our concerns, asked for help to address them, and finally said Yes.

It was on that same day that we had our class on the vow of Consecrated Celibacy
and a Zoom session with our three panelists -- Srs. Corinne Sanders, OP, 
Diane Capuano, OP, & Beth Quire, OP.

Consecrated Obedience I with Srs. Anna Oven,
OP, Kelly Moline, OP, & Katherine Frazier, OP
(Click on photo to zoom)

Consecrated Poverty with Srs. Jeanne Moore, OP, Cecilia Canales, OP, & Xiomara Mendez-Hernandez, OP

Consecrated Obedience II with Srs. Gloria Marie Jones, OP,
Teresa Hougnon, OP, & Sharon Casey, OP

Elyse, Teresa, Shingai, and I drove two cars to the station to pick up the family and all their luggage. In the meantime, Paula organized the space for them and installed the safety gate we borrowed from our neighbor (for the child), while Julie and Terri started baking and cooking. The family came, showered, ate, and rested in our house that day. We took them back to the bus station to catch the bus at night. When we said goodbye, one of us lifted her hands and asked if we could bless them with our Dominican Blessing. The husband, not knowing English, seeing her gesture, thought she wanted a high-five. He approached her, gently put his hands on her hands, and then gave her a big hug.

Two different languages. Two different cultures. Two different life forms. Two different worlds. The minute that line named difference was crossed, I heard the Good News. The whole Body of Christ was completely present in that embrace. I learned about preaching in the most real and tangible way I could ever grasp. It was in each person-to-person transforming encounter. It was about expanding and making space available for others. It was about struggling with the reality that we were unable to help everyone, and at the same time, knowing our capacity to bridge and collaborate in matters present right in front of us.

February 8 each year is a special day for my home Congregation – the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, as we celebrate our Founder's Day. We give thanks to God for our Foundress, M. Maria Pia Backes, a pioneer preacher, who dared to cross the country in 1876. We remember all the Dominican women who have gone before us. The Word of God was spoken throughout their lives, in their generous “Yes” to the unmet needs, their courage to think in a bigger frame of mind, and their fidelity to a way of life that keeps on evolving.

We celebrated Terri's un-birthday this past weekend
with a Murder Mystery game (her actual birthday is in the summer).
We each dressed up as a character in that Murder Mystery and had a fabulous time!

The Importance of Story

By: Sr. Terri Schell

Over the holiday season, the novices all went to our home congregations. During that time, we were given homework to visit the archives and to find our story within a story of our congregation. Returning the CDN, reconnecting, and hearing each novice share their story was a real treat. As we took turns presenting, it was revealing to see each novice present in how and what they shared. 

I thought I would share with you my project.

--

Becoming Peace

A journey towards wholeness and unity

By: Sr. Terri Schell

"Ever Creating God, still Point of Eternal Peace, stir up within us your dream that all may be one.”
Prayer for Peace by Sr. Teresa Tuite, OP

What does it look like to work towards unity and peace? To believe in a God who dreams that all may be one?

These are the questions that were brimming in me as I headed down to the archives at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in Columbus early during Christmas break. 

And how in the world do I make this into a specific, discoverable topic to explore in three short weeks?

Peace’s story of eight Dominican congregations joining to become one has long been an inspiration and attraction for me. I am impressed with my sisters’ commitment, openness, and willingness to walk towards radical unity especially when it’s really difficult. How did they live this out, particularly early on in the congregation’s history when so much of the journey was uncharted territory? 

Michelle Ganz is nothing like you imagine an archivist would be like. She had the youthful enthusiasm of multiple kindergarten teachers and was thrilled to have not one but three researchers interested in diving into the towers of files holding the depths of the lives of sisters of past and present. 
“I’ve got to admit,” she announced excitedly, “you’re my first-ever researchers!”

After a passionate orientation of the archives and how archival research broadly worked, she guided us to the stacks that would be most promising and set us free. I knew my topic would be best discovered in the section labeled “Becoming Peace Transition” and began there. I sifted through various mock-ups of our logo, versions of Peace’s constitutions, and committee after committee’s meeting minutes… 

until I landed on something that caught and held my attention. 

The Name Chose Us

"We believe the Spirit of the Risen Christ named and commissioned us."

The Dominican Sisters of Peace, A Brief History

It was the summer of 2008. At this point, seven congregations had spent the last eleven years exploring the possibility of unifying and those deliberations were coming to a close with a decision to found a new congregation. A new beginning was in sight, set for April the following year.  The constitution was finalized and “suppression” of the previous congregational canonical documents were signed… but there was something yet to be decided: the name of the new union.

In May 2008, four sisters from four different congregations who were on the Prayer and Ritual Committee for the Transition Team met to finalize the elements of the upcoming gatherings of sisters. There were to be two Intercongregational Gatherings: One in New Orleans in June and one in Columbus in July. The four sisters were tasked with developing prayers and rituals that would assist in the inclusive movement toward a new congregation. They were asked to find ways to link the seven congregations together in prayer so that the mission, needs, and desires of the separate congregations became the mission, needs, and desires of a Union.

The Prayer and Ritual committee recalled the process of planning: 

“In preparing the prayers we wanted to be as inclusive as possible in respecting various styles and preferences regarding prayer. We tried to do this as a whole rather than each one represent everyone... Volunteers were requested and we did our best to have representation from each individual community.”

Teresa Tuite was one of the sisters on the committee. She recalls this point in the journey. “We had come to so many conclusions, even a unanimous decision on the constitution, but the selection of the name was SO HARD. It was because we were coming closer to the heart, and sisters were afraid we were going to forget the past.” 

Sisters describe this time of transition as heavy with emotion. This gathering was the first time they were meeting in person after having officially committed to a union. There was a spectrum of opinions and feelings. Some sisters had been actively working towards this for years, while some still were not in favor of becoming one. Folks described feeling skittish, excited, fearful, grieving, and optimistic. Sisters came to the gathering knowing what they were leaving behind, but not knowing what lay ahead. 

“You know, when you took vows for life, you didn’t think you would outlive your congregation,” Teresa explained.

Teresa described the intentional way the committee addressed the challenge. “We based the prayer and ritual experiences on the Jewish idea of remembrance, which honors the past, acknowledges the present, and hopes for the future. Past, present, future. Always moving forward.”

The outcome of the intentional, inclusive process led to a memorable moment and movement of the Holy Spirit.

During the weekends of the Intercongregational Gatherings, a trunk was set on display. A variety of items that were to be taken with the sisters on their journey were placed inside: a heart shaped box, Kleenex, scrapbooks, Meet the Relatives DVDs, two cents, letters and prayers of support from those not in attendance.

At the closing ritual, the prioress from each of the seven congregations came forward to pack the final items: the Necrology and Constitutions. The prioresses went in order by their congregation’s founding date: youngest to oldest. That left Joye Gros, Prioress of St. Catharine, Kentucky at the time, last. The top was meant to be closed gently, but instead, the lid of the chest slammed down with a resolute “BANG!” that echoed throughout the room. 
The symbolism was not lost on the sisters present. There was a hush in the room, a silence pregnant with the reality of the moment: that the previous congregations were complete and a new congregation was now one. 

When I asked Joye about the closing ritual and the trunk, she elusively remarked, “I did not do it with naiveté.”

The inclusive prayer and ritual throughout this weekend and previous gatherings lead to an important moment in Dominican Sisters of Peace’s founding. It was at these summer Intercongregational Gatherings that the final deliberations of the name of the new congregation were held. Over 100 suggestions had been offered: Catherine of Sienna, Holy Word, Resurrection, Providence to name a few. Peace was not originally near the top of the list. Yet, within these two separate gatherings, the name “Dominican Sisters of Peace” caught hold in both places with passion and peace. When asked, many sisters point to this experience of communally arriving upon our name as a true movement of the Holy Spirit. 

 Every Peace sister who was there has something to share about their experience. 

Sr. Eleanor told me she wasn’t on board with the union until after the naming process occurred. “That convinced me.” 

While sharing with me, Sr. Therese eyes welled a bit remembering the pro-peace comment that spoke to her at the gathering, “You know we were founded on Easter. A sister asked, ‘What did the risen Christ offer the world? Peace.’ ” 

Many were amazed that the same conclusions came out of two separate gatherings. Sr. Barb, who oversaw the naming process often says, “The name chose us.” 

It is the shared feeling that the spirit of the risen Christ named and commissioned the Dominican Sisters of Peace. 

An Intertwining of Stories

This moment in my congregation’s history weaves neatly with the fabric of my own life.

I’ve been on a journey since adulthood of deepening my desire and capacity for profound communion with God and all creation.                                                                   

My perspective has been greatly expanded by a growing awareness of the interconnectedness of the universe. That we are called by a relational Triune God to wholeness and right relationship with all that is.     

Each step of the way God called me to a widening and deepening of how I might live and love. Prior to discerning religious life, my life had been full, vibrant and meaningful with a fulfilling ministry, intentional community of friends and loved ones, a richness in adventure and connection with the land.

And yet — I was called to something more.

The seven congregations that founded Peace were also independent congregations with a richness in their histories, members, ministries, and cultures. And yet, they too were called to something more, something bigger than themselves. 

Neither I nor the individual congregations could live the way we once did after being invited into the newness of life. Not that there weren’t other options, but we responded to a “drawing forth” into an alluring mystery of greater communion and commitment. 

And now I seek to maintain myself while still blending into the wholeness and unity of my congregation. I seek a balance that honors my past, acknowledges who I am today, and hopes for unity in the future.                            

The congregations that make up Peace have done the same. They too entered into the journey of holding onto the richness of their identities while blending into wholeness of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. 

This is hard work! But we’ve come to know that “dyings, large and small, make an opening, a necessary passageway that allows new and more expansive life to enter. The grace of unity enters the gap.” (Elaine M. Pravallet SL). 

It takes prayer, intentionality, inclusivity, conscious effort, and guidance from the Holy Spirit. 

My congregation and I are still on that journey.

 I am on a lifelong search for what unity, alignment, and harmony might look like in the cosmos, in my congregation, and within me.