Catholic Herald Article

2 weeks ago, our Catholic newpaper in Milwaukee featured an article for their vocations section.

http://www.chnonline.org/vocations/current/special_supp_front.html

Enjoy!

GO PACK GO

3-0, top of the division, Bret has tied the record for TD passes, we beat the highly favored SD Chargers...and I WAS THERE! WOOO HOOOOOO!

My mom's boyfriend, Rick has tickets to 4 games each year and I'm always teasing him that he should take me instead of my mom because I LOVE football and my mom thinks going to Lambeau is better people watching. So Friday night, I said, "c'mon please...take me!" and jokingly he said, "Well if someone cancels...you're our #1 backup!" Saturday morning Rick called! WOOO HOOO.....

Yes we were lucky recipients of the PROUD 2B LOUD towels too!

The worst part was having to be at the park n ride at 7:15 this morning (ugh)...but it was so worth it. They played a fantastic game. It was truly one of the most exciting games of football I have ever seen and to be RIGHT THERE was awesome. Lambeau is crazy...crazy fans...and when the PACK do something great...everyone is your new best friend. It was totally exhilarating.

Now...I'm kaput..

Have a great week ya'll! GO PACK GO!

Quick Update and a Request!

Hi ya'll....

Two in one week...my my...aren't you all lucky!

Here's the update:
I've had this icky cold the past couple days and today was the first day in a long time (even pre-cold) that I came home with energy! The sun was shining..it was great...I went for a nice walk, which I haven't done since Labor Day weekend! That's pathetic...I love walking what's my problem? Anyway...then landed at Sr. Toni and Sr. Charlita's house to visit. Toni and I played cribbage (she won both, but she trys to steal points...and I won the rule argument. I called Sr. Mary the cribbage guru and indeed she affirmed my right-ness; I digress...). Now I'm home trying to finish my newsletter and feeling a bit uninspired at the moment. Will have to finish tomorrow.

Here's the context for the request:
I'm a big dork...I've watched my vow video a couple times (these past couple weeks). It's neat because something sticks out differently each time. I watch the "highlights" of course...and I've listened to Sr. Mary Ann's homily a few times. Each time I hear it a little differently; she was THAT GOOD, and a different message emerges. It's neat to see all the people who were there. I get that same beaming, excited, sparkly, YES THIS WAS THE BEST DAY EVER experience when I watch it. It's happy and I'm happy and content with my life! It's a nice mediation to pray with. It's great to have this video memory; what a gift.

Which brings me to my request...
I can post video on my blog, but not quite sure how. We are getting a clip edited in a .wmd file from the company that did the videography, but I was also thinking I could get some of this puppy on my blog from the DVD...does anyone know how to do that??? Leave me a comment...awards and e-prizes of e-affirmation will be yours!

Now..I have to get ready for my evening routine...I love my job...I HATE 5a.m.

Group Retreat Weekend

Last weekend, my "live-ers" (the Sisters I live with) and me went away for a group retreat! We stayed at the Log House which is a part of the Cedar Valley Retreat Center in West Bend, WI.

We are a "new group" in many ways: Sr. Jan just joined us in July. Sr. Arlene and Sr. Beth have been with us for a year, but last year was unique with Sr. Arlene's traveling schedule and Sr. Beth's recovery from her accident; it was just Sr. Phyllis and me most of the year! And we are SO excited that we have Deb with us too. Deb is a woman who will be our new affiliate (see Nunspeak...formation stage numero uno if you need a refresher)!!! She will be officially affiliating with us on September 30th. YAY...it's very exciting. So we are 6...a big group!

With all of the "newness" and working off the adage of, "When one of us is new...we are all new"; it's a good practice in community to have sometime together to talk about how you want to share life with one another. We all bring expectations, ideas, and "non-negotiables" to how we want to live community. Getting together to focus on putting those things out on the table is a good way to start. Going away (rather than our living room, for example) allows us to really be present to the group and the weekend with fewer distractions that being at home would encounter.

So we gathered, we prayed, we played, we planned, we discussed, we negotiated, and we shared pieces of ourselves in order to begin to form our community life together. We had some deep sharing and also the important "nitty gritty" discussions (you know..who's cooking, who's cleaning, calendering...all those important detail things!)

I created our prayer service and discussion process using mandala as our framework (See April 19th entry "Run Away..with God" if you don't know what mandala is). We started with this blank mandala...if you notice, there are six circles along the perimeter and the same circle is in the very center. At one point in our prayer and sharing we colored in one of the outer circles to represent ourselves.

The mandala was left out throughout the weekend and people were welcome to add to it as they wished. To close our discussion, we each completed 1/6 of the center circle to symbolize our individuality/uniqueness coming together. The picture to the left is still mandala in progress....

We closed with a beautiful prayer service that Sr. Phyllis prepared on water and washing of the feet. Here are some pictures: To the right, is Deb washing Sr. Jan's feet.

And to the left, Sr. Arlene washing Deb's feet. Below is Sr. Beth washing Sr. Arlene's feet.

This washing of feet ritual is one of these recurring themes in my life. The first one was when I was accepted into affiliation on Holy Thursday and the Provies read the washing of the feet scripture and adapted it a bit and washed my hands.

I can be such a Peter-esque person in these situations! (Not something I like to admit either!) I remember thinking...Provincials...washing my hands really? I should be washing yours, Provies! Duh...Katy...duh...that's such a "duh, smack you in the face until you get it moment".

The first time I had my feet washed at a Holy Thursday service was one of these profound "God Moments" in my life. Very humbling...I still think about it. I even wrote some poetry (not something I'm moved to do very often) about that experience.

SO...in my life when things come around and around AND AROUND, (Hmm...kinda like a spiral, SMAM?) I'm learning that perhaps I should be attentive to this. These feet washing moments are becoming present to me more and more. I always seem to have some reaction to it that surprises me.

If I have a few spaces these next weeks...I'd like to reflect on that a bit. I think it's a good metaphor too for how we are living out our vows...stay tuned...I'll post something if I figure it out (ha! If I have some space...well gotta have goals.)

I'll post one more picture of the "finished product". My spiritual director is an artist, I saw her Friday and brought our mandala along to see if she could help me cut some matting to fit it. We played a bit and ended up framing it with some strings and paper around it. It looks great. We'll hang it in our living room to remind us of our weekend and our commitment to one another. Sorry it's a bit dark...I didn't want the flash to bounce of the glass...but trust me..it's cool! :-)

Now I HAVE to END this entry!!! It's 10:45 and I really should be in bed. I'm starting to get a cold (can we say STRESS...I hope I'm not starting my 3 week cycle of stress colds again. Grrrrrr) and 5:00 a.m. comes too quickly!

Peace out All!

1st Week and beyond...

We survived our first week of school! My faculty, staff, and students were fantastic. It just flew by. I was able to go into each classroom and greet the kids. I talked about "Sister Katy's 1 rule" RESPECT! Then we did a blessing of students, the kiddos blessed their teachers, and we all blessed our families. It was a neat day! The days are crazy; I never know what's going to happen, but I on the flip side, I like the adventure!

We have such a great group of kids at Holy Trinity. My favorite thing to do is to greet them at the door in the morning. The previous principal, June...always had them say "Thank You" when they left school. It's a nice custom and overall the kids are very conscientious about manners.

I am exhausted like I've never been before...but it's good tiredness. It's the "I've given everything I have" to this group of people fatigue. I love my job and I think it's going well.

This week...our first full week! I have LOTS of meetings this week. Every evening I have a meeting, some are Holy Trinity related, but most are community related. I'll probably crash this weekend.

That's the Principal land update...my living group went away this past weekend and I'll update on that experience in a separate post!

Ciao, ciao Bambinos!