Collaborative Dominican Novitiate Marks 20th Anniversary

ST. LOUIS, MO, January, 2008-- The Collaborative Dominican Novitiate marks its 20th year of promoting Dominican Life and Mission in 2008. To celebrate this milestone, former novices and participants will offer occasional reflections on the experience and what being part of the CDN has meant to them. Over the years, 22 congregations have been members of the CDN.




Reflections on the Novitiate Part 1:

Perhaps the greatest influence on my life as co-director of the CDN (2002-2005) has been the witness of hope, enthusiasm, and passion for spiritual growth of the novices. Being a part of this significant collaborative effort within the Dominican family has been a source of continuing gratitude for my own Dominican vocation.
 
It seems to me that the CDN has been perhaps the most significant initiator of true collaboration across many Dominican women's Congregations.  It also will I believe become even more important as those who have been novices become leaders within the Congregations.  

Maria Beesing, OP (Akron)
former Co-Director

I can still feel the excitement as representatives from the Dominican congregations met, planned, and started the CDN.  Twenty years ago, it was our conviction that if the Dominican Sisters' congregations were to continue effectively into the future, this venture was important to do together.  It would be an opportunity for our newer members to get to know each other, so that if we ever came together in some way as a national group, there would be a natural connection among them.  It seemed important to have a communal novitiate experience, which a number of us were not able to provide because of only one or two were entering each year.

Saint Louis is an ideal place, because it is the symbolic center of the continental United States. Aquinas Institute is there.  It provides a connection with our brothers as well as an opportunity for theological and Dominican studies.

After I left leadership, I did have the pleasure to go out to the CDN to facilitate some workshops.  It was an honor to interact with these women.

Twenty years later, there are clusters of Dominican Congregations being formed around the country, so emphasis is more regional.  I have not been able to participate in Federation gatherings because of present ministries, so I can't speak personally as to what's happening there.  The Dominican Sisters of Hope have not had a novice in Saint Louis in a few years, so we tend not to hear much about what's happening now at the CDN.  

We certainly seem to be at a crossroads in our Dominican Life and Mission.  Many of us are committed to finding ways to continue our charism.  Will the regional clusters eventually lead to a national congregation?  Will that even be helpful?  We need to reflect together to unfold these questions. Perhaps intentional diverse communities (vowed religious, single, married with vows) which have been around for a while, will become more numerous.  Certainly, as long as we have women seeking Dominican vowed life, I hope that we provide the CDN.   

Twenty years later, we are living in even more exciting and challenging times!

Patricia Jelly, OP (Hope)
one of the Founding Mothers

My participation in the CDN shifted my perspective from the local Northern California view to the US continental view.  It showed me the bigger picture and gave me the experience of living in a cross-cultural environment.  It affirmed my call to be a Dominican and, in particular, to be a Dominican Sister of San Rafael. 

In meeting Dominicans from various congregations, I saw the different ways Dominicans preach.  My CDN experience was the catalyst for my present ministry.  My connections with the larger Dominican family allowed me to “think big” and truly explore possibilities.

The opportunity to meet other Dominican novices – male and female – encouraged my vocation.  It showed me how the Spirit is with us.  The connections I made became an important part of my discernment process. The CDN exposed me to the best of the US Dominicans.  The CDN experience taught me that I’m a part of a much larger community.

From my perspective, the CDN influenced Dominican Life in the Americas by giving the younger members the global perspective.  In living in community with members of other congregations, it made us think outside of ourselves and experience the cultural differences among the congregations.  This influence will affect the future configurations within the Federation.  It allowed us to recognize that there are different charisms within the Dominican Order and that this diversity is essential for the life of the Order.

The CDN experience gave every incoming member the experience of collaboration.  This is something that most members have not experienced.  The CDN program included monthly facilitated meetings and these meetings helped us learn to communicate with one another at a deeper level.  This allowed us to bond with one another in a healthy way.  This will experience will definitely form how we communicate with each other among our congregations.

Roselli Tria, OP (CDN 2006-2007)  
San Rafael, CA

In my five years as co-director, my appreciation of Dominican spirituality and life deepen.  Because of the experience as co-director I know there is such a richness in living a vowed life by balancing our four essentials of community, prayer (liturgical and personal), study, and ministry to do our mission of being preachers of the Word.

I believe the impact of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate has strengthen our bond as United States Dominicans and what it means to be in partnership with one another for giving our new members a rich and spiritual foundation in Dominican life. My desire is that we could expand the experience for the sake of the new members

Ann Walters, OP (Grand Rapids)
Co-director 1993-1994 and 2001-2005


MORE REFLECTIONS HERE: front page - Page 2