Discerning a Call to Religious Life
Photo credit: Credit: NASA, ESA, S.
Beck
with (STScI), and The Hubble
Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
“The evolutionary story of the universe is a story of hope: it is a story oriented toward the future, toward increasing complexity and increasing beauty in creation.” Colleen Carpenter Cullinan, Dominican Associate, EarthRise Farm
Becoming a Dominican Sister begins with God’s desire for all of creation to experience abundance. Part of our response is a desire to share that abundance with others.
Are you seeking clarity about what God might be calling you to do with the one life you have to live? Do you feel that Dominican life could be right for you? A first step in exploring this possibility is to engage in prayerful conversation with God, with friends and trusted mentors, as well as with Sisters who are already living in Dominican community. This will provide information and insights that are based in the reality of real lived experience, and can provide a context for discerning whether this way of life is a good match for what you are seeking.
Seeking clarity about the call to religious life takes time. It’s not the same as looking at all your options, listing pros and cons, and then making a decision. It’s more like asking God to guide you in exploring whether a life dedicated to witnessing to the Good News of God’s love for all matches your desire. It’s also a process that requires mutuality involving both an individual woman and the religious community.
Compatibility is important. You probably have some clues already about whether you’re suited for this way of life. Do you like people? Do you like to learn? Can you let go of a lot of the stuff you’ve accumulated? Are you willing to risk going somewhere you’ve never been before and trying something new?
Dominicans are called to a mission of preaching and teaching. Sometimes this means that Sisters literally teach children or adults, and sometimes they preach in familiar parish settings. There are also lots of other ways that Dominicans proclaim the Gospel, such as through the arts, health care, law, social work, advocacy, spirituality, and pastoral care.
Ordinarily applicants are younger than 40, have at least two years of college or work experience, are free of family and financial obligations, and possess an interior freedom and readiness to embrace the unpredictable nature of religious life in the 21st century.
One way of describing this process of exploration is to call it discernment. Companionship along the way is vital. We promise to pray for all who inquire about Dominican life. We also encourage them to become acquainted with Dominican Sisters who live near them, to visit Sinsinawa, and to participate in retreats and other events. Interested discerning life as a Dominican Sister? We can send you information.
Call us at
(608) 748-4411, ext. 278,
or e-mail us at
member@sinsinawa.org
