Growing Up Dominican
by Sister Colleen Nolan, OP
Professed in 1966
You might say I grew up with the Dominicans of Sinsinawa. The journey began at Holy Angels Parish in Omaha, Nebraska. For eight of those nine years, I had Sisters who inspired me with their knowledge, wit, and faith.
I went across town to St. Cecilia Catherdral High School where I continued my affiliation with Dominican Sisters. During senior year, I was invited to make a retreat at Sinsinawa Mound in Wisconsin. It was there that the seed that was planted many years before it began to take root in me. After graduation I left home, an 18-year-old, eager for the discovery of who I was and who I would become. It was a bit frightening for me because I was so close to my twin sister and four other siblings. My parents supported me every step of the way and for that I am so grateful.
My vocation was nurtured not only by my family but by many Sisters, among them, Sister Mary Howard Willis, my third grade teacher, who took the time to work with me so I wouldn’t stutter. Sister Monica Brown, one of my favorite high school English teachers, had a passion for life, and for learning, as well as a great sense of humor. The Dominican charism of preaching and teaching was alive in all of my teachers. My studies at Edgewood College, another Sinsinawa Dominican institution, prepared me to be an educator.
I was called to serve the people of God at St. Barnabas in Chicago as a second grade teacher. Sister Lucille Gardner, my mentor and partner teacher for two years, taught me not only how to do lesson plans but how to be faithful to prayer, to community living, and to nurture my own soul. Those early years weren’t easy, and I had a lot to learn, but she was patient. I remember her advice: “Go into the chapel and sit. Even if nothing happens, just sit in God’s presence.” And so I sat. My relationship with the Holy One went deep into fertile soil. I continue to rest in that loving relationship which continually nurtures my whole being.
In those early years, after Vatican II, there were doubts, bumps in the road, and a few detours, too. Although the path wasn’t always clear, prayer empowered me to make decisions, to listen with my heart, and to follow Jesus with my feet to wherever God was calling me to serve. My faithfulness to that call to religious life remains strong.
Today I live in Oak Park, IL, with three wonderful Sisters who enrich my community life in so many ways. Presently, I minister with the Columban Fathers, heading their mission education projects in the Midwest region. God has done amazing things in and through me. Living religious life as a Dominican of Sinsinawa has made all the difference. I love being continually surprised by God. As Joyce Rupp says so beautifully, “Lean, lean upon the heart of God.” What can I say? I am blessed!