Sinsinawa
Spectrum
A Congregation News Magazine
Fostering Right Relationships
by Eileen Dushek-Manthe
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| Sr. Julie Schwab (right) teaches a class about making gourd birdhouses. |
In a world graced by the Holy Spirit and yet wounded by divisions, exploitation, and oppression, we are impelled by God’s tender mercy to commit ourselves in partnership with others to seek and foster right relationships among all God’s people and with Earth that sustains us.
Congregation Vision Statement
The Sinsinawa Dominicans’ Vision Statement (above) is a guide in the lives of Julie Schwab, OP; Kathy Komarek, OP; and Toni Callahan, OP. The Sisters live in Denver, CO, in a home surrounded by a garden. The Earth is central to their ministries which encompass sharing knowledge and resources to better sustain people and the Earth.
Each of the Sisters has a ministry that is her primary ministry―Julie works with people experiencing homelessness, Kathy is a chaplain at a local hospital, and Toni works as a potter―but they all sought and found with each other a community that fosters their own desire to live out the Vision and Mission of the Sinsinawa Dominicans.
The Sisters developed a project called “Sustainability in the City.” People come together for a seed exchange in the spring, plant and care for gardens throughout the growing season, and visit others at their homes to share ideas about how they can save the Earth’s resources.
Julie maintains two beehives in the yard of their home and one at a garden for Earthlinks where she works. She said, “We have created habitat in our garden for pollinators who are at risk of disappearing. Our garden is where people who know homelessness feel rooted and where they offer housing and hospitality to honeybees. It is profound to watch this relationship develop.”
Toni and Kathy go door-to-door with a group of people who explain the benefits of saving energy and how it helps the Earth. They offer free high-efficiency light bulbs for porch lights, recycling bins, and shade tree saplings for which Kathy writes grants. “The group grows every time we go out,” said Kathy.
A benefit of all these activities is that neighbors are beginning to connect with one another. Barriers that stem from language and cultural differences have diminished. Trust is building among people. “We had a Burmese family arrive without any resources. The Mexican families reached out to them because they remembered how it had been for them,” said Kathy.
People have shared their knowledge about different plants and seeds, gardening and harvesting techniques, and ways to care for the Earth. At a workshop about Colorado weeds, the Sisters learned that these weeds were not considered a negative part of the garden by people of other cultures. Shared recipes turned a negative into a positive. Toni said, “Learning is very Dominican. It is not always comfortable, but it is always good.”
People in the neighborhood are eager to share their knowledge. Kathy’s weekly nutrition class at the school has blossomed into a gardening club. At neighborhood gatherings, a bean mixture wrapped in chard, the gift of an Iranian woman, and other nutritious offerings have replaced hot dogs. As more garden space was needed, one woman offered her yard for use.
“God reveals oneself through diversity of life and nature. We can name the sacred―God’s presence―in lots of different ways,” Julie said. Always one to give thanks, she said, “When we live in right relationship of the Earth and nature, gratitude is a natural posture.”