19,378 Pounds of Food Collected for Local Food Bank
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Lion King efforts at St. Mary’s Dominican High School‘s annual canned food drive roared to a total collection of 20,228 cans of food during their annual one-week food drive. The total equates to 19,378 pounds of food which Second Harvest Food Bank says will provide more than 16,000 meals for families in need across south Louisiana. Dominican’s food donation will help feed victims of the recent tornadoes that struck New Orleans East, in addition to Second Harvest’s network of agencies across the 23 parishes of south Louisiana. Continue reading →
Following in the footsteps of St. Dominic, our charism is to preach truth, but truth seems hard to distinguish and find lately. Does truth come from what we see on social media, or in the news, or from the mouths of politicians? How do we distinguish what is true, just, and holy while responding to the needs of our society and the world? Continue reading →
Blog by Associate Colette Parker, OPA – Co-Director
Too blessed to be stressed…
A stranger reminded me this weekend to always count my blessings.
The stranger – a security guard who greeted me at the entrance of a grocery store that I had never been inside before – asked the simple question: “How are you today?”
I answered: “Great! How are you?”
He responded: “I’m too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed. God is good all the time and all the time God is good.”
Many years ago, when I was struggling with what my beliefs were, a spiritual director suggested that I sit down, put on some good music, and just write down what emerged to complete the refrain, “I believe…” In short, she encouraged me to write my own credo of beliefs. I’ve been searching the last few days for this credo and saddened that I can’t “find these beliefs” to share with you from this time ago. Perhaps this “loss” offers a lesson in letting go to discover a new emergence where God can speak to me now. So, I offer this “in the moment” reflection of my beliefs, along with an invitation to you to take a few moments to write your own credo of beliefs.
I believe in the inherent goodness of humanity.
I believe we are called to serve one another.
I believe in silence to connect with ourselves and with God.
I believe peace is possible when we can let go of our differences.
I believe music can lift up and feed the soul and bring communities together.
I believe in the creative abilities of human beings to envision and share a better world.
I believe faith is borne from trusting in God’s providence.
I believe that God can recreate in me a new heart, open to endless possibilities.
I believe that breakdowns can bring about breakthroughs.
I believe that God’s presence surrounds us and enfolds us in love.
I believe that cats are a woman’s best friend.
Once you start this reflection, I think you will find a peace and calmness around your experience of writing your beliefs and that the writing process takes on a life-giving form of its own.
If you believe that God may be calling you to religious life as a Sister, I invite you to contact one of our Vocation Ministers, who will be happy to discern this call with you.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in the baptism of one of my great-nephews, Samuel. His parents, godparents, and big sister, Lucy, plus other family members and the parish community all applauded and sang as little Sam was presented to the community. In that moment I felt very grateful and proud, first of my nephew and his wife who are sharing their faith in the God of love with their children, and then of our Church community who for millennia has passed the belief in Jesus Christ from one generation to the next. We, as Church, struggle in each generation to live the Gospel, doing better at some points than others, but always ready to work through challenges and heartaches of the people in our families and in our world. Continue reading →
19,378 Pounds of Food Collected for Local Food Bank
