Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be. Psalm 46:10

Each morning and night, Sisters gather in Chapel to pray the Psalms.

Through their formation and vowed lives, Sisters have learned to invite the holy in through prayer and reflection.

They, in turn, offer others the invitation to discover the holy, in people and in the everyday, through prayer, study, service, and community. It is Dominican practice to faithfully live these pillars so that life can be lived fully in God’s love.

Contemplative prayer and spiritual direction at Dominican Center were the paths that led Amy Kam to a peacefulness where she learned how to be open to God’s love.

Inspired by Ann Walters, OP, after having met her during a Contemplative program at Dominican Center, Amy knew she wanted to talk with someone in her faith journey—someone with whom she could be truly open.

“Dominican Center is, by intentional mission, a safe place to have the conversations that others in your immediate circle can’t or may not be willing to have,” says Sister Ann.

“You live your life and get disconnected from aspects of your faith journey, and getting those plugged back in is about finding new ways to draw your faith into your everyday life … Sister Ann helped show me this through the lens of God’s love,” said Amy.

Years ago, Sister Ann invited Amy to O Antiphons. “That’s where I first experienced the Chapel and the Sunday Assembly community. From the moment I walked in, I could feel the love, the welcome. Nobody knew me, but I felt an immediate sense of belonging.

“We’ve been through a lot together. This church community, and Sister Ann, and me. They’ve been by my side through spiritual growth, career challenges, through raising a teenager, through loss, through cancer. Sister Ann showed me that I didn’t have to have permission to be me.”

What brings peace is when we let go of our fears, and we let go of our fears when we feel accepted. That’s the gift of God’s love. Amy was received into the Catholic Church three years ago this past Easter at Dominican Chapel at Marywood.

“The resilience and faithfulness I’ve observed in Amy is truly inspiring, as is her desire to share what she has learned with others,” says Sister Ann.

About two years ago, Amy began leading Zentangle programs at Dominican Center. “Zentangle is a non-verbal expression, on paper, of mindfulness. It’s helped a lot of people reduce their anxiety, and find focus. It helps you learn to be present in the moment; people find that very hard to do these days, and yet it’s very easy to do while you’re drawing.”

“What Amy is guiding is a creative form of contemplative prayer,” describes Sister Ann.

“Doing Zentangle as prayer creates the space to experience in the core of our being: ‘Be Still and Know that I am God’,” says Sister Ann.