02:32 Interviewer- Thank you for being here, and can you tell us what is your baptismal name or from which name did you go by?

Transcription

1 Interview Narrator: Sister Tanya Williams, Dominican Sinsinawa Interviewed By: Caterina Taronna Location of Interview: Sister Story office at St Catherine s University, St Paul, MN Date of interview: November 16, :32 Interviewer- Thank you for being here, and can you tell us what is your baptismal name or from which name did you go by? 02:35 Sister Tanya Yeah, thanks for being with me.. uhm.. my name is Sister Tanya Williams Dominican.. uhm.. Sinsinawa Dominican and.. that is my name.. at this time of our life we are just able to make our profession by our baptismal name. My name as a Dominican is: Sister Tanya Williams. 03:02 Interviewer- Can you tell us when you were born? 03:04 Sister Tanya When I was born? I can I was born in July 1953 in Texas.. 03:12 Interviewer- okay.. is that where you grew up? 03:15 Sister Tanya no I.. my father was in the air force so I was born in the air force base in San Angelo, Texas. My family however, is originally from Mobile, Alabama and I grew in Mobile. 03:25 Interviewer- and where you raised in a catholic family? 03:29 Sister Tanya no uhm.. my family by origin was a AM African Methodist however, at that time my family considered the catholic education to be the best, so both my sister and I, me being the oldest, went to a catholic school in first grade, and then was in second grade that I asked to become a catholic, so I was raised catholic, uhm my mother and father converted a Sinsinawa both baptism catholic at that time, so this would it been seven years later in 1960 baptism catholic. 04:01 Interviewer- okay when did you first consider a religious religion for yourself? 1

2 04:06 Sister Tanya the first time I considered was when I was a little kid, I think I fell in love with the nuns, I think this mini young girls do when I was about seven or eight.. I had one for the first grade teacher, one for the second grade teacher, and one for the third teacher.. so that point the thought of religious life enter my mind and I didn t had any understanding of what that was as a little girl uhm.. and after that time I came and went.. but that was an interesting time to be an African American in the South so the thought of being a religious or make it a profession was came with a lot of conflict and came with a lot of questions really so the thought of becoming religious came and went. 04:45 Interviewer- when and how did you know that you would become a sister? 04:51 Sister Tanya it actually surprised me many many many years later I first thought of it as a little girl uhm... probably begin when I was in high school when it was a very exciting time to being alive in the mid 60 s in the south of this country when we have a lot of protest, marches and the boycotts and the entire segregation uhm movements.. uhm the pro integration movements... uhm I thought to begin in the 60 s and later later I went to visit a friend of mine who is Sinsinawa Dominican who I met as a teenager. She invited me to come to our mother house, Sinsinawa Mother House, in Sinsinawa Wisconsin and uhm, at that time we had a conversation about she said no Tanya you still thinking about it? so.. what are you thinking? you are not getting any younger at this point I was in my late 40s and I thought I m not going to think about it life is great... but when I board to the plane to leave [unknown] which is the closest city to the Sinsinawa to return to Pennsylvania, is when I realize that something was happening inside me that was totally surprise uhm so I returned into Pennsylvania and talk with my spiritual director and didn t say yes to an invitation to a vocation retreat.. I went to two vocation retreats... but when I left Sinsinawa I had a feeling of being homesick for the first time ever in my life I thought that something mysterious was taking place inside of me the rest is history. 2

3 06:26 Interviewer- okay [laugh] in what ways does your vocation shape your way of being in the world? 06:34 Sister Tanya mm for me the breadth and depth of what it means to be a part of a global family has change dramatically for me uhm being a sister you say yes to all so all this life which include the life as a member of a community, so now we do take vows uhm to God and to our priors uhm we take vows as being part of a community and that continues to transform how I see from every depth and I m a part of a global larger global family. 07:08 Interviewer- What drew you to your congregation? What is its charism/mission do you have as a Sinsinawa Sister? 07:16 Sister Tanya Uhm the Dominican Order.. uhm is one of itinerancy, itinerancy means that we uhm we travel, San Domenic found the order to be an order of preachers who preach wherever they are whether they are in the church or in the streets.. uhm in the schools so as part of our sense of who we are as a dominican. As Sinsinawa, we claim a mission of being women of the gospel who make a commitment to creating a just world and church, so that s part of our commitment and how we live our lives and how our lives are informed and how we make choices every day. 08:02 Interviewer- At what exact age did you become a novice? [laugh] 08:07 Sister Tanya I made my profession as a novice I think I was 48 years old and my final profession uhm at 52 so I was a late vocation as it s called, so I m not a younger member but I m a newer member of our congregation. 08:25 Interviewer- What would you like to share about your process of discernment? 08:31 Sister Tanya I love that question because uhm... some people think and have had said to me that you entered later in which it means you must have wave courage and I said to them courage is often to do with a really uhm... the called was so profound that 3

4 I couldn t ignore it. There is a little book, I think the author is unknown is called, the hound of heaven and for me that s what my experience was like uhm... when I left Sinsinawa and boarded that plane that hound that said Tanya, you know and the constant called, so for me it was uhm... a trust in the surrender of saying yes because it was so clear and loud that I was called in this life, and that is... it remains today... I think about it every day and freely make the choice to remain of being a sister because it feels so right to me. 09:27 Interviewer- How does discernment influence your life in an on-going way? 09:32 Sister Tanya So back what I was saying early by being part of a community, uhm the beauty of being a Dominican is with mini congregations; we are internationals order. There are priests and brothers, questions nuns, sisters throughout the world, so I know that I m part of a larger Dominican Family, International Dominican Family. I m very aware... for example: our sisters interact I m very aware when our sisters who committed to work with the young children at the borders of Mexico and Texas experience it right now. So, guess me a large sense of what it means to be community and to make choices out of that pray in that every day and to make choices out of that. 10:19 Interviewer- Tell me about your educational journey. 10:25 Sister Tanya Throughout my education has been catholic education until I went to graduate school the first time uhm... so elementary school in Mobile, Alabama I was taught by the Mclet Heart of Mary Sisters in Michigan, uhm high school I went to all girls schools catholic high school in Mobile, which was taught by three congregations because there were two closings of high schools, so I was taught by Sinsinawa Dominicans, I was taught by Sisters of Loreto and also the Sisters of Mercy, uhm and that was one of my education and then undergraduate I went to Loyola University in New Orleans which is a Jewish institution uhm, my first graduate school was in University of Missouri, Columbia, where I studied speech physiology in the graduate I studied music 4

5 therapy at Loyola University graduate school and I studied here at St Catherine s, graduated in theology in 2007 uhm I got a master degree in theology from here. 11:24 Interviewer- How was your education tied to your religious vocation? 11:30 Sister Tanya Throughout my upbringing as family and also my education, I think I don t know there were unique as catholic education, but certainly catholic education informed my sense of justice, my sense of being in right relationships with people by sense of commitment to justice. The careers I have chosen in music therapy as speech physiology I use some of my theology but not directly of St Catherine, my theology degree but this wanted to live in right relationship with people, so meeting people where they are and whatever the issues going on with them, and their suffering and questions in their hopes and their dreams and meeting them there and in right relationship companion now I think its probably the best gift of my educational training is... uhm... realized I walked with a journey with one another. 12:32 Interviewer- Could you take me through your ministries and positions? 12:39 Sister Tanya My first uhm... ministry after graduate school, because I didn t really, really work between undergraduate and graduate school I uhm in graduate school I was sent to a degree in music therapy as I mention, and then I intern as a music therapist after graduate school in a state psychiatric hospital outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. By immediately I went to graduate school in speech physiology uhm my intention at that time was to work with children primarily who artistic and use music as speech together to help them develop language. I received my degree in speech physiology and I didn t like a whole lot [laugh] I work four years in a speech and hearing center in New Orleans Louisiana and in that experience, in that assignment I worked, actually I was assigned to work in a vocational rehabilitation center; people with multiple disabilities learning disabilities, physical limitations, hearing impairments, mental health concerns and I was asked in that employment if I would consider working as a vocational counseling as a vocational evaluating in that counseling, excuse me, someone who tests to see what vocation is right for person and uhm... and that became my career which I continue to 5

6 stay in vocational rehabilitation, vocational counseling. Talk with people about their goals, their interests and help them looking at educational programs and careers possibilities for them, help them to interview and uhm... apply for positions so that s what I do today. I have being doing this work as a vocational counselor for over twenty years. 14:23 Interviewer- okay What has been the most gratifying work you have done? 14:29 Sister Tanya My most gratifying is the work I m doing now uhm... as a vocational... as an employment counselor my title is employment specialist, I work with a non-profit, four days a week and also work with men primarily, but also with women who are currently incarcerated who are currently in jail at a correctional facility here outside employments but in an area. My most gratifying is working with people who are currently incarcerate... uhm because in this country where we incarcerate so many people, it s easy to lose hope, it s easy to... what we have created as a system that continues to oppress people because we make it harder for people to get jobs, we make it harder for people to go to school, we make it harder for people to find housing. So my job as an employment counselor with anyone who has anything on their record, including people like me at being non profit as on reward because I m able to see the value, the gifts that they bring with their potential, if they are ready for that, so my most rewarding is being able to meet people where they are, wherever the questions, wherever the sufferings, wherever the hardships and listen to their stories and to provide all my twenty years experience and giving them some ideas about what to think about and... and... journey with them I just love it, and my most favorite part is when you watch labels go off.. when someone sees all the goodness I have seen with them when they think oh maybe, maybe you know somewhere like Christmas... because you see the joy that come forth. 16:17 Interviewer- What do you consider your most important contributions of your ministry? 16:22 Sister Tanya Helping people find work... uhm... anything that help them decrease disparity the differences between uhm... particular people of color the income gap so 6

7 helping people gaining access to employment and helping them looking at potential additional to educational opportunities to increase their wages, but I love making people find jobs. I have been doing employment for so long... I think often say... I see in here everything through a job counselor, because I m always analyzing with the job requires and always curious about people s work, and I want to help people establish short ways goes, medium ways goes, and long ways goes so they can feel independent, so they can feel... yeah... they can feel good about who they are and provide their family that in terms helps their community tribe and help us as a global family tribe. 17:17 Interviewer- What source of theological education did you receive? 17:22 Sister Tanya Well, throughout school a catholic theology education, uhm... earlier on... it was a pre Vatican too, but at that place now at the age that was just a part of my life, for a short period of time, so as a young girl, uhm, the Vatican too definitely change our lives so there is more of the the sisters were in asked to enter into the world as they are, as the world is... take companion of people, my theology and spirituality continues to inform how I think, God I think is much bigger than we tend to think who God is uhm... God uhm I believe in us is both divine and humane, I think that we have God with in us, I think we also have the frailties and the vocanism about humanity and that informs me, so when I m meeting with my clades I pray in the beginning of every day to meet them in both divinity and humanity... uhm and help them see the goodness, and that helps me in whole life, I really pray out of place of non judgment, but a place just alone people to be just who they are and mine be who I am uhm... praying to be my best self and a God will accompany me in that you know and love all no matter how many mistakes we make but uhm... to help people move forward so but that theology of the bigness the largeness of God, I think really inform me how I see the God of forgiveness and compassion, not the God of judgment... uhm, not the God of shame of blame, but the God who suffer with us and who companions us in our sufferings and who celebrates our joys. 19:05 Interviewer- You told me that you did a theological study here at St Kate s, can you tell me what source of theological education did you receive here? 7

8 19:15 Sister Tanya Yes a master of art and theology, so I have an MAT degree here, and also receive an additional [unknown] of theology scientific here, which required me additional core courses so I have the masters degree in theology and the [unknown] ministry scientific. As a part of that ministry scientific I did a practical with a Chapel who worked at the correction facility so I was assigned to work with her at the ministry facility, and that time I was doing placement at the women s so she thought it was really good, be really good for me and will brought my experiences if I support her and worked with her in the chapel with the in the ministry facility which I did and love it, just love it! uhm yeah so it was a challenge to wear two hats, sometimes, but with the men I didn t because they didn't know me as a job counselor, now they do but at that time didn t, but I loved study theology here at St Catherine, as a since, in addition to, having more languages around who I understand God is and who Christ is, who we are, uhm... uhm... my catholic history, my Christian history, uhm... the spirituality that was developed to have more languages with that, was very, very helpful uhm... I discover, I think who made, still be one of my favorites theologians Soeloe who wrote this book called Suffering and I think that really put me inform on how I think this whole God who suffers with, an our obligation is whether be, we hear sufferings we must hear sufferings and respond to it uhm but I loved studying theology here at St Kate s, I love being a citizen of community and maybe a unique of theology a unique of St Kate s but certainly experiences both here in the theological department at St Catherine. 21:10 Interviewer- In addition of this, is there any experience you would like to share about being here at St Kate s? 21:16 Sister Tanya ujum... sense of community, that s my logic experience also there is a beauty on this campus that at least all the students... you know the life in this campus is beautiful. So I still love walking in this campus and often I come here during the summer when is very quiet, when there is few students around and I just walk for some quite, but primarily sense of community and being on a predominantly women s campus so you know the women s university, there is a feminist sense, a femininity energy and delay that; so knowing the focus is on education of women as a priority here, speakers will 8

9 come and address that uhm as a depth of education here at St Catherine and uhm... I must say that, because I chose... when I was looking at the theology program because I was sent here from the division to Minneapolis, I was hoping I was sent to Louisiana and some place warmer than Minnesota but I was sent to Minneapolis [laugh] and since I experience community so I live in a convent with uhm... four of the sisters that were five of us, uhm... over south Minneapolis and I was also sent study theology and I sent my application to St Thomas, St Kate s uhm... St. Benedicts but I received an immediate response from St Catherine, is that attention that I experience throughout my studies here, the attentiveness of all students, the attentiveness of the faculty, the attentiveness by the administrators everyone acknowledge you and made me feel as I matter and I love that feeling, as if I matter. 23:00 Interviewer-What do you see as a role of women religious in the 21st century? 23:07 Sister Tanya To continue to respond to the Vatican to call to be with the people and that s all the people, uhm to companion with uhm to be with those who uhm... in whatever the struggle is and to help write wrongs as companions of the journey to identify with the sufferings, whatever that is, so whether is a suffering of poverty or a suffering of [unknown] homelessness with a suffering of being feel alienated by a Catholic Church or by a Christian Faith community... uhm whatever the brokenness, whatever the painless suffering is to be with in to companion uhm to remind people of the lovingness of God and uhm and to companion one another as we rights... wrongs... and however we do that with through respect for everyone and so in regard of laws of policies and in regard of considering our church rules and [unknown] is in right relationship with all God s people, I think that what we are asked to do, I think we will do a pretty good job doing that. 24:25 Interviewer- Would you tell me what are some of the characteristics the Sinsinawa Congregation Sisters have? 9

10 24:32 Sister Tanya a characteristic? You know... I didn t understand... the first time I heard... uhm about personalities of different congregations when I became a sister; I had no sense of what that meant. I m still not really sure what that means... but... uhm what I can say about Sinsinawa Dominicans is that there is a joy that you always experience from we around... we experience it and also the great affection we have to one another so there is a lot of exchanges of hugs all the time, uhm there is a recognition of one another so when whenever we gather you will hear a lot of laughter, you will see a lot of hugs uhm, you will be asked where have you been? and that s the distinction... that s something that you see where we are people sometimes make comments about that uniqueness to us, I haven t met enough Dominicans to prove if that s true, but I can say that we have sense of apart. 25:27 Interviewer- okay... uhm... let me see... okay... uhm... as a final thought, would you like to share when did you start playing the clarinet? 25:39 Sister Tanya [laugh] uhm... I begin playing the clarinet when I was seven years old, I wanted to play flute, but couldn t make the sound come out of it and I dub lit anyway a sound come out of the clarinet but uhm... in the elementary school I went to, there was a question to all the students at that time, we have to start a band who would like to play and of course I said yes to it, and then I discover an instrument. I begin to practice my whole life, my mother was very supportive of me learning the clarinet, so the first clarinet was rented, and then she as a teacher, later as a guided counselor, I think rob a lot of pennies and nickels together, she tried to put money together to buy a clarinet for me to own and later buy another one. I grew into liking the clarinet, today I love playing the clarinet, I uhm... competed in local competitions and it happens to be really good, but I didn t fall in love with the instrument until actually I became a Sinsinawa Dominican, part of our unique charisma of Sinsinawa, I forgot to mention earlier, is a support of the arts, all the arts, the visual arts as well as music art, poetry and surroundings but our founder supported development of the arts; so we have many very talented musicians... uhm... they offer opportunities to play together, but with Sinsinawa I discovered that I can pray, and play at the same time so now rather than being something I competed with, 10

11 because it was something I used to competed with the clarinet, study music in college as an undergraduate and it was a clarinet major in a music school as always competition, no more competitions. Now I entered into the beautiful vision of the sound and the instrument itself of and just give myself over to it... uhm and over to what we do about my clarinet and I can do together, and have fun with it, when I play with others is my favorite part, I enjoy playing with others. 27:50 Interviewer- At what age did you start playing the instrument? 27:54 Sister Tanya At seven, I played through High School, I played through college, I was a music major in college, and then I stopped playing for several years... uhm... I did not like competing very much and... after I leave music school took a break and rediscover later playing in a community band in Pennsylvania, that was fun, people who has played in high school or even in college, played in Pennsylvania, I played in a community, in a concert band here in the West Metro the rest of my children played in a concert band the for three years here, I played often in the Mother s House, I played often there for a celebration, pre services, for funeral services, I played for a long time, and now, I love it. 28:43 Interviewer- uhm... would you like to share any experience with us about playing your instrument? 28:49 Sister Tanya If I would like to share an experience? about playing it now? [laugh] uhm... I currently played with a concert band; we have a concert coming up a week from today actually, uhm so you are more than welcome to come at and hear us playing with a seventy plus sample full instrumentation. Now I m actually playing as part of the bass clarinet, this huge clarinet for this concert band, which is fun because I like the low sound of the clarinet but my instrument is b flat clarinet instrument and I can play for you any time [laugh], I love to play b flat clarinet. 29:32 Interviewer-Do you have any place in which you usually play your instrument or only with your band? 11

12 29:38 Sister Tanya I play mostly with the concert band, I realized a few years ago that... uhm... the clarinet is a solo instrument so you often hear it uhm... when you hear a solo sample in an orchestra or in a concert you hear any number of orchestration but uhm... but by being alone I studied so much fun playing it alone but, I don t know anyone here in the city who as a [unknown] play the clarinet and the piano all together. But often I played the clarinet since I begin my life as a Sinsinawa Dominican with many of our musicians, we played small groups and I also played with organisms, with several pianist, but there weren t enough for me, so I found this concert band a few years ago and I took a decision to my surprise, because there are all these accomplish musicians. I played mostly Monday nights, we have rehearsal from seven to nine and have full concerts for large, but several concerts a year and some outdoor uhm... but I mostly played at the Sinsinawa Mother House. I went home two weeks ago to play to one of our fellow s sister musician who was a cellist and I played on my clarinet at her mass service and also in her funeral mass service. 31:05 Interviewer- Well, thank you so much, to share with us your Sister Story and all your experience with everything... [laugh] 31:14 Sister Tanya My pleasure, thank you for asking, I m grateful for you and I, this has been a wonderful meeting! 12