Two Catholic mums who met over 30 years ago at a mother and toddler group, are now passing on their experience and wisdom to a new generation of young mums who want to bring their faith into their families.
Rosemary and Teresa lead a Faith and Family Group in St Albans, where there is an outreach from DHEF centre Bracklyn. Rosemary spearheaded the idea, joined forces with Teresa, secured the use of a parish hall once a month and the group was launched!
Young mothers in the area were soon attracted to Rosemary and Teresa’s initiative, including some of their own daughters. Quite a testimony!
Meeting in the church hall works very well for the group. “The problem for mothers with pre-schoolers is that they need to bring their kids with them to any formational activity, and most houses don’t really have the space for a large group of mums and their kids,” says Teresa.
The hall provides plenty of space, with the added bonus of a cupboard full of toys. So the children have fun, while the mums enjoy the snacks and drinks provided by Teresa and Rosemary. When everyone is settled the discussion begins.
“The format of the group is not very structured.,” says Teresa. “Either myself or Rosemary will introduce a topic to talk about. So far we have chosen topics which go with the season in the church’s year. It isn’t strictly a talk, we’re very happy for people to interrupt and ask questions or make a point. It’s good having two of us so that if the conversation goes a little bit off track we can steer it back.”
Teresa and Rosemary are clear in their purpose for the group. “The orientation of everything we say is towards ways to create a bright and cheerful home,” says Teresa. “We encourage the young mums to bring faith into their homes in small ways.”
The Faith and Family Group offers a wonderful opportunity for young mums to get together and talk about their faith, in a relaxed setting where no one minds if a child cries or coffee is spilled.
It can be a challenge to create a truly Christian home is today’s climate. But the young mums meeting in St Albans are clearly getting inspiration from the group. “There was a lovely moment when one mum showed us a book her husband had bought her. It was about all the great saints in history,” says Teresa.
The St Albans group is a great example of faith, family and fun coming together to enrich the lives of young families.
