Catholic Women's Group

You guys have GOT to try this.
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A little over two years ago, I joined a group that had been together for roughly eight years.  Even before I joined, I knew the women who made it up, either as friends or acquaintances.  It is loosely called, among its members, Bible Study.  It started simply with a few women who had the idea, then morphed into the beautiful group that it is today.  Now the group decides together on a book to read which is spiritual (Catholic, ideally) in nature, or deals with our vocations as wives and/or mothers.  We meet once a week.  A meeting begins with the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, then discussion of the current book, then we each offer our prayer intentions and say the St. Michael prayer.  After that, the hostess--each woman hosts a meeting which is in a different home each week--serves a snack or dessert and we have social time. 

There are fifteen women in our group, above the number recommended by bible study leaders.  Unfortunately, we cannot accept new members at this time.  This has been a source of heartache for us--we have even consulted our pastor about it several times--and for many women who know us or have heard of us and would like to join.  Therefore, I publish the details of this wonderful group so that other women may be encouraged to begin their own group, and I am hopeful that their groups would become as tight-knit as ours, and that these newly formed groups would find in one another the comfort, support, friendship, and joy that we enjoy. 

The women who make up our group are all about the same age--ranging from 28 to 35.  All of the women have been married for roughly the same time, many of us are at or near the 10 year mark!  Among the fifteen mothers, there are 58 children under nine!  Most were born to their parents, several were adopted.  There are always new babies.  Right now, there are two women pregnant and within the last year, there were eight babies born! Some moms have six children, some have two.

The level of trust, confidence, and intimacy that our group is blessed with takes years to form.  In fact, the original Bible Study grew to 30 women and, due to the difficulties that arise with such a large group, was forced to divide into two groups.  I was lucky to have missed this division; I was not yet a member.  As I understand, it was very painful for all of the women involved.  As such, the women are now a little more guarded about increasing numbers for fear of having to divide again, and for fear of losing the intimacy that has taken so many years to develop.  These women have witnessed the weddings of one another, each baby that was born--because the group formed before the oldest child was born 8.5 years ago--the struggles of continuing education, child rearing, and life in general.  Some are godparents to the others' children!  They have supported one another through the deaths of parents and other loved ones, miscarriages, infertility struggles, adoptions, changes in residence and parish, and . . . shall I mention it again . . . the births of 58 children!

The best and most important part of forming a group like this is to find other women who are of the same faith, that is Roman Catholicism, for us.  Within our group, all women are married and believe marriage is forever, that God comes first, our spouse second, and our children third.  We have the same priorities.  In our group, fourteen of the women are stay at home mothers.  We are all open to life--no one is limiting their family size--we are all taking our children as they come: one at a time.  Some women have given their fertility completely over to God, some use NFP to space the births of their children. 

Every announcement of new life (pregnancy) is met with squeals of joy and excitement!  Every woman in the study loves to announce a pregnancy to the group, often before the general public is aware.

As it happens, we are all now members of the same parish.  Initially, the members of Bible Study were scattered throughout the parishes, but all of us (within our group of fifteen) are now in one parish.  The last couple of women came into the parish, or returned to it, in the last couple of years. Jeremy has remarked to me several times at 10:00 Mass, "I think almost your whole Bible Study is here!"  Because of this, all of the children who attend school, attend the same parish school.  It is a treat to see one another at school pick up, at school family meetings, on field trips, and to watch one another's children perform at the annual talent show, or at the spring or Christmas show.  Our children recognize their mother's friends and we help one another with the care of our children.  We often meet for playdates (read: moms visit, children play together).

Notes about our diocese: There are 11 English speaking parishes in our city plus five non-territorial parishes: a Vietnamese parish, a Spanish parish, a Newman Center, a Ukranian Rite, and a Tridentine (Latin) parish.  In our diocese, Catholics belong to the parish in which they live, to the parish in whose boundaries (territories) they live.  Each parish--except the non-territorial parishes listed above--has its own grade school, which contains a junior high.  There is one very large Catholic high school in our city.

The original members created a Yahoo group, to which both small Bible Studies belong.  Using this system, we communicate ideas, prayer requests, and news with one another.  Some days, there are no e-mails.  Some days, there are twenty or more!  When a member has a new baby, we create an online sign up and bring that family meals over several weeks.  Our husbands know one another, some even spend time together without us!

I think that belonging to this group of amazing women has helped me to become a better Catholic, a better wife, and a better mother.  I have learned so much from each woman.  We share with one another tips on child rearing, childbirth, pregnancy, wifehood, and we share aspects of our spiritual life, spiritual revelations,  advice that was given to an individual by their spiritual advisor, and not-so-deep things such as cooking, cleaning, mouse trapping, and home buying.  I think that each woman draws from the example of the other women in the group.  Praying together, praying for one another, and offering one another support of all kinds, helps us to become better people.

The blessings of this Catholic women's group are far beyond measure.  I am forever grateful to God for placing me here, and to these women for their unconditional friendships, encouragement, and support.
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You have GOT to try this!  Go find several like-minded women of the same Faith, same values.  Set a meeting day and make it a priority!  Go, go, go!
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*Also, I am grateful to my husband and those of the other women, for allowing us to make our meeting night a priority!  It is priceless, the gift that our husbands give us in this regard.