Catholic MOM’s Groups
by Lori Ann Williams
SS. Peter & Paul MOM's Group
 

CatholicMom.com would like to thank Lori Ann Williams for sharing this helpful information.  If you have experience with Catholic Mom groups in your parish to share, please email Lisa@catholicmom.com and we will communicate your story or announcement here.

Catholic MOM’s Groups are organizations which seem to be becoming more and more popular in the Catholic community lately.  Members of these organizations find them to be informative, enjoyable, a great source of parenting information.  There is not one set of rules for organizing a Catholic Mothers Group, but most operate in a very similar fashion.  Many, like my group The MOM’s Group at Saints Peter & Paul in Naperville, IL, have similar group objectives.  The objectives listed below are guidelines used by our group to assist us in providing the best possible service to our members, parish and community.

MOM’s Group Objectives:

	Offer opportunities for socialization with other Catholic Mothers.
	Provide Spiritual, Social and Developmental opportunities Catholic children
	Validate and affirm the role of Motherhood
	Service to our Community
	Enhance our spirituality as individuals, women, and Mothers
	We attempt to provide opportunities for any mother in our parish to enjoy these activities without being overly taxing on a family budget or family time.  Time and expense commitment is minimal and left up to the individual member.

Our group is large enough that we operate with seven different committees.  Each committee provides monthly opportunities for our members.  Each committee represents an aspect of Catholic Motherhood:

Children’s Committee provides monthly opportunities for our children such as trips to a local zoo, field trip to the Krispy Kreme Donut Shop, Halloween Party, Pizza Night with Santa in December and our annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Social Committee provides a monthly social activity either for just the Mom’s or other events that are for couples.  As a Mother, It is nice to have a night out by yourself sometimes and it is great to have a night just for you and your spouse.  Sometimes these activities can be as simple as a Mom’s Night Out Dinner where we meet at a local restaurant for dinner.  This year we are planning a wine tasting and gourmet food night.  The Social Committee at SS. Peter & Paul plans everything from an Annual Hoe Down, where we enjoy Chili and square dancing, to cooking classes at our local Williams Sonoma store.  It is great to have the opportunity to socialize with other Catholic parents who share similar values and enjoy a fun night out.

Service Committee is a committee within our group that provides an opportunity each month for our members to assist those less fortunate.  The Committee finds local charities that need assistance with donations or service.  We try to keep these projects simple, recognizing that all of our members have small children and very little free time.  In our first service project of the year, in association with a group called PEAK – Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids, we asked our members to bring school supplies to be donated to a Catholic high school in Chicago for students that needed assistance.  This project was both helpful to the community and simple for our members.  Since it was our first meeting at the beginning of the school year, supplies were on sale so it was inexpensive for members to participate.  Since these supplies could be purchased at a local grocery store, where as Mothers we frequent at least three or four times a week,  members didn’t have to make a special trip to purchase things for the service project.  My best advise for these projects is to keep it simple!

Playgroup Committee This Chairperson organizes playgroups for members who sign up to participate.  Children and Mom’s enjoy a weekly or bi-monthly play date.

Bulletin Committee is responsible for weekly announcements in the church bulletin to keep everyone informed of upcoming events and market the group to potential members.

Spirituality Committee plans and organizes events such as retreats, Advent and Lenten Rosaries, a Children’s Prayer Service and begins each of our monthly meetings with a prayer.

Hospitality Committee welcomes new members and organizes Meals For Mom’s.  Meals for Moms is something we do for our members when they have a new baby.   Members sign up to take dinner to the family after the birth of a new baby, just to give Mom & Dad a break during the crazy period which usually follows any new addition to a family!

continued:
Starting A Catholic Moms Group:  Steps to Consider