Sisters in Christ
The Catholic Moms of Rochester is made up of a group of strong women who love and serve our Lord to the best of our abilities. If we were to go off that Rosie the Riveter meme, we could rename this group the Strong Moms of Rochester. But then we’d be SMOR and have to stock up on marshmallows and firewood.
When I first moved here I didn’t have many good Catholic friends. I clung to and cherished the few, precious friends who held fast to the Catholic faith. So, when it came time to name Godparents for our children, Jonathan and I picked the most Catholic people that we knew. After our second child, we were afraid our options were nearly exhausted. I had a feeling though, that if God wanted us to have more children, then He would put more good, solid Catholics in our lives. Well, it looks like He wants us to have many, many more children because we are surrounded by beautiful, faith-filled couples who have become more than just our brothers and sisters in Christ, they have become friends, confidants, and, more simply, inspirations. So beware, you may be asked to be Godparent if we are blessed with more babies.
One of the most beautiful things about this group is the friendships and support that we have in each other. We each seek to serve the Lord in the best way we can and encourage each other to grow in faith through our works, prayer life, and vocations as mothers and wives. There is so much love that emanates from this group that it makes my heart so full to think of each of you, your love for each other, and your love for Jesus.
In the time since CMOR began there have been so many opportunities for us, as friends, as sisters, to grow in faith and serve our Lord. One event in particular holds a beautiful place in my memories. This past summer we had the opportunity to work together to help out a single Mom who was struggling to make ends meet while supporting her three young children. Many of us volunteered to make meals for this mom, who is a complete stranger to most of us. Four of us set aside a day to go to her house and clean, while a handful of others watched the children of the cleaners. It was incredibly humbling to serve this woman, to clean her toilets and empty her heating vents of cookie crumbs and Legos; to make her beds and do her laundry; to fill her cabinets and fridge with food, and to do it all with nothing expected from her; to do it simply because Jesus has asked us to serve Him. Right before we left the house, we stood in a circle in the foyer and prayed together. It was an incredible moment in time to be surrounded by these women, by my friends. As I held their hands – the hands that worked hard to serve our Lord through this woman, I cried because I was so humbled by this simple gesture of love that meant so much to this single mom, but more importantly, it meant so much to Jesus.
As sisters in Christ we have been blessed with many chances to serve one another as well. We’ve prayed for each other, offered counsel, mourned the loss of each other’s children, parents, and grandparents. We have celebrated new life, cooked many meals for each other, discussed theology, embraced each other’s gifts, quirks, flaws, and talents. We have laughed, cried, served, and loved. We have become friends in Christ, who, as our most devoted friend, laid down His life for us so that we may live.
God has assembled an impressive group of women here, who, despite our shortcomings, work hard to serve Him. I know I don’t speak only for myself when I say that I am blessed to be surrounded by an incredibly strong group of women, each of whom is blessed with unique talents, gifts, and insights.
We are grateful to welcome new women to the Catholic Moms. We look forward to learning from you, to growing in faith with you, to becoming friends with you, and to serving our Lord with you and your families.
Thanks be to God.
Shauna
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