MINISTRY OF MOTHERS SHARING©
Retreats & Workshops

Upcoming MOMS Retreats with Sr. Paula

Sr. Paula Hagen, OSB, Retreat Director

Life-Giving, Spirit-Filled Retreats

These six-hour parish-based retreats are presented by MOMS Founder,

Sr. Paula Hagen. The themes are proven to rejuvenate mothers' and grandmothers' hearts.

Call Sr. Paula at (651) 777-8181 to find out how we can customize one of the following retreats for your parish.

For further information on the Ministry of Mothers Sharing call the MOMS National Office

Toll-free Number:  (877) 281-6298

Retreat 1. MOMStories

• Take time to reflect on some "grace-filled moments and events" in your own life and family.
• Through sharing, you will see the Gospel "good news" of Christian motherhood in your own stories.

"This experience really strengthened my faith in God's unconditional love! The retreat really motivated me to tell my children and grandchildren the story about their birth and special grace-filled family events."
     — Grandmother – Omaha, NE

Retreat 2. Moms as Peacemakers or Nurturing Peace and Solitude

• Practice skills and rituals for becoming a more peaceful person and creating a peaceful home.
• Ways to raise non-violent children in a culture of violence.
• Personal, couple and family rituals and examples are shared for use at home.

"The scripture passages, ritual and sharing were profound and highly motivational. I went home and began to create a sacred space in our home for family quiet times so we could actually experience the "peace of Christ."
     — Amy Bazile – Seattle, WA

"Sister Paula helped us learn how to nurture the peace of Christ inside ourselves and in our relationships with each other."
     — Nancy Pagnotta – Chicago, IL

Retreat 3. Blessings of Motherhood

• Prayerful reflection on the Beatitudes from a Mother's Perspective.
• Creative activities, sharing and prayer rituals.
• Each mother is invited to look at the sacredness of being a mother.
• Explore the unique blessing that each child brings into a family.

"It was a good way for me to start to know my ‘spiritual self’ and the gifts God has given me that are deep inside me. Writing in the mini journal and the rituals set the tone for me to be more reflective and to use prayer rituals with my family. I loved sharing my faith with other women."
     — Debra Budzeak - Detroit

Retreat 4. Moms, Play-ers and Pray-ers

• Mothers are invited to see God's presence in their daily summer activities and gatherings.
• Explore your own experiences of God in summer spirituality.
• Learn to recognize the sacred "playfulness" in everyday family relationships.

"We had so much fun seeing why Jesus loved being with children. We were invited to remember their playfulness and natural prayerfulness. I went home and saw summer family activities in a whole new light. I began to see the sacredness in our daily family life."
     — Phoenix, Arizona

Retreat 5. Personal Prayer and Family Rituals

• Take quiet time to learn that prayer rituals are ways to strengthen both personal and family prayer.
• Take time for personal prayer and learn new ways to express your faith.
• Renew your commitment to passing your faith on to one another and our children through rituals.

( May be scheduled as Advent or Lenten Personal Prayer and Family Rituals.)

"The retreat gave me the grace and courage to create family traditions and rituals that have become such a sacred part of our family. It also motivated me to become a leader in creating meaningful prayer rituals for all of our ministries in our parish."
     — Amy Young - St. Joseph’s Parish, Sterling, VA

Retreat 6. Making the Holidays Holy-Days

• Prepare for Christ's coming. Ask: "What does God want to give me?"
• "What gets in my way of accepting God's gifts?"
• Explore personal prayer and family prayer rituals to prepare for Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas.

"This retreat changed the way our family prepares for Christmas by celebrating Thanksgiving and Advent from a liturgical perspective. It lowered our family stress. It offered practical family rituals and traditions that my children love."
     — Joan Sollar – Indianapolis, IN

Retreat 7. Women as Spiritual Friends and Companions

• Take time for reflection on Mary and Elizabeth as a model of Christian friendship (Luke 1:39-56).
• Experience songs and prayer rituals expressing the sacredness of true woman-to-woman friendship.
• Strengthen your relationship with Christ and all who have loved you.

"I experienced God's grace in a new way as we learned more about Christ as the center of our relationships with other women. I became more grateful to be a Christian woman with the special gifts God has given me to enrich my marriage, family and community. "
     — Stephanie- Oklahoma

Retreat 8. Sabbath Time: Sacred Time

• Explore two Jewish prayer rituals, "Shabbat" and "Havdalah" that have influenced our Christian liturgy and our Christian life style.
• Nourish your spirit, both as a Christian woman and as a mother.
• Take some "Sabbath time" of slowing down, silence and being with God.
• Learn more about the Jewish culture and traditions that shaped Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

"This retreat enriched my understanding of the Eucharist, Holy Thursday and the sacredness of Sabbath time in our lives. I came home with a greater appreciation and respect for our Judeo-Christian heritage.”
     — Orlando, FL

Retreat 9. Mary, Our Mother, Our Sister

• Look at Mary's life from a scriptural and woman's perspective.
• Walk with Mary and experience the special grace of being born a woman.
• See Mary through the eyes of a mother dealing with a violent and prejudice society.

"I never looked at Mary as the first tabernacle that carried Jesus for nine months. We need to continue to explore the scripture readings about Mary from a new scriptural perspective."
     — St. Paul, MN

Retreat 10. Spirit-filled Women in Our Church

• Review the stories and gifts of five outstanding women in our church.
• Pray for the grace and wisdom to respond to the needs of our time.
• Reflect on our baptismal call to holiness and using our God-given gifts.

*Based on Women in Church History:  21 Stories of 21 Centuries by Joanne Turpin. St. Anthony Messenger Press. 2007.

On the Journey Retreats

Introducing a NEW series of two and three hour retreats. MOMS leaders can offer these to all in your parish.

This series will…

• Empower women to continue their spiritual growth through prayer, journaling, and discussion.
• Attract women who have not experienced the MOMS eight-week journey.

1. Choice-making

Making healthy, Christ-centered choices is a process of slowing down, turning to God and learning how to listen. This three hour retreat helps mothers reflect on the four steps to making adult choices and discerning between the distractions and healthy choices in our lives.

2. Emptying Your Cup:

Finding Peace through Letting Go

This three-hour retreat will provide sacred time and space for quiet reflection, prayer rituals and discussion on what we need to let go of in our lives so we have room to "fill our cup" with God's unconditional love.

Retreat Journals and Facilitator Guides

for these two offerings can be purchased

from MOMS Customer Service

MOMS Training Workshops

These workshops are especially designed to strengthen the leadership skills needed in MOMS The workshops empower mothers to understand Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium and to develop the skills to minister to other adults.

Workshop I. How to Start MOMS in Your Community

This three-hour workshop provides an actual experience of MOMS by demonstrating the benefits of MOMS It teaches participants how to introduce this ministry into their parish or community, and how to establish a team of leaders who learn the details of initiating a “pilot” session, i.e. marketing, budgeting, planning a celebration, etc. Mini-workbooks are provided for participants.

Workshop II. MOMS Facilitator Training

This six-hour workshop gives participants an actual experience of an adult learning model, facilitating skills, “active” listening, discernment, the theology of MOMS, as well as the practical application of Called and Gifted in this ministry. Training workbooks are provided for participants.

“I learned very practical skills needed to be an adult learner, a MOMS facilitator and a better spouse and parent. An excellent spiritual learning lab for developing this Ministry and understanding “Called and Gifted” for our leaders and our parish.”
     — Orlando, Florida

Workshop III. Developing a MOMS Core Team

This three-hour workshop helps Core Team members develop team-building skills they need. The value of clear job descriptions, methods of marketing, and how to discern, and mobilize new members’ gifts are presented. Sample team meeting schedules, agendas, timelines, annual budget, and annual report to the pastor or parish council will also be taught. Mini-workbooks are provided for participants.

“Ten persons came together to claim our skills to form a Christ-centered team to serve the needs of mothers and families in our community. We began to see the big picture of being 'Called and Gifted' to serve Christ in building Christian Community at home and in our parish."
     — Grand Island, Nebraska

Workshop IV. MOMS Team Visioning

This three-hour workshop gives the Core Team, Staff Liaison, and other Leaders time to look at their image and experience of leadership in Ministry. They will learn how to develop a shared vision of MOMS in their community. From the shared vision, the team is helped to set concrete practical goals for the ministry within their community or parish. Workbooks are provided for participants.

Inquire about Retreats and Workshops:
National MOMS Office
St. Paul's Monastery
2675 Larpenteur Avenue East
St. Paul, MN 55109-5097
651-748-4089/877-281-6298
moms.custserv@stpaulsmonastery.org

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