In the early 1980s, when Sister Paula Hagen, a Benedictine nun and family therapist, was working with a parish in Arizona, mothers often sought her out to talk about depression. New moms and seasoned moms alike were unhappy and hoped Hagen could pinpoint the problem. “Professionally, I couldn’t tell these women about all the other mothers I was seeing in my office who were feeling the same way, so I decided to start an educational support group where these women could come together,” explains Hagen. “It was like magic, they bonded so quickly.”
Hagen’s support group quickly evolved into a new peer ministry program called the Ministry of Mothers Sharing (MOMS). Now based at St. Paul’s Monastery in St. Paul, MOMS is an eight-week series that awakens women to an awareness of their inner selves. “We think that the value of being a mother starts the day you conceive, never leaves you, and is an ongoing learning process in which you realize how sacred it is,” says Hagen.
Throughout the eight weeks, mothers work on self-esteem, stress reduction, personal growth, and self-acceptance; they also keep a journal. Since 1992, MOMS has reached approximately a million women through more than 135 dioceses and spawned seven books, including facilitator’s guides and meditations. “Many of these women were very competent in the professional world, but when they became mothers, they realized it’s a broad job description with unreal expectations, no perks, no feedback or affirmation of the kind of job you’re doing,” Hagen says.
After the initial series, MOMS participants can stay in touch through weekend retreats and annual conferences (this year’s took place Oct. 27-28 in West St. Paul).
For more information, contact Hagen at 651-777-8181 ext. 104 or srpaula@stpaulsmonastery.org or go to StPaulMonastery.org.
