The Ministry of Mothers at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church held its annual Mother’s Day brunch on Thursday, May 3. (photo courtesy of STGG MOMs)
Ministry of Mothers celebrates Mother’s Day
The Ministry of Mothers at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church (STGG), more commonly referred to as the MOMs group by its members, celebrated its annual Mother’s Day Brunch on Thursday, May 3, in the STGG parish hall at 11451 Blue Cypress Drive.
The MOMs group meets on the first Thursday of each month during the school year. One meeting that is often the highlight of the year for many members is the annual Mother’s Day Brunch. It provides an opportunity for all to celebrate motherhood, either for themselves or with their own mothers, who join the group as invited guests.
The event, attended by more than 50 mothers this year, was catered with gourmet breakfast options from a local restaurant, and the parish hall was transformed in to a gala event venue. Each table was dressed up and uniquely decorated by volunteer members, featuring different themes ranging from religious to fun or fanciful. A slideshow was also shown at the conclusion of the event, featuring photos of MOMs group meetings and activities.
According to the group’s website, “the mission of the MOMs group is to provide emotional and spiritual support to mothers, social activities for mothers and their families, and service to mothers in the community.”
Each MOMs meeting features a speaker who is chosen based on member-suggested topics of interest. The speakers inform, inspire or enlighten the members in areas of particular interest to mothers. Topics during the 2017-2018 year included: parent effectiveness training, disaster preparedness, creating a safe space for children’s anxiety, and a “fourth annual business bazaar,” which allowed MOMs members to promote their home-based businesses which they operate while simultaneously raising their families.
A raffle is also held at every meeting, but the Mother’s Day brunch gets top billing for featured raffle prizes. All proceeds are donated to Life Choices, the non-profit organization the MOMs group has chosen to support.
The featured speaker for May, during the annual Mother’s Day Brunch, was a Life Choices representative who spoke to the group about how much their monthly donations have benefitted their organization, and how many lives they have touched through their works of charity.
Hospitality Chair Donna Jones and Membership Chair Suzanne Foley assumed primary responsibility for the event, securing catering and coordinating overall event logistics. Execution of the brunch involved the collaborative efforts of MOMs group board members and volunteer “table sponsors” who decorated tables.
“The MOMs board worked very hard as a group to put together a beautiful and delicious Mother’s Day brunch,” said Janet Malacane, current “Chairmom” for the STGG MOMs group. “The task sometimes feels overwhelming, but ‘many hands make light work’ is so true. We have an amazing group of moms.”
The STGG MOMs group invites members of the community to learn more about the organization, including how to become a member. As stated on the group website, “we show love and concern for our fellow man at every opportunity. Through works of charity and opening our doors to listen and love, we feel that we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.”
To learn more, visit stgregorymoms.wixsite.com/sandiego.