Ministry caters to moms in diocese
By TAVIA MALONE
Globe staff writer
Posted May 2, 2002

Helping mothers get involved in their parishes and in their children's religious lives is something that every parish strives for. FAMILIA, or Family Life in America, works to develop a greater appreciation for the vocation of parenting.

Renee Beacom, FAMILIA director for Northwest Iowa, helps coordinate two programs in the diocese, one at St. Patrick's Church in Sheldon and one at Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City. Currently the only active program is in Sheldon.

FAMILIA is a four-year lay program that involves meetings, prayer and Scripture. The classes also discuss the role of Mary and the role of women in the Catholic church. Women get the chance to study catechism and reflect upon Gospel readings.

"The program consists of 15 gatherings, meeting usually September through May," said Beacom. "Each meeting takes about an hour. The women study the church's teachings on marriage and family life."

The meetings are held twice a month and the women then take home the church's teaching and apply it to their everyday lives. Each year builds upon the participants' knowledge and the previous material. The women study new documents about the Catholic faith every year. FAMILIA goes step by step each year to teach about the Catholic church and families.

"It's been a way to give parents some tools to use in real life ways to strengthen their own families and strengthen themselves as parents," she explained.

The program was founded in 1993 by a St. Anthony, Minn. couple. They worked to bring couples together to strengthen families and help their children learn about the Catholic faith.

"FAMILIA provides tools to bring together families with common goals and interests in maintaining and strengthening their Catholic identities," said Beacom.

The information for FAMILIA classes is written by a team of theologians, and is written in a way that women can take home the information and share it with their family. Sheldon has about 22 women participating in the FAMILIA program. These women are active in the parish and contribute to the community and school.

Training programs have also been offered that give women a chance to lead the study groups. The group usually has two animators that prepare the classes and lead discussions.

"The moms have really enjoyed it," said Beacom. "We have had a lot of feedback from them on how much they've learned about their faith."

An important aspect of FAMILIA is that it frees up priests to strengthen the church by helping with other activities. It also gives parishioners a chance to get more involved in their church.

"Through FAMILIA some women who had not been practicing their faith are now attending Mass every Sunday and even the weekdays," Beacom said. "Some are also participating as liturgical ministers and other activities."

FAMILIA is also available in Spanish and German and has spread around the world, including New Zealand and Australia. Although only women participate in FAMILIA in Northwest Iowa, there is a program for men available. Most of the participating mothers have young children, but a few have children in grade school and middle school.

"This really brings us to a new awareness about the gift of faith and the gift of parenting as a vocation," explained Beacom.

For more information, contact Beacom at (712)255-4766.