Celebrating the Role of Grandparents
Saints Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of parents and grandparents. We celebrate their feast day this weekend on July 26. It is also the sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, established by Pope Francis. This day is especially dear to my heart because my parents, "Nana" and "Papa" to Bryan's and my five children, play an essential role in our family. Our first daughter is named after St. Anne, and her middle name is shared by both my mother and my grandmother: our sweet Annie Jean.
This feast day seems like the perfect opportunity to share about a new endeavor that I'm beginning alongside my wonderful mother, Margaret Jean. Throughout much of my life, and even now, as a mother of five, I am still often known as "Margaret's daughter," and that is such a privilege! My mom still proofreads things I write, is the first person I call about most everything, and she is the one I turn to with ministry questions (she serves as our parish administrator here at St. Johns). I'm often bringing friends' struggles to her for advice, and it's not uncommon to hear people in my circle talk about Margaret's wisdom. We all look to her.
This past December, I attended a talk about Well-Read Mom led by its founder, Marcie. As a mother and grandmother herself (and a friend of my mother’s), Marcie shared so many ideas that resonated with me. She inspired me to read more intentionally, cultivate deeper friendships with other women, and recognize that we can change the culture around us simply by faithfully living our everyday vocations.
Of course, I left the talk, got into my car, and immediately called my mom to tell her that we had to start a Well-Read Mom group! Like many good ideas, though, the busyness of life pushed it to the back burner. Then this spring, the Holy Spirit kept nudging us and placing little signs along our path, making it clear that it was time to begin a Well-Read Mom group here at the Co-Cathedral.
I hope to never take for granted the incredible gift of having parents who are so supportive and so present in the life of our family. I also know that many people don't have that kind of support. That makes me even more excited about the opportunity to help foster a community of women who can accompany one another, offer accountability, support, and a sense of belonging through reading together and meeting once a month.
My mom and I would love to invite you to consider joining Well-Read Mom with us.
As the organization describes its mission and vision: “Well-Read Mom accompanies women in the reading of great books and spiritual classics to encourage personal growth, friendship, and meaningful conversations in order to explore the human condition and reorient ourselves to what is good, beautiful, and true. In Well-Read Mom, women read more and read well. Our hope is to deepen the awareness of meaning hidden in each woman's daily life, elevate the cultural conversation, and revitalize the reading of great literature."
Our first gathering will be Tuesday, August 18, from 7:00pm–8:30pm at my parents' home. We'll introduce Well-Read Mom, share why we felt called to start a group, explain how the group will work, and reveal the first book we'll be reading together. After that, we'll continue meeting on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
I'm especially looking forward to spending time with my mom and with other women. (And despite the name, you don't have to be a mom to participate—women of all ages and vocations are welcome!) I'll admit, I'm not sure when I last read a book cover to cover, so the idea of reading one book each month feels a little daunting. At the same time, it also feels refreshing to make room for something that will help me grow.
You can learn more about Well-Read Mom or officially register at https://wellreadmom.com/. If you'd simply like to come and see what it's all about on August 18, we would love to have you! Please RSVP to me at mrodriguez@sj.org.
Sts. Joachim and Anne, pray for us!