On June 8, more than 36 volunteers from 12 pastorates throughout the Diocese of Madison came together to reignite their efforts to support families through the Walking with Moms in Need (WWMIN) program.
It was announced at the program that its leadership and coordination efforts in the diocese will be shifting to Catholic Charities Diocese of Madison over the next several months.
An existing member of the core committee, Judi Hoang, who is with Catholic Charities Diocese of Madison, will be evaluating how to transfer these efforts and will determine how best to support and expand the ministry throughout the diocese.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched WWMIN in 2020 and the program came to the Diocese of Madison in 2021.
WWMIN strives to position the Catholic community as a caring and reliable partner to families in need.
Continuing to help moms
The June 8 event included prayer, shared stories, empathy training, and a brainstorming session.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison opened the day celebrating Mass.
He later shared his thoughts regarding the importance of compassion, describing it as a way to lovingly walk in true communion with our brothers and sisters as they navigate life’s journey.
Bishop Hying has been an avid supporter of WWMIN since its beginning.
Next, Ann Hundt from St. Francis Xavier Church in Lake Mills, part of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Pastorate shared an exciting resource launched this month: Gianna’s Joy: Companions on Your Journey.
Located in a partially renovated old house owned by the parish, Gianna’s Joy provides pregnant moms and parenting families with material goods, meals, companionship, and spiritual support.
“Walking with Moms inspired us to be better ‘companions on the journey’ for young women and men both before and after pregnancy,” said Hundt. “Gianna’s Joy is the result.”
The effort brought together men and women from throughout the pastorate who are committed to walking alongside families in need.
The Lake Mills St. Vincent de Paul Conference provided a grant to cover two years of development and operating costs for the home — an exciting example of the power of Catholic organizations coming together to make a difference.
The team also worked with pro-life groups from other churches in the pastorate including St. Bernard and St. Henry in Watertown and St. Mary Magdalene in Johnson Creek, along with the nearby Pastorate 14 and St. Thérèse of Lisieux pro life group.
A brainstorming session followed Hundt’s presentation, with volunteers sharing both victories and challenges.
Attendees discussed how they were currently serving families, local resources they’d like to make the community aware of, obstacles they’d faced in their efforts to serve those in need, and how the WWMIN program could better support them.
WWMIN core team member Caitlin Regner, MD, led a skill-building presentation on the power of empathy using the NURSE model.
The steps of NURSE include Name or mirror the emotion, Understand the emotion, Respect the person, Support the person using powerful words, and Explore the emotion further.
“Empathy is a mighty tool in our ministry and in our day-to-day lives,” said
Regner. “I’m hopeful growing this skill will help each of us to be Jesus for one another.”
During the three years Walking with Moms has been in the diocese, the group has been heartened to learn how each parish is actively supporting families in need and glad to serve as a connection point and resource to expand those efforts.
Plans for the future
“This event reignited our spirit and inspired our pastorates,” said Susanna Herro who launched the local group. “Each is finding their own way to walk with the families who need our support. It was a wonderfully encouraging day.”
Going forward, WWMIN is actively working to involve a broader cross-section of diocesan members in its ministry.
“Engaged fathers play a vital role in creating and sustaining healthy families,” stressed Herro. “We need men’s insights and support to effectively serve our families in need.”
The group is also eager to work more closely with the Hispanic community.
According to the 2020 U.S. census, Hispanics made up 7.6 percent of the Wisconsin population, a 33.1 percent increase from 2010.
WWMIN is partnering with Lorianne Aubut, coordinator of the Diocese of Madison’s Office of Hispanic Ministry, to increase outreach to this community.