Embrace M
MOTHERS
Adrienne Ford with her daughters, Charlotte (6) and Caroline (4)
I
n the month of May, we celebrate all of our earthly mothers and mother figures, thanking them for the limitless love and sacrifices poured into their children. It is only natural, then, that we also take some time this month to venerate
our heavenly Mother in a special way, whether it is through an increased devotion to praying the Rosary, reading Scripture passages about Mary, or simply displaying an image of the Blessed Mother somewhere in the home. For the many mothers in our parish, honoring Mary may also take the form of following her example by raising and nurturing their own children in the faith. Kathy Wuertz and her daughter Adrienne Ford make up just one of the many mother-daughter pairs that can be found among our parishioners. Kathy and her husband, Bob, were both raised in St. Benedict Cathedral parish and attended school here as children. When they married and had children of their own — daughters Adrienne and Erika — there was no question that they would also go to St. Benedict Cathedral School. Passing on the gift of faith to her daughters has always been a priority for Kathy as a mother. “We were at Mass together every Sunday, we prayed at home, and we just lived the life of being Catholic,” she says. “I think the faith keeps you centered on what is important in life and on the right path. The faith is still very important to all of us.” In her own experiences of motherhood, Kathy has often turned to the Blessed Mother for her intercession. “Mary was usually the one that I prayed to —not just in difficult times, but also in thanksgiving for any blessings that we had,” Kathy says. “She was a constant in my prayer chain. For me, I think it is just her total buying into Jesus — she was going to continued on page 5
“Mary is such a wonderful example of grace. I reflect on her a lot when I don’t understand why things are going a certain way. She is a great reminder that our life here is to answer God’s call in all that we do. She sets an example for me, as a mother, on how to raise children.” 4
— Adrienne Ford
