Fellowship is an important part of our lives as Catholics. Gathering together with other like-minded people can help us grow as a community and in closer relationship to God. The Women’s Thursday Morning Share Group here at St. Leo’s provides an opportunity for women in the parish to connect and share in the faith with one another.
“We invite anybody, any of the ladies we know, to sit and visit with us,” says Elaine Janulewicz, one of the group leaders. “Someone might come in, sometimes they come back but sometimes they don’t. It’s pretty laid back.”
The group started as a bigger Bible study group with older members who moved the meeting time to later in the day. Some of the women wanted to keep the earlier start time, which is how the group began. The ladies meet after 9 a.m. Mass on Thursdays in the gathering room for about an hour.
“Any woman can participate,” Elaine says.
Gathering as a group provides the setting for a place to share with other women who are living out the faith. This gives the women a supportive, personal environment to give or receive support, or just get to know one another in a better way.
“I personally feel, and many others feel, it’s very good for us to speak to each other in a confidential setting about our feelings about things — things bothering us, or things we find really useful,” Elaine says. “It’s pretty personal. And somebody can bring up an aspect of the Mass I hadn’t thought of in that way.”
There are about four women who meet regularly, but any woman is welcome to join. There is no signup or obligation to attend regularly.
“We’re supporting each other,” Elaine says. “If somebody is working through a problem, then we can step out of that realm and do something to help if that’s possible.”
Part of the group’s discussion sometimes involves asking questions about the faith and discussing certain issues about the spiritual life.
“Most of us like to think about why and how things came about — we are questioners,” Elaine says. “We always like to get an answer, and there always has been an answer. Questioning can really strengthen your religion.”
For more information, contact Elaine Janulewicz at 308-381-1313, or simply drop in after Thursday morning Mass.