New group connects mothers

A new Motherhood Discipleship Group recently formed at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls.

Expectant mom, Jessika Caruso, approached the parish with the idea, and it was accepted. Caruso explained, “We’re reading a book together, Mother­hood, An Extraordinary Vocation, by Dr. Kathryn Rombs.”

The first meeting for the group, which is open to both first-time, expectant moms as well as those who already have children, was held on Saturday, Jan. 7.

“It went very well,” Caruso said of the small gathering. “We had the first meeting in person just so we could all meet each other. The rest of the meetings are going to be virtual because people work, and you can’t ask them to get childcare all the time. Some are very new moms, but some are more experienced. Two people have babies, one person has two toddlers, and then another has preteens.”

The group is open to new members.

“People can always ask to join,” Caruso adds. “I would not turn anyone away. If they want to, they can continue the rest of the way with us if they find out about the group.”

Caruso’s takeaway from the initial Motherhood Discipleship Group meeting was that moms are definitely seeking community with other moms.

“We had only met each other for one hour, but they were opening up on some serious struggles that they had had both in pregnancy and early motherhood, and even later motherhood,” Caruso said. “I was surprised at how willing some people were to open up, and it shows me that we really need more groups like this. People want to share their experience with other people who can relate.”

There is a strong spiritual aspect as well for the group, and Caruso took a moment to tie in the group with the love of both Jesus and our Blessed Mother.

“There are many devotions to the Blessed Mother and many forms that people pray to her in,” she said. “Jesus really is always a part of Mary; he’s always inside of her womb, and if we want to worship Jesus, we really have to see Mary as an example to get us closer to God and to always have her as our spiritual mother. I feel like she could be a good patroness of this group because she did God’s will by saying ‘yes’ to becoming Jesus’ mother, and all these women have said their ‘yes’ to motherhood as well, following her example.”

Caruso also stated that, just as people look at Jesus as someone who went through all our sufferings, Mary herself is also an example of someone who went through the sufferings of a mother.

“A lot of struggles of losing her son,” Caruso said. “Watching him die on the cross, be tortured and be shamed; being a refugee, running from people trying to kill her son, and also being poor. It’s basically understood that the Holy Family was a working family, not wealthy, of course. All these different struggles that she went through are good for women to have her to pray with and just be by their side.”

For moms interested in joining the Motherhood Discipleship Group, email Jessika Caruso at [email protected].