The Backpack in Ireland
by Carmel
I participated in The Backpack Program in our local town, Trim, Ireland. It was presented by two members of The Backpack Team, Annie and James. I really enjoyed it!
I loved learning about my relationship with myself, others, and God. My daughter couldn’t come with me, although she really loved what she was hearing about it. I decided I would bring The Backpack to her. She is a religion teacher, and I hoped she would introduce it to her school.
I went on to purchase The Backpack Program and three workbooks. I asked my friend Eileen to join us, to keep us on track each week. There is a section in The Backpack that introduces Contemplative Prayer, but there is also a full Contemplative Prayer course of its own. That sounded very appealing to me, and I bought that course also.
Thinking of my friends who had taken The Backpack Program and the brief introduction to Contemplative Prayer, I invited them along with others to join us in completing the entire Contemplative Prayer I course. We enthusiastically journeyed through the course, making many new prayer friends in the group. We came to know and love Jesus in a very intimate way. We were spiritually nourished, challenged, and rewarded.
When the Contemplative Prayer I course was finished, I discovered, to my delight, there was also a Contemplative Prayer II course. Another season, more spiritual growth and challenges. We have bonded very well as a group and I wondered what we would do next.
Mothers of the Church Year One was the obvious choice, an all-women’s group this time. We ‘spread the pegs of our tent,’ and invited more to join. The joy each Monday evening was palpable. We were informatively brought through topics such as boundaries, blame and shame, sin-based versus virtue-based examination of conscience, and more. We have yet to do Mothers of the Church Year Two, which we intend to do in September/October 2025.
I can honestly say God is great! Almost accidentally, I participated in The Backpack Program in a nearby parish, but because I wanted my daughter to see it, I brought it to our home and it spread further. We went from course to course, a group of three to a group of fifteen, with space and welcome for more.
It is so simply done. We connect the laptop to the TV, so that everyone can see and hear the course. We allowed two hours per night, with a 15 minute tea break between talks. All the teaching is done by Kathryn Clarke and Margaret McGahon. The talks are informative and thought-provoking. The workbooks are excellent and focus our attention on the topics that are being discussed.
Further fruits:
1) ARK Prayer Group. Some of those in the group who were not Apostles of the Returning King (ARK) have since joined our monthly.
2) My daughter is a new mom, as are many of her friends. Her initial reaction to MOC was “I want my friends to see this. They need to see this. This would be so useful when raising a family.” She has plans to bring a mother and baby group to study MOC together!
What other participants are saying:
“I wish I had taken this course when I was younger. This course would have helped me greatly in my relationships by giving me the techniques along with the courage to deal with people. Mothers of the Church has encouraged me to be more like Our Lady, to strive to be like her and to be happy with my femininity. I have gotten a great deal from this program, especially in having more confidence in myself as a mother and in making my home a calmer place to be.”
“Contemplative Prayer has changed my life. Being able to drop down into a room and pray and focus on how I am feeling about something has brought me a peacefulness in my life. Slowing down to pray always guides me in handling a situation in a kind, thoughtful, and gentle way with courage and love.”
“This practice takes time. I need to be more aware of my relationships and aware of how others view me. The art of listening and responding in an empathetic way and avoiding being judgemental has impacted my family in a positive way.”
“I try everyday in my Allegiance Prayer to ask, ‘Where might I be helpful today?’ I ask God to keep my eyes open so I can be kind and show courage in my day. I ask him to help me to be more aware of prompts from the Holy Spirit in my life. I try to be grateful and show compassion.”
“MOC has given me a deeper understanding of handling ‘conflict.’ Being aware of the wounds the other person may carry.”
“I found Mothers of the Church uplifting and strengthening in my life going forward. It helped me to examine more closely my interactions with everyone around me. Through the program, I found it affirming how our actions are so important to God in showing his love for everyone through us. The sense of being part of a community of like-minded women brought great peace, happiness, and confidence to spread God’s love.”
“For me, the Mothers of the Church course was extremely inspiring. I found the concept that we all have a ‘mothering’ role in the Church very uplifting, never experiencing that role in life with children of my own. The role of a mother helping her children deal with disappointment, suffering with them, and nurturing them to be more resilient through listening, kindness, and gentleness. Communicating in a non-adversarial way and that we use a tone which is kind as we are God’s representatives here on Earth and that tone is so important especially when those we are meeting are going through difficult times. We can
offer understanding as we have been blessed with a heavenly Mother who understands us. Also, to be ‘present’ with people, listening attentively rather than just talking. In taking your time before you speak so that you don’t say something you shouldn’t. I’ve learned we need to trust and then more trust develops through our relationship with God and this trust is
enhanced with prayer. The beautiful concept; ‘Mother each other in the best way possible.’ To know that God is ‘crazy’ about us. How wonderful! Being in a group and sharing ideas is really beneficial to crystallize ideas.”
“Mothers of the Church: This course is a beautiful program that has enriched my relationship with God and reminded me of the pivotal role women/mothers play in our Church and families. It was also a lovely space where women came together sharing a strong faith.”
“Contemplative Prayer: This is a beautiful space where I learned to deepen my relationship with God and get to know him better while creating a deeper sense of peace within my day. It has been wonderful learning to visit the various rooms during contemplative prayer and knowing they are available to me whenever I need this help.”
“The Backpack: This was a lovely program that showed me how to manage emotional responses to situations in a better way and how my thoughts affect my feelings and how to change and reprogram my thoughts in a more positive way. It has better equipped me to handle challenging situations. I feel very privileged and grateful to have been able to take part in all three programs.”
