Members of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers Birmingham Chapter were honored with a rare opportunity to host and to hear the organization’s national director from Pittsburgh, Pa., Father Angelus Shaughnessy, O.F.M. Capuchin, during their February meeting.
Father Shaughnessy, National Director of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers, celebrated the Holy Mass on February 26 at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood. The evening also included adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, and a presentation by Father Shaughnessy.
The CCM is an international society that brings women of all ages together, especially mothers, for prayers, support, and learning. The goal is the Christian education of children by uniting practicing Catholic Christian women, married or widowed (unmarried women may join as associate members), under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the “Mother of Sorrows,” their chief patroness.
Members attend a monthly Mass, listen to a lecture by a Father Director or a guest speaker after the Mass, pray for the intentions of the members and their families, and encourage each other to learn more about their faith so that they may teach their children.
During the February gathering, Father Director Jim Booth led Benediction and con-celebrated Mass with Father Shaughnessy. Father Shaughnessy told the congregation that the time after Holy Communion “is the most precious time in your entire life. You and I will not get closer to God than we are right now.” He urged them to make a sincere thanksgiving each time they receive the Eucharist.
After Mass the Confraternity members and visitors settled in the parish hall with Father Shaughnessy who presented the conference talk. He was welcomed back to his Southern home by CCM Birmingham president Mrs. Adrianne Price. During her introduction, she noted that in addition to his missionary work around the world he was assigned to Birmingham from 2001-2007 as the Minister General for the EWTN friars. While there, he celebrated televised Masses to 128 million households. After being assigned to Pittsburgh he became the director for the Archconfraternity, an organization his own mother was a member of for more than 50 years.
During his talk, Father Shaughnessy said he is worried about Catholic teenagers and young adults because many of them are not attending Mass. He said the solution lies in mothers and in the devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary. “I invite you to renew your love for and devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. She’s the only one who can really pull it together and bring us back to her Divine Son and to the Eucharist,” he said. Father also said that Mary knows what it is like to be a mother.
On behalf of unchurched, young Catholics he advised commitment to a two-pronged daily devotion to Mary. “Learn to pray The Angelus, that most beautiful prayer,” he said. “Teach your youngsters this prayer…. It’s really worthwhile. And secondly, besides The Angelus pray, the rosary.” The rosary, he said, provides the opportunity to contemplate events of the life of Christ “and apply them to our own souls.” By praying those two prayers, Father said, Christian mothers will be joining forces with Mary who will lead them and their families to Jesus Christ.
The CCM Birmingham Chapter meets from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every third Wednesday at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood. Adoration and confessions are from 6 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. Holy Mass is at 7 p.m. followed by prayers for the members. A talk given by Father Director Booth or a speaker takes place in the Sodality Room of the Family Life Center. Discussions pertain to the teachings of the Catholic Church and the family. For more information please go to: www.ccmbham.wordpress.com.
