At the Charleston retreat, she handed the participants a children's book, The Littlest Christmas Tree. After reading the story, Sister Hagen questioned the group as to what values the adults want to pass on from the selection and why. She also asked a couple of people to talk about what touched them in the story. Prior to lunch, the nun from Minnesota, during grace before the meal, had the women take part in a lighting of visitation candles ritual. We use a lot of rituals.
Addiction is an unconscious ritual.
Sister Hagen stressed that women better see their parish needs after this time of renewal. She said groups have often gotten into Bible study, and an example was given of a M.O.M.S. group at St. Peter's Parish in Beaufort, which recently studied the new church document on reconciliation. In family ministry, the goal is to empower the people. In fact, the first M.O.M.S. group in Charleston was at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church on Sullivan's Island, although that team has since disbanded. Nationally, the effort is in over 1,000 parishes, although Sister Hagen considers that number to be a low estimate.