Revitalization of Elizabeth Ministries

Mother Teresa said, “Motherhood is a gift from God to women”. However, there are many days of motherhood where the beauty of the gift seems to be much more a mystery, still wrapped up and yet to be opened. Paige Thompson moved to the Fox Cities after landing an engineering job at Kimberly-Clark and planned to stay for a couple of years, with the hopes of relocating back home to Atlanta. Then, as many stories go, she met a man, fell in love, got married and hoped to start a family. Except the last part of the story was not happening as hoped.

After months of not conceiving, she began to feel lonely and worried that having a family might not be possible. After connecting with Dr. Jaclyn Mullins (A Family Physician and St. Pius X member), she not only found someone with advanced professional training in the Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning to get a better understanding of her fertility, but also a friend and fellow young mom in the community. It was just two weeks prior to a scheduled surgery for endometriosis that Paige and (her husband) Kyle found out they were expecting their little boy. “Being a first-time mom and going through this journey, I have realized the more I talk to other moms that my situation is much more common than I ever knew," Paige said. "Looking back, I think it would have been really helpful to just have another person to confide in who had been through something similar and to know I wasn’t alone”. Christ has restored me through this experience by helping me to grow in trust & love and to truly find my identity in Him, as His daughter. Through the crosses He has brought me, my husband, and our family, He is leading us to let go of our desires for our life and to seek “whatever God wants,” as St. Gianna would say. This is still a daily endeavor and choice for us, but He brings such sweetness and joy amidst the crosses!

It was this experience and Paige’s journey with post-partum depression that led her to want to head up revitalizing Elizabeth Ministries at St. Pius X. Elizabeth Ministries focuses on one and one accompaniment for women in their childbearing years, as well as encouraging families and uplifting the sanctity of marriage. They visit and share in the joys and sorrows of childbearing – from miscarriage, to infertility, postpartum depression or other challenging scenarios, as well as the gift of a new baby. Following the example of Mary and Elizabeth, they visit and share the sacredness of life, of offering hope, help and healing while also giving practical support.

Paige and Kyle have been married three years and members of St. Pius X for five years. Paige is a stay-at-home mom to their 14-monthold son JJ. Kyle works at KC as an engineer. The couple enjoys living a few blocks away from the parish and doing outdoor activities together.

If you feel called to be a friend and walk with other women in the parish through Elizabeth Ministries, please reach out to Paige at 404-933-2743, or send an email to: [email protected] for more information. To learn more about Elizabeth Ministries International, please visit: https://www.elizabethministry.org