Three years ago, Spanish teacher and department coordinator, Ms. Mahoney, and Valerie Valdivia ’17, parishioners at St. Stephens in Framingham, envisioned a way for girls to be able to discuss their problems in a closed circle where what is discussed inside the room never leaves it. One year later, they founded a group called “Girl’s Group” (GG) at St. Stephen’s Parish. Girl’s Group is for girls ages 13-17 who attend this Spanish-English bilingual parish along with anyone else who wishes for an “opportunity to discuss topics and develop friendships and grow in their faith,” according to Ms Mahoney. Any Montrosians interested should talk with Ms. Mahoney or Valerie.
Most of the girls who attend are from the Spanish-speaking community in Framingham, so the group is bilingual in nature. The group meets on the first Friday of every month, and December 5th is their next scheduled meeting. Every meeting starts with an fun icebreaker activity. Then there are presentations, such as “How to Look Better in a Classy Way.” The group focuses on discussing issues relevant to teenage girls while having fun and sharing positive advice. Girls have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an adult advisor prior to a meeting, similar to Montrose’s Advising Program. Ms. Mahoney runs all the sessions and would love for more Montrosians to attend GG and be a positive influence on the other attendees, who come from diverse family and school backgrounds. In addition to Girl’s Group, Ms. Mahoney also leads a young adults group called “Juventud Misionera” for those between ages 18 and 35. In addition, a women’s group, Grupo de Mujeres , meets once a month to study magisterial documents on marriage and the family in preparation for the Synod in 2015.
Ms Mahoney also leads a service project for candidates who are about to be confirmed. The service project pairs a candidate with an elderly person for mutual service. The confirmation candidate helps the elderly parishioner with a variety of needs while the elderly share their faith and wisdom. Through these encounters, they build a bond in the spirit of friendship as the confirmation candidate practices charity.
St. Stephens’, as a bilingual parish, has a vibrant Spanish-speaking community. Ms. Mahoney shared the unique experience of the Spanish masses the parish offers. While Montrosians love to sing during mass, the Spanish masses are full of music and last at least an hour and a half, with an average of 700 people attending. Ms Mahoney emphasized that mass is a “community experience” because everyone connects at the Our Father and holds hands, and after mass people share food and faith experiences. In a community where the majority of people are from Hispanic backgrounds, attending church and worshipping every Sunday is a part of the culture, not just a religious obligation. Ms. Mahoney encourages Montrosians to attend a Spanish mass for a chance to see the practice of faith in a different culture.
No matter what language you do or do not know, move your schedule around on a Friday night for Girl’s Group or consider attending a Spanish mass at St. Stephen’s because experiencing another culture near your own backyard.