A typical day for Nicole Mamura, the communications manager for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, begins with prayer and then making breakfast for her family, including her three kids, ages 5, 11 and 12. During the drive to school, Mamura said she and her children pray together.
Mamura told “Practicing Catholic” producer Rachael McCallum in a program set to air at 9 p.m. Feb. 21 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM, “We have that great time in the morning to pray together. We go through about 10 different common prayers and then ask what we want to thank (or ask) Jesus for.”
Mamura said her workday includes a lot of variety in supporting Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s pastoral work through the archdiocese’s communications strategy. At the end of the day, Mamura’s focus shifts to picking up her kids from school, making dinner and sometimes working after that.
Balancing all these obligations is a challenge and a blessing, Mamura said, but she reminds herself that her vocation to family comes before vocation to work.
“You can’t really neglect either,” Mamura said. “I try to think of it from the standpoint of what needs to be done right now. There’s this time where you can just say, ‘OK, where does God want me to be? What does he want me to accomplish?’ And I think that there’s just this beautiful concept that the Lord gives us a mission with each moment.”
Mamura recommends the book “Eternity in the Midst of Time” by Father Wilfrid Stinissen. In the book, Father Stinissen talks about how Jesus has a mission for every moment, Mamur said.
“Whatever time I was given, if I’m listening to God’s will, that’s what that mission is,” Mamura said. “It can all get done in God’s time. … I think one of the things that’s been really peaceful for me is just trying to listen to what the Lord asks of me.”
Mamura said taking time for Mass helps feed her mission as well. She tries to make sure her family’s activities are rooted in faith. Her whole family participates in an adoration hour every Friday.
Giving some advice to fellow working mothers, Mamura said, “Even in those moments where we think we have it all under control, ultimately we always need to rely on God’s grace.”
To hear more from Mamura about balancing motherhood, work and faith, tune into “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. Feb. 22 and 2 p.m. Feb. 23.
As part of the program, Archbishop Hebda discusses the importance of seeking silence in helping us communicate with God. Also, Jason Evert, a Catholic speaker and expert on the Theology of the Body, dives into how God’s design for our bodies impacts our lives.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, “Practicing Catholic” can be heard after it has aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
