The Mothers’ Union is a Christian organisation set up by Mary Sumner in 1876 to help support marriage and family life world-wide. It is committed to providing support and resources which enable families to function as a safe and nurturing environment for both children and adults. The members achieve this through prayer and action. In the St Albans Diocese the members work in Contact centres where estranged parents can meet their children, assist in prison play areas and support the chaplain. Members also knit special garments for premature and still born babies, support Christian Family care in Bedford which provides a refuge for women and a home for vulnerable pregnant girls, become involved in social policy issues and on the impact of the media on society, and play an active role in Parish life.
The MU branch at St Augustine’s supports marriage and family life in the Parish by prayer, supporting the Mothers and Tots group, pastoral visiting and helping those where family life has met with adversity. The branch, which is also linked with an MU branch in St Kitts, meets in the choir vestry at 8:00pm on Thursday evenings. Both men and women are welcome, and the programme includes speakers on various aspects of the work of the MU and on community projects. Additional events include mid-summer walks, a devotional evening in Lent and an annual evening meal at Barnfield.
Details of forthcoming meetings are shown on the Events Diary.