Diocese to offer Cycle Prep, mother and daughter workshops

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

A series of workshops for young girls and their mothers will be offered in four locations in the diocese to assist girls ages 9-11 understand their changing bodies.

The Office of Faith Formation is partnering with the Catholic Schools Office to offer the Cycle Prep workshops in the Diocese of Sioux City.

“Cycle Prep is for mothers and daughters. It helps them prepare for the daughter’s changing body as she transitions into adulthood,” said Karmen Bower, diocesan director of faith formation, who mentioned it is heavily influenced by Theology of the Body. “I love that the mothers and daughters attend together because that is not always part of this type of program.”

It is a first period course that prepares both daughters and their mothers for the start of the menstrual cycle.

The course will be offered at four locations in the diocese this school year. The locations and dates include:

• Le Mars All Saints (Richter Hall): Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m.
• Fort Dodge Holy Trinity: Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
• Algona Divine Mercy: Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m.
• Carroll St. John Paul II: March 28 at 1 p.m.

Working with the Catholic Schools Office, Bower said they want to get the word out that all mothers and daughters from faith formation families, Catholic school families as well as homeschool families are invited to take part in the sessions at whichever location is most convenient.

In the long-term, she noted that parishes would be able to contract with Andrea Ault, instructor/facilitator to provide this program.

“But there is also an opportunity for us to find women in our own diocese who might be passionate about this and might be able to lead the sessions in their parishes,” said Bower, who noted they could become trained facilitators to lead the sessions or utilize videos in a group session. 

Also relating to long-term benefits, the faith formation director said if they can accompany girls starting from this age and in high school, then once it is time for marriage preparation they will already have knowledge of natural family planning.

“If you are already understanding your body, hopefully that can strengthen our marriage preparation process and young women will know exactly what we are talking about,” Bower said.

Cycle Prep was created by Pearl & Thistle, a Catholic body literacy ministry that offers Catholic cycle awareness and NFP education for all ages and stages.

Ault, a native of the Diocese of Sioux City who presently resides in Eastern Iowa, will facilitate the four workshops.

“My mission is to illuminate the beauty of the feminine design through the lens of the female cycle and the hormone genius. I particularly love working with moms and daughters,” noted the facilitator on her website. Ault is also certified in fertility education and medical management (FEMM) and teenFEMM cycle charting instructor and hormone coach.

The facilitator said that given parents are the primary educators of their children, it's beneficial to have mothers attend with their daughters and noted that if they don't teach their children someone else will.

"It's important they receive a strong, confident message about who God created her to be," said Ault. "That's what makes this course so special - girls and their mom/guardian can experience this beauty together with the help of a subject matter expert and through the lens of faith. Having this conversation together opens the doors to many other important conversations."

Bower pointed out that she was approached by Ault about offering this in the diocese. After hearing about the Cycle Prep program and knowing that both offices – faith formation and Catholic schools – get inquiries from catechists and teachers about resources to assist with the topic, they felt it would be a beneficial workshop to offer.

“There are a lot of secular resources and some Christian resources but we were excited to find a very Catholic resource,” she said. “When we are beginning at the point that God created us with human dignity, created us in his image and likeness and that he created us for good – starting at that foundational place can do a lot for a young girl.”

Especially in this world where there is a lot of gender-confusion, Bower said families can be assured that Cycle Prep upholds church teachings.  

"This course covers more than just the biology of periods and it does so with parents in the room. Cycle Prep explains the beauty of the full menstrual cycle and reminds girls of their dignity and the dignity of others," said Ault. "Chances are, you want your daughter to love her body and be in awe of how she was fearfully and wonderfully made by the creator; not fear her body or shut it down. This program reiterates the truth of the female cycle as one of God’s great masterpieces."

As the girls mature, she said the world says cycles are unnecessary - cycles can be turned off or shut down because fertility can be a nuisance. 

"To be a woman is a gift. Our bodies are designed to create a once-in-a-lifetime spot for a once-in-a-lifetime potential life," said the facilitator. "When life doesn’t happen, the bleed is a physical reminder of the generosity of our bodies and our creator. It is not something to fear. The language of our body is to be valued and loved. When girls have this foundation, our womanhood is greatly enhanced." 

Cost of the workshops at these four locations in the diocese is $25 for each girl and the mothers attend for free. Online registration is available at scdiocese.org/cycleprep.

Learn more about Cycle Prep by listening to the next episode of ILLUMINATING CATHOLICS Podcast that will be available on Oct. 7.