On Friday, April 7 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at St. Gregory the Great Ministry Center, the MOMS ministry will be holding a mini retreat open to all, entitled, "Lighting the Way in Lent." Laura Boronski, a singer, songwriter, Catholic wife of 25 years and mother of eight, will be singing songs she wrote and recorded, including her famous "Stations of the Cross," which can be heard on local Catholic radio WLOF 101.7FM, the Station of the Cross. She was the keynote speaker at last year's "MOMS: Mercy Matters Lenten Spiritual" retreat at Christ the King Seminary. A Buffalo native, Boronski now resides in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  

A Q&A session with the swing chamber choir students at Iroquois High School is slated for Thursday, April 6 from 10-11:30 a.m. Additional performances on April 7 will be at Chesterton Academy at 8:30 a.m.; her alma mater, Sacred Heart Academy in Amherst at 2 p.m.; and St. Leo the Great Parish in Amherst at 7 p.m. Her talk at MOMS is called "Light that Heals; Forgiveness, Mercy and Motherhood."

Other featured mothers are Ellen Snyder, youth minister and Catholic mother of eight. Her talk, "Bearing the Light" will be on redemptive suffering and how she battled cancer with her Catholic faith. After making diaper cakes with small group discussion and prayer, the last mothers we will hear from are Katie Noonan, mother of 12, and Dr. Theresa Updike, mother of nine, who will share the joys of large family living called "Radiant Light." All are invited to attend noon Mass at St. Gregory's and return to the ministry center for meatless pizza.  Free childcare is available, by reservation, with Lorianne or 716-507-2026. This event is open to all Catholic moms. If you are not a MOMS member, you are most welcome to attend; bring a $5 donation and RSVP to stgregsmoms@gmail.com. Laura Boronski will have her CDs, "Imperfect," "Who?" and "Stations of the Cross," for sale at each event. The next MOMS will be May 19 as the MOMS ministry celebrates their 15th anniversary with Bishop Richard J. Malone.