Welcome to Fairest Love Families! This series highlights families throughout the United States who have a love for their Catholic faith and a devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Meet Kayla and Nathan from New Jersey.
We are from New Jersey. My husband and I met in high school and have been together ever since. We have been married for 10 years and are converts to the Catholic Church, about 3 years ago. We have 4 beautiful children — 6, 4, 2, and a newborn.
Do you have any religious traditions that you keep as a family?
We love the May Marian pilgrimage where we go to pray a walking rosary together! We are looking forward to that very soon. We prioritize evening prayers kneeling down at our bedside and always hold hands before meals to say grace together.
What role does your faith play in your family life?
It plays a huge part – my husband and I both try to prioritize daily Mass and helping each other have time for quiet prayer. Usually we alternate time for Mass or sometimes if all the children are willing and able we will go together. Our faith is everything to us and we try to infuse it into our daily life and teach our children the beauty of the Catholic faith and the intimate friendship our Lord calls each of us to.
What is your favorite devotion or prayer as a family? Why?
The rosary of course! Even the youngest toddler can sit (or climb) around in a circle and try to keep up with his beads and mutter a Hail Mary. It’s usually messy but it’s always worthwhile and I know our Lady is so pleased with the humble efforts.
What was a moment, personally or within your family, that you felt Our Lady working in your life?
This will sound silly but lately my husband has been working a lot during bedtimes so it has been difficult to get 4 young children to bed in a peaceful manner — so I started just praying at bedtime “please Mama Mary, help me put these babies all to bed.” If a particular child is really struggling I’ll just pray “Mother, I need you to rock this child to sleep.” And of course, she helps me every single time, whether the child really does fall right to sleep OR she gives me supernatural peace to persevere. It’s been a really intimate and tangible way for me to feel our Lady meeting me right in my motherhood.
Share a moment when the Blessed Mother has helped you through a difficult time or a challenge you faced as a family…
As converts, we have had 2 children before knowing our Lady and 2 after. The Blessed Mother has given us the grace of having two, beautiful, happy and holy births with our last two children. I really felt her helping me through every contraction as I muttered each Hail Mary until baby was safe in my arms. Having Our Lady with me has been such a powerful difference in my childbirths.
What would you want your children to take away from any particular devotion you have to the Blessed Mother?
That the rosary is the best spiritual weapon you could ever have and can carry you through the most difficult trials of this life.
If you could impart any wisdom to your children about the faith, what would it be?
Never grow weary of struggling. To struggle is to love and to love is to struggle.
How has Mary been a mother to you?
She has held my hand in a very intimate way during each step of our conversion to the Catholic faith and also in a personal way with each child we have had.