A Domino Effect for my Body, Mind, and Soul
As I prepared for the Fall 2021 course of Reform Online, I found myself often neglecting my health instead of nourishing it. I’m a working woman and wife living in the Washington-D.C. metropolitan area, and day after day I was frequently choosing to prioritize work and social obligations over my health and wellness. This is not what we’re called to do as Christians, which Reform truly illuminated for me. I recognized that neglecting my body was having negative ripple effects elsewhere.
As the founding host of EWTN Pro-Life Weekly, a global television show dedicated to the pro-life cause, I am committed to teaching others about the inherent dignity and sacredness of our bodies. It was time I lived a life that reflected the sacredness of my own body.
My expectations of Reform Online were shattered once I began the program. If I got behind on a lesson about one of the pillars, I was not met with shame and guilt; rather, I found understanding and encouragement. Reform Wellness does not feed into the “grind” culture so many of us often fall victim to. Instead, the Reform team offered these lessons as a generous invitation for my betterment.For me, it has been a peace-filled journey.
When you take on the Reform Online classes, you have no choice but to confront the truth about your body and soul. How much time are you spending in prayer each day? Are you taking time to eat three meals a day—away from your screen? It’s only when you do a sober assessment of your body and soul that you can take the appropriate action to improve and make positive changes toward your wholiness ™—that is, the health of both your body and soul.
One of the most welcome gifts of the Reform Online experience was the Wholiness Groups, small groups that I met with virtually every other week. I am not typically a “small group” person; I don’t like to share my vulnerabilities unless someone is in my innermost circle of friends. However, the Wholiness Groups took me by surprise. My group was comprised of women across various age groups and geographical regions. There were married women, single women, women who were divorced, grandmothers, and mothers—all of us from different walks of life. Yet we all shared something in common: each one of us was walking with a unique cross. We each had a reason behind our Reform experience. As women in my group opened up one by one, I too let my wall down and shared my heart. I was taken aback by the radical freedom I felt and the great amount of consolation. I had stumbled into a sense of community I didn’t realize I was missing, and it was a key part of my Reform journey.
When I had my one-on-one consultation with Jackie Mulligan, the foundress of Reform, I was blown away by how precisely she pinpointed areas of my health that needed improvement. She was sharp and insightful with her assessment. Jackie suggested supplements, health routines, and habits, and she even crafted a daily schedule specifically designed with my physical and spiritual needs in mind. That consultation continues to bear fruit for me to this day.
My life looks different today than it did when I began my Reform journey. Taking Reform Online had a domino effect in my life, leading to a chain of events that changed how I now nourish my body, mind, and soul. Reform Online was the change and the community I never realized I needed, and I am tremendously grateful for the opportunity to journey alongside others more deeply into Christ-centered wellness.
— Catherine Hadro
Catherine Hadro is the founding host of EWTN Pro-Life Weekly, a global television show dedicated to the pro-life cause from a Catholic perspective. She now serves the network as an EWTN News Contributor and is a national Catholic speaker and writer. Throughout her career as a broadcast professional, Hadro has regularly interviewed top politicians, Church leaders, and cultural figures. Hadro’s reporting has caught the attention of outlets including Vanity Fair and New York Magazine. Her writings have appeared in The National Catholic Register, The Washington Examiner, and America Magazine. She is a graduate of The Florida State University and currently resides in Virginia with her husband.
