Dorothy Pilarski

Dorothy Pilarski

Writer, speaker and consultant, Pilarski’s new book, Motherhood Matters: Inspirational Stories, Letters, Quotes & Prayers for Catholic Moms, is now available from catholicregister.org/motherhoodmatters.

Motherhood Matters is a straight-talking guide for Catholic mothers trying to cope in today's hectic world. Pilarski tackles a breath-taking range of topics: working moms, child-rearing, faith, marriage, attending Mass, public morality, holiday celebrations, education, friendship and such important Catholic themes as faith, hope and charity.

Dorothy Pilarski can be reached at www.dorothypilarski.com.

The following is an extract from Dorothy Pilarski's forthcoming book "Motherhood Matters".

Click here to read more about the book or place an order.


One day at Sunday Mass a well-meaning dad arrived with a large plastic bag from a popular store. It contained a big, new toy for his young son. Something to entertain him during Mass. I can still see the bag’s big, green logo appearing from behind the kneeler, interrupting prayers.

Being a brand new toy, it was in plastic packaging that was torn open in the middle of Mass. What a racket! Several people nearby, including me, were mortified.  

I had to fight all my motherly instincts to lean over and give the man a scolding. What I really wanted to do was tug him out of the church by his ears and ask him: “What are you teaching your child? Do you want to teach him that no matter what is happening around him he is entitled to have fun?”

I had to laugh the other day when my son kidded me at dinner time: “Steak? I don’t like steak!” He playfully suggested pizza, and my daughter chimed in that she wished I’d made a tossed salad instead of Caesar.

They reminded me of the teenage wisecracks I used to make about my mother’s cooking and, chuckling, I thought of how family dinners have been at the centre of my life since I was a little girl.

Not too long ago, a visitor from California was astonished to learn that our family gathered for a hot sit-down dinner almost every day.  

“Do people really still do that — have family dinners?” he asked.

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