Nuns on the Run!

The other day, I noticed that Sister Mary Agnes had signed up to follow the blog. She had also followed me on Twitter. A running nun? How cool is that! Of course my curiosity got the better of me, so I had to find out more about the Sister. I soon found out that Sister Mary Agnes is a part of the St. Charles Children's Home in New Hampshire.

The home is an intermediate group home for children from families in crisis. It's a part of the New Hampshire Catholic Charities (NHCC). The home serves about 20 children (both boys and girls) ages 3 to 12. You may have read an article in Runner's World about the sisters and their unique way of helping children.

In 1996 the Sisters at St. Charles Children's Home began running every day with the children to help them cope with anger and stress, with wonderful success. A natural antidepressant, running enables the enhancement of each child’s self esteem.

The levels of training and competition vary, depending on each child’s age and ability, up to 4 miles a day, 5 days a week. If a child gets tired, no problem, one of the sisters runs with a large stroller that a child needing a break can plop into for a rest while being pushed. (I wish I had that service on some of my long runs!) The children participate in 5k and 8k road races in the Seacoast area. Just recently (September 2009) the home held their 13th annual St. Charles Children's Home 5K.

Check out the video clip below from the CBS's The Early Show about the Sisters of St. Charles Children's Home and their mission. Be sure to check out Sister Mary Agnes' blog Running With Kids too!

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