My name is Sharon. I’m a Catholic mom living in California’s Imperial Valley, finding my way back to a faith I’ve never stopped believing in but haven’t always practiced as faithfully as I’d like.
The Valley Catholic is my little corner of the internet where I document that journey honestly—the Sundays I make it to Mass, the Sundays I struggle, the prayers I whisper when I don’t know what else to say, and the lessons God teaches me along the way.
Here you’ll find reflections on Scripture, visits to Catholic parishes throughout the Imperial Valley, personal prayer journal entries, and stories about finding God’s grace in motherhood, marriage, grief, and everyday life.
I’m neither a theologian nor a perfect Catholic. I’m just trying to grow closer to Christ, one imperfect step at a time. And if you’re finding your way back, too, there’s room for you here.
I’m Catholic, so why haven’t I made it to Mass in months?
I’ve asked myself that question more than once, and I wish I had a simple answer.
Part of it is that my husband doesn’t practice the faith. I don’t have a spouse encouraging me to get ready for Mass on Sunday mornings or helping me wrangle our five-year-old into the pews. And even as I write that, I find myself wondering whether I’m just making excuses. After all, plenty of Catholic mothers attend Mass without their husbands. Why can’t I? But there’s more to it than that.
My dad died on January 8, 2026, and my mental health took a serious hit afterward. Grief has a way of making even ordinary responsibilities feel enormous. Things that once seemed manageable suddenly require energy you don’t always have. And then there’s motherhood.
I love my son dearly, but bringing a young child to Mass can be exhausting. Instead of focusing on the Gospel or finding peace in prayer, I worry about whether he’ll sit still, whether he’ll be too loud, or whether I’ll spend most of Mass trying to keep him occupied. Sometimes, just thinking about everything involved is enough to make staying home seem easier. But I miss Mass.
I miss being present for the Eucharist. I miss the rhythm of the liturgy, the familiar prayers, and the feeling of belonging to something much greater than myself. More importantly, I miss making that time for God.
I’ve been thinking a lot about St. Monica lately. She spent years praying for the conversion of her son, Augustine, and her example has become especially meaningful to me as I pray for my husband’s return to Christianity and, God willing, his eventual entrance into the Catholic Church.
But I’ve also started realizing something. While I’m praying for my husband to find his way toward the Church, I need to find my own way back to the pews. I can’t make his spiritual decisions for him. I can’t force faith to become important to him. What I can do is begin taking responsibility for my own relationship with God.
And perhaps that begins with something as simple, and as difficult, as getting myself and my son ready for Sunday Mass. I don’t expect it to be easy. There will probably be distractions, restless moments, and Sundays when I struggle to get out the door. I also know that returning to regular Mass attendance won’t magically erase my grief or solve the difficulties in my marriage. But I want to try.
That’s part of why I’m starting The Valley Catholic. I want to document my journey back to regular Catholic practice, explore the parishes of Imperial Valley, reflect on the Sunday Gospel, and develop a more consistent prayer life.
I don’t want to pretend I’m a model Catholic mother who has everything figured out. I’m not. I’m a grieving daughter, a wife praying for her husband, and a mother trying to raise her son in the faith while finding her own footing again. Maybe that’s where this journey begins.