Power of Pause: When Health Becomes a Luxury

A simple pause became a moment of dignity, strength, and renewed capacity to continue.

For many women living without legal status, taking care of their own health is not a priority, it is a luxury they cannot afford.

At the St. James Vicariate, a targeted meeting addressed this reality directly. Under the title “Power of Pause," women gathered for a structured encounter of pastoral care focused on concrete needs: health, exhaustion, and the absence of time and space for themselves.

The participants carry full responsibility for their families. Their daily lives are shaped by work, uncertainty, and constant pressure. Personal wellbeing is often postponed indefinitely.

The meeting opened with a direct message from the Gospel according to Matthew (11:28):

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

In this context, these words were not symbolic. They named a reality.

A key element of the encounter was the presence of a nurse, available for individual conversations. Women raised questions they had delayed for months, sometimes longer. The exchange made a structural issue visible: limited access to healthcare leads to silence, postponement, and risk.

The program included intentional care practices and guided moments of rest. This as a response to a basic fact: many have lost the possibility of caring for themselves.

“Power of Pause” shows that even a short, well-structured encounter can shift something essential. It does not remove the difficulties, but it creates a moment where women regain clarity, dignity, and the capacity to continue.

This reflects the concrete approach of the St. James Vicariate: addressing real conditions with practical responses. Where formal systems do not reach, focused encounters like this become essential spaces of care, attention, and strengthening.

The concept of this encounter was developed by Sr. Monika Duellmann, Monika Faes, and Danielle Maman, based on identified needs within the community. Further encounters of this kind are already being planned to ensure continuity and sustained support.