Meet Amy and Jackie Minton: A Mother-Daughter Stewardship Journey

When the going gets tough, Amy Minton is grateful to know that her Heavenly Mother will always be at her side — ready to lift up her heart, ease her mind, and refresh her soul.

“I often pray to the Blessed Mother to give me the strength I need just to accept what is going on around me with my own children, as well as with my whole family,” Amy says. “Mary gave us such a beautiful example in how she turned her life over to God. I try to trust Him with everything that is thrown in my path, as we all have our trials and tribulations.”

May is the month when we celebrate Mothers Day and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of the Church. And as she mothers her two children, Jackie and Nicholas, Amy seeks to walk in the footsteps of Our Lady, who served God generously and wholeheartedly.

“I hope to imitate the Blessed Mother by trusting in the Lord and always trying to say ‘yes’ to the behaviors that He wants to see in me,” Amy says. “I always want to be the best person I can be, and be humble and obedient to God’s will as Mary was. I also hope to help my children develop a relationship with God, and teach them to turn to Him so that He can help them in every situation in their lives.”

Over the years, Amy and her husband, Jesse, have sought to pass down the gift of faith to their children.

“Jesse and I have always put church first,” Amy says. “When the children were growing up, we took them to Sunday Mass regularly, and we got involved in our parish however we could. We taught Religious Education, were involved with Vacation Bible School and helped with Confirmation retreats. I led Jackie’s Girl Scout troop as well, which always met at our parish. All of these things gave an example to our children and showed them how important our faith was.”

Amy Minton and family hike at Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee

Amy is also a member of the Women’s Guild, participates in a Bible study group, and enjoys helping out with the Fall Festival. She also coordinates Noreen’s Nourishment Ministry, which brings meals to families dealing with long-term-care oncology situations at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Looking back, Amy sees that she and Jesse are now reaping the fruit of their efforts.

“Church has become very important to both of our children,” Amy says. “I believe that role- modeling is the best way to get your children to be involved in their faith.”

Enjoying a guided tour of the San Diego Zoo

Amazingly, Jackie continually inspires Amy to follow Christ and embrace the Catholic faith with enthusiasm and courage.

“Jackie has always been such a beautiful example of love, and her devotion to her faith really sets an example for me,” Amy says. “While she was young, I showed her how to live out the Catholic faith, and now she shows me! Jackie goes to daily Mass, is kind to those around her, and doesn’t talk badly about others. She always speaks the truth and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes.”

After high school, Jackie had an enriching experience serving with the National Evangelistic Team, or NET.

“It taught her a lot about getting along with people and accepting everyone as God’s child,” Amy says. “During her time with NET, she also learned how to reach out to others and share her faith.”

Recently, Jackie graduated from Belmont University with a degree in music. She is a songwriter and performer who just released her first album.

“Jackie’s music lands somewhere between Ingrid Michaelson and Joni Mitchell — indie-folk, leaning more towards folk,” Amy says. “She writes songs that give encouragement and talk to peoples’ hearts.”

Nick, Amy, Jesse, and Jackie enjoying breakfast at First Watch