MU’s worldwide president is on the run — for a cause
Mothers’ Union worldwide president Kathleen Snow takes her role seriously.
The Christ Church Cathedral parishioner wanted to do something to mark the 150th anniversary of Mothers’ Union.
“We were talking about incorporating challenges into the 150th anniversary,” she said. “I felt, since I’m the worldwide president, I should do something.”
In Britain and Ireland, the push is on to increase numbers by 150 members per diocese. A past worldwide president, Trish Heywood, and her husband are holding 15 lunches for people not familiar with MU.
Another past worldwide president, Lynn Tembey, plans to travel east to west in England, a total of 330 miles, to encourage the MU family and friends.
So Kathleen decided to combine two of her great loves: MU and running.
The 68-year-old has been running since just after her youngest child, now 38, was born — coincidentally the same number of years she’s been an MU member.
THE RUNNING BEGINS
In fact, Kathleen has already begun her MU anniversary project of running fifteen 10K runs in 15 different dioceses. She launched this endeavour with her husband, Tim, on Jan. 22 on the Nashwaak Trail in Fredericton.
She was joined for part of the run by two local MU members: Sheila Staples of All Saints, Marysville and Michele LeBlanc of the Cathedral branch.
The second run took place in Bahrain in early February. She had been invited to attend the celebratory jubilee synod of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.
“It was an opportunity for me to have another run,” she said.
While in Bahrain, she met with MU members and enrolled two new ones, bringing the total number at St. Christopher’s Cathedral to 30. There has been a lot of growth there, as the branch just opened in 2023.
While attending synod, she met a Sikh man who used to run marathons, though not for many years. But Darshan Singh was by her side during the Bahrain run. Joining them were Sara Axtell, her host during the visit, plus Anthony Pearlman, who works in communications for the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.
The four chose to run laps around a fort on the Persian Gulf coast, all while people rode horses in the area, women in burkas cheered her on and 20 people from the synod and MU clapped as they ran.
An MU member found a finish line pennant which Kathleen ran through at the end, adding to the merriment.
Then Darshan offered one of his marathon medals, which was hung on her neck. And five-year-old Gianna, the daughter of a MU branch leader, was at the finish line saying, ‘Well done, Kathleen!’
It was quite the spectacle, she said.
The third run took place just a few days after she left Bahrain, this time in London. She calculated a 10K run takes her about 70 minutes, so she mapped out her route, running within the confines of the Diocese of London, meaning staying on the north side of the Thames.
She began at Mary Sumner House, the international headquarters of MU.
“I put my hand on the door and prayed,” she said, adding she ran towards Buckingham Palace, then circuits around several parks, including St. James, returning to Mary Sumner House just as staff were starting their workday.
“It was perfect timing,” she said. “The staff were all out cheering me on when I came around the corner!”
MORE RUNS PLANNED
Run number four will take place in late March, during her visit to the UK for the installation of the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Kathleen planned to run in the Diocese of Southwark, which is on the south side of the Thames in London.
“I’m going to start at the Southwark Cathedral,” she said. “Members of the Diocese of Southwark MU will be there to cheer me on.”
From there she will visit Wales in early April to attend a general meeting gathering, and will plan two runs in two Wales dioceses.
Kathleen, a retired nurse, will be in San Diego in May, helping to care for Tim’s sister, who will be undergoing a knee operation. While there, she hopes to run in the Diocese of San Diego.
On the way home, she will stop in Ontario to visit her son, David, in Guelph.
“I’ll be taking care of my two grandchildren, and I’ll be running in the Diocese of Niagara around the 27th of May.”
The travel just does not stop, because in June, she will fly back to London for MU’s 150th anniversary service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and will visit the Diocese of Guilford, between London and Portsmouth.
“I’ll be running there in mid-June,” she said.
This July, Kathleen will visit another son, Eric, in Calgary, and will reach out to MU members for her run in the Diocese of Calgary.
In August, she and Tim will be in Guelph again for the birthday of their grandson, who will turn six. While in Ontario, she wants to run in the Diocese of Toronto.
At some point, perhaps fall, she wants to plan a visit closer to home.
“I just have to run in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island!” she said.
At the end of September, MU will hold its 150th anniversary worldwide gathering in Durban, South Africa, where they expect 2,500 members.
“The communications director has visions of me running into the conference centre with 2,500 MU members cheering!” she said.
After the conference, she’s off to Tanzania to visit MU members there, and of course, she plans a run in that African country.
“That will be the 14th,” she said.
By late September, only one run will remain. She has plans to visit her brother in Redington Shores, Florida, and will plan her 15th and final run.
“We have MU members in Tampa, and I usually visit them when I’m there. They’ve invited me to run there.”
So, to recap, Kathleen will run in five diocese in Canada: Fredericton, NS & PEI, Toronto, Niagara and Calgary; five diocese internationally: San Diego, Florida, South Africa, Tanzania and Bahrain; and five in the UK: London, Southwark, Guilford and two in Wales.
“It’s a busy year!” she said.
A PASSION FOR RUNNING
Kathleen found five running partners in a fitness class at the YMCA almost 40 years ago.
“We all became very close friends,” she said. “I call them my running buddies. We ran Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after work. We were never really racers. We ran for the joy of it.”
There are only two of them left, and they usually meet once a week. While training for her 15 runs, she’s out a second time each week to build up stamina and distance.
“Part of the reason I love it is, when I run, I pray and I listen to praise music,” she said. “I find the Holy Spirit always speaks to me.”
What she enjoys about running in a new place, as she will many times this year, is discovering the beauty around her and appreciating God’s creation.
“It’s a good way to see all the places,” she said.
MORE THAN JUST RUNNING
Kathleen isn’t running 150 km all over the world this year just for fun, or even solely to mark the 150th anniversary. There is a higher purpose.
“I’m hoping to raise £10,000, approximately $18,470 CDN,” she said. “The goal is to raise awareness, but also raise money for the MU global programs.”
Those programs include literacy; parenting; savings and credit; Away From It All, a caravan escape for families that cannot afford a vacation; and prison ministry, which has led to the formation of an in-prison MU branch in the UK.
“These are all run by MU members on the ground,” said Kathleen.
So for 2026, with Mothers’ Union celebrating 150 years, Kathleen is doing what she can for the group she’s been a part of since 1988.
“MU is a way of life, and running is a way of life for me too.”
To contribute to Kathleen’s fundraiser, click on this link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/kathleen-snow-1
Mothers’ Union is a women-led, international Anglican movement dedicated to ending poverty, violence and social injustice in communities in the UK and around the world.
Active for 150 years, with over four million members — women and men — in approximately 84 countries, it works with people of all faiths and none, transforming lives, strengthening families and communities, and advocating for meaningful change.
Photo captions:
1. At the finish line in Bahrain, Kathleen Snow is wrapped in a pennant while she checks her time. With her are fellow runners Sara Axtell, Anthony Pearlman, and Darshan Singh, who are greeted by an MU member and her daughter.
2. Michele LeBlanc, Kathleen Snow and Sheila Staples at the first of 15 runs, this one in Fredericton in late January.
3. The staff of Mothers' Union came out to welcome Kathleen after she completed her 10K run in the Diocese of London in February.
4. Kathleen with members of Mothers’ Union in Bahrain, at St. Christopher’s Cathedral, during her February visit. Since last weekend, Bahrain has been attacked by Iranian missiles in retaliation for the US air strikes on that country.
All photos courtesy of Kathleen Snow.