Walking the walk

Kathy Schneeman of Mendota Heights and St. Joseph in West St. Paul has a back yard any outdoors enthusiast would envy. The wooded ravine that begins almost right outside her back door is a travel corridor for many animals, including deer and wild turkeys, which she sees regularly.

Within the last few months, she has been sharing the view with a friend of hers at St. Joe's -- Deb Magnuson. Deb recently was diagnosed with breast cancer and Kathy decided to invite her to come over and walk with her as she endured the rigors of chemotherapy.

"During the chemo part, when she was sick, it was fall and early winter," Kathy explained. "There were some beautiful days and so we would make arrangements ahead of time to get out and do a power walk together, to get her outside and moving. Or, sometimes, I would just stop at her house on the way home from the grocery store."

The walks served a therapeutic purpose for both of the women. Once the snow fell, the walks turned into cross country ski trips. Kathy is happy to report that Deb is doing "wonderful. Her hair is growing back and she's got a lot of energy."

Kathy regrets that she will not be able to go on as many walks and ski trips as she used to. Recently, she was hired as the new archdiocesan Respect Life coordinator for the Office of Marriage, Family and Life and will start her new full-time job on Monday (Feb. 4). She is excited about this new opportunity and is eager to get busy.

A story on her and her new job will appear in the Feb. 7 edition of The Catholic Spirit. Personally, I think she is a great fit for this job. She has lots of energy and passion for the pro-life cause and the seven children she has with her husband, Eric, is a great pro-life witness.