NATCHEZ — St. Mary Basilica members use the terms faith and health to enhance their daily lifestyles.

Catholic Charities Inc. hosted their first Healthy Living Retreat program Saturday in St. Mary’s Family Life Center, which taught the seven keys to healthy living including faith, movement, medical, work, emotional, nutrition and family and friends.

Michael L. Jones, chief community heath officer for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, stressed the importance of health and wellness by having the audience participate in a question and answer session during the program regarding faith and movement.

“I’m working with individuals to help merge their faith life to their physical life because we understand that the two are intermingled, and they are greatly depended upon each other,” Jones said. “You can’t be physically healthy without having a healthy faith life.”

When Jones asked how faith and movement could change someone’s life, Natchez resident Mary Jane Reed Gaudet said it’s important to get moving.

“I made a promise that if I wanted to be healthy, I had to change my life style,” she said. “There are no excuses, and that really stuck with me. Just get moving and you will feel better.”

Jones said if we are called to do something, we might not know where it’s going to end up.

Ann Elizabeth Kaiser, health ministry specialist for Catholic Charities, said the program was all about finding balance.

“At times, the faith life or spiritual life has been pushed aside in our daily lives,” Kaiser said. “The spiritual life plays an important role in the health of individuals.”

Kaiser said the rate of recovery is better when faith is involved.

“I think this is so timely with the community,” Kaiser said. “We are trying to get it back to a faith driven concept.”

Kaiser said introducing this concept will help individuals leave with a deeper connection to their faith life, which will allow them to view their life as a gift and allow themselves permission to honor their whole well being.

The program was based on the model of healthy living developed by The Church Health Center in Memphis.