WALKING WITH MOMS IN NEED

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops kicked off its year-long “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service” campaign on March 25.
The initiative, which runs until March 25, 2021, aims to support pregnant and parenting mothers, allowing them to confidently come to the Church and be welcomed when struggling with resources or in need of emotional and spiritual support. After all, Pope Francis said our parishes must be “islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of difference.”

The launch date commemorated the 25th anniversary of Evangelium Vitae, or “The Gospel of Life,” a landmark encyclical by Pope John Paul II, which encouraged parishes to build a “culture of life” within their communities. The encyclical, the 11th of his pontificate, condemns abortion and euthanasia, the major attacks on human life at its beginning and end. 

Through the “Year of Service,” parishes are asked to complete a simple survey of the resources currently available in their local area, assess the results and identify gaps, and plan and implement a parish response based on their findings. The USCCB adds its Pro-Life Committee will be developing: ideas for improving parish responses; prayers for building a culture of life and a civilization of love; and reflections on the teachings of Evangelium Vitae, Evangelii gaudium and Laudato si’.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, announced the new initiative on the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children in January, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion across the country.

“As the Church and growing numbers of pro-life Americans continue to advocate for women and children in courthouses and legislatures,” Archbishop Naumann told Catholic News Service, “the Church’s pastoral response is focused on the needs of women facing pregnancies in challenging circumstances.” Naumann added the year-long campaign will “intensify” the pastoral response to pregnant women and mothers in need.

In “recognizing that women in need can be most effectively reached at the local level,” Archbishop Naumann explained the year of service “invites parishes to assess, communicate, and expand resources to expectant mothers within their own communities.”

A survey, created by the USCCB with additional items added by Renee Morgiewicz, coordinator of parish services and Respect Life Ministry for the Albany Diocese, helps parish leaders identify local resources for pregnancy assistance such as pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, social service agencies, hospitals, and especially Catholic programs and resources.

The Gabriel Project, a “confidential and compassionate parish-based ministry to support pregnant mothers and their unborn children,” according to Heather Eichen, executive director of PerpetuaLife Care, is bringing local initiatives to parishes this year.

Volunteers, otherwise affectionately known as “Gabriel Angels,” offer expecting moms emotional and spiritual support, as well as practical needs, including pregnancy information and assistance with prenatal care, maternity and baby clothes, cribs and various items, referrals for housing, medical care, and counseling, as well as parenting support or adoption information. 

“The faithful can be proud of the parishes who are taking the “Walking with Moms in Need” initiative seriously, including by launching the Gabriel Project, which supplies mothers with practical resources. Every Catholic and person of good will is being asked to help mothers in need.” said Morgiewicz.

As PerpetuaLife Care coordinates with the Gabriel Project, St. Clement’s Church of Saratoga Spring is the current hub.

Even if a parish isn’t considered a hub for the Gabriel Project, Eichen said individual churches can still support expecting mothers by providing material goods. Volunteers can also come from other parishes to work with expectant mothers under the approval of their parish priest.

“Parishioners can work on activities together to support moms in need,” Morgiewicz said. “If everyone does their part to answer this year’s special call, many lives will be changed and saved.”

The USCCB initiative has its own website (www.walkingwithmoms.com) with “resources, outreach tools and models to assist parishes in this effort.”

With Catholic News Services