Pregnant and parenting moms in need are part of our parishes and communities. As “islands of mercy in a sea of indifference (Pope Francis),” our parishes are poised to be places where pregnant women in need can turn, particularly in light of the Church’s many social services and organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of people in crisis. Everyone in a parish should know where to refer a pregnant woman in need:
Local resources-Recursos locales:
Support for moms and families is available through many of our parishes as well as affiliated organizations. Find the support you need, or join one of these ministries/organizations to support pregnant and parenting moms.
Catholic Charities West Michigan-Caridades Católicas del Oeste de Michigan: Pregnancy Support Services | Resources and support for moms and families
Pregnancy Support-Ayuda para el Embarazo: HELP Pregnancy Aid | Pregnancy Resource Center – Grand Rapids | Alpha Grand Rapids
Support for Pregnant and Parenting Women on Michigan’s College Campuses-Apoyo para mujeres embarazadas y con hijos en los campus universitarios de Michigan: Project Rosie
Baby and Toddler Pantries-Despensas para bebés y niños pequeños: Catholic Charities West Michigan | The Baby Pantry of Lowell | Grandmother’s Cupboard Baby Pantry (Lake County)
St. Mary Parish, Spring Lake-Parroquia de Santa María, Spring Lake: Medical/dental-Pregnancy Support-Food and Clothing-Housing
Infertility Support & Education-Apoyo y Educación sobre Infertilidad: Franciscan Life Process Center
Healing after abortion-Sanación después del aborto: Project Rachel | Esperanza posaborto
Read about how the Church is walking with moms:
Diapers, baby bottles and hope: Michele answers God’s call to help new mothers find their way (May 2019 FAITHGR magazine)
Pro-life, pro-mom: Why Sandy has stood by pregnant women for two decades (May 2022 FAITHGR magazine) | en Español
Layette of love: A parish embraces moms in need (May 2022 FAITHGR magazine)
How Catholics Walk with Moms in Need (Michigan Catholic Conference, FOCUS Spring 2022)
“Walking with Moms in Need,” a nationwide initiative, is an effort to strengthen our pastoral responses to women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies and to increase awareness of the resources available to mothers and families in need. Every parish in the United States is invited to join in.
Please let your pastor know if you would like to be involved in this effort at the diocesan level.
Walking with Moms Parish Training
With the recent passage of Proposal 3 in Michigan, now is our time to support pregnant and parenting moms in need. Women in our parishes and in our communities need to know the Catholic Church is a place of welcome and that resources are available to help them choose life. Working together across our diocese, we can make our parishes places of welcome for pregnant and parenting moms in need. Walking with Moms in Need is a parish-based outreach program. Support for parishes in their efforts will be provided at the diocesan level through the Office of Respect Life and Catholic Charities West Michigan. This support includes:
- Webinars to help guide parishes through the process of integrating this ministry into the life of the church.
- On-going support and resources including trainings, posters, cards, and networking opportunities with other parishes.
To learn more, contact Katie Mendenhall, kmendenhall@ccwestmi.org, or 231-250-9868.
Catholic care and outreach
Data shows that throughout the U.S., more than 150,000 low-income mothers deliver their babies at Catholic hospitals each year, and many tens of thousands of pregnant and parenting moms are helped each year through Catholic Charities programs and other help agencies.
How Catholics Walk with Moms in Need (Michigan Catholic Conference, FOCUS Spring 2022)
In addition, thousands of pregnancy care centers staffed by many Catholic volunteers offer assistance to mothers and families. Throughout our diocese, there are over 30 pregnancy help centers providing pro-life alternatives (pregnancy tests, counseling, direct assistance, education, referrals, etc.). This is truly a remarkable number of locations already offering help and support to moms in need.
And with the participation of our diocese’s 80 parishes in this special year of service, it’s clear that our potential outreach can be much broader and more personal.
Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Evangelium vitae
In November 2019, the U.S. bishops enthusiastically embraced “Walking with Moms in Need” as the most appropriate way to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of Evangelium vitae – “The Gospel of Life” – St. John Paul II’s landmark encyclical on the value and inviolability of human life. The 25th anniversary of “The Gospel of Life” gave us a wonderful opportunity to assess, expand and communicate information about resources to pregnant moms and families in need. At the local level, our parishes, situated in communities in the 11-counties of our diocese, are best able to identify the pregnancy resources that are currently available as well as the potential gaps in outreach and resources that may need to be addressed.
Resources/Recursos
Led by Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities has developed educational, pastoral, and action-oriented resources for use by Catholics and their parishes including reflections on the teachings of Evangelium vitae, Evangelii gaudium, and Laudato si; prayers for building a culture of life; tools for documenting an inventory of local resources for pregnant mothers in need; and ideas and support for improving parish responses.
From the USCCB:
Prayer for Pregnant Mothers | For Parishes | Educational Materials
October is Respect Life Month. Click here to learn more.
Prayers by and for mothers (Creighton Online Ministries)
More information available at www.usccb.org/moms-in-need or by contacting DJ Florian, director of the diocesan Office of Pastoral Services, at dflorian@grdiocese.org.
