Birthright of Corpus Christi celebrates 40 years

From left, Stephanie Hatridge, Kathleen Huffmeyer, Martha Southernwood, Francette Meaney, Sharon Longoria and Dorothy Lickteig are volunteers for Birthright of Corpus Christi.

Jennifer Branson for South Texas Catholic
 

This year has seen milestones of three significant events in the pro-life cause. 2018 is the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and locally, the 40th anniversary of the opening of Birthright of Corpus Christi. 

Birthright of Corpus Christi has had its ups and downs over the years, but through the intercession of St. Joseph and the dedication of volunteers they are still serving the community. 

The Birthright project in Corpus Christi had it's humble beginnings in 1972. It was located at Catholic Charities on 818 Antelope Street. It was created to assist unwed mothers and Dr. Francette Meaney was a volunteer answering the phones. 

There wasn’t much publicity for the line and Meaney felt called to do something about it. She and a group of motivated volunteers started to post advertisements and found a building to lease with the help of Bishop Thomas Drury. 

When the doors of Birthright of Corpus Christi, a chapter of Birthright International, opened on Dec. 8, 1978, Meaney was a mother of a three-year-old sitting by the phone and praying to the Blessed Mother. 

They became officially incorporated as a non-profit and dedicated the center to St. Joseph. That iconic phone, the central image of the Birthright logo, began to ring soon enough and in the first month, they had 16 clients.

They had chosen the location strategically–near Del Mar College and local high schools. At first, the clients were predominately young women–pregnant, scared, and with few places to turn. They were received warmly and those first 16 clients soon turned into many more. They provided free pregnancy testing at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital, one-on-one counseling, adoption assistance, and material support based on the individual needs of the women. 

Dr. Meaney has seen both the absolute evil that accompanies the culture of death in abortion as well as the beauty of the love when women choose motherhood. 

Each client was, and still, is treated with individual dignity in keeping with the Birthright guiding principle: “It is the right of every pregnant woman to give birth, and the right of every child to be born.”

Time has altered some of their work and left some things untouched. At one point there were five abortion clinics in Corpus Christi. Even though the last abortion clinic has closed here, abortion still affects the community. 

Birthright runs on 100% volunteer effort and has never taken a penny of government money. Some things, however, have changed quite a bit. The people who come looking for help are a little older and usually need material help more than anything. They are still greeted warmly, cared for, and heard at Birthright. The goal is to “leave with much more than Pampers,” Meaney said. They could make a new friend, get some good advice or have a burden lifted thanks to a listening ear.

The general cultural attitude toward sex and pregnancy has changed as well. When Birthright started out even at their highest point of activity, the question of the father’s concern was always forefront to both the volunteers and clients. Now, it seems, fathers don’t care. People are thinking less about marriage. These attitudes are the new challenges facing Birthright volunteers, but also new opportunities to teach the truth about love and life gently. As Meaney said, “When you separate love and life, you have already killed the baby.”

What does the future hold for Birthright of Corpus Christi? No less than the same dedication and trust in God that has brought them through these past 40 years. Last year’s hurricane put many of their ministries on hold, but they are looking forward to starting up free sewing classes again and are making plans to start fertility awareness classes. They are always looking for volunteers with a zeal for the gift of life. 

More immediately, they are holding a 40th Anniversary Talk and Reception on Nov. 15 at St. Joseph Hall, Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center from 7-9 p.m. The speaker will be Dr. Joseph Meaney, Dr. Meaney’s son, who has worked for over 20 years at Human Life International. The theme will be “Conscience,” a topic dear to Meaney’s heart as well as the subject of her son’s dissertation. 

She expanded on this idea, saying that when sin becomes law, it is on all our consciences. “We are the conscience of the nation.” What is the conscience? It is “formed by the family. But where is the family now?” All are welcome to attend the 40th Anniversary Talk and Reception and are encouraged to bring a material or financial donation. Seating is limited, so interested parties should call that iconic Birthright phone to RSVP at (361) 884-2662.