Walking with moms in need

On March 25, 2020, the Catholic Church will observe the 25th-anniversary of St. John Paul II’s “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”), which the Holy Father provides the following challenge to the faithful. “With great openness and courage, we need to question how widespread is the culture of life today among individual Christians, families, groups, and communities in our dioceses. With equal clarity and determination, we must identify the steps we are called to take in order to serve life in all its truth” (“Evangelium Vitae,” 95).

In his appeal, Pope John Paul II calls us to take inventory of our efforts to assist pregnant moms in need of Christian charity. He directs us to improve our responses, where needed, especially at the local level. In short, the pope calls us to accompany each pregnant woman in need meaningfully.

On Nov. 11, in a presentation to the bishops of the United States, gathered for their annual meeting in Baltimore, Archbishop Joseph Naumann announced a parish-based initiative focused on assisting pregnant mothers in need. As chairman of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Archbishop Naumann urged all bishops to encourage their parishes to join a nationwide effort from March 25, 2020, to March 25, 2021, entitled “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service.”

For this Year of Service, the Committee on Pro-Life Activities is developing educational, pastoral, prayer, and action-oriented resources for parish use. These include tools for taking inventory of local resources for pregnant mothers in need; ideas to improve parish responses; prayers for building a culture of life and a civilization of love; reflections on the teachings of “Evangelium Vitae,” “Evangelium Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), and “Laudato Si” (“Praise be to You”).

These resources will include homily aids, suggested prayers, bulletin inserts, pulpit announcements, parish-based activities, and communications and outreach suggestions. These resources will be available for download (in English and Spanish) on the Committee on Pro-Life Activities website, along with a suggested timeline. The materials were designed for bishops to share with pastors. They include suggestions for pastors on how to delegate efforts in this Year of Service to volunteers for ease of use at the parish level.

Early feedback suggests that a parish’s focus on helping pregnant and parenting moms in need is a unifying message. This message can improve collaboration among those who work on social justice and pro-life efforts. It can also move the conversation from what sometimes may seem like a partisan divide into one of pastoral unity. This Year of Service is a response to Pope Francis’ repeated challenge to go to the margins and bring hope and help to those in need.

The USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities will soon be sharing a recommended timeline for “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service.” One of the parish-based activities for next summer will be the completion of a simple inventory tool. The Committee on Pro-Life Activities recognizes that every state is different, every community is unique, and every parish is one-of-a-kind. So, each congregation is in the best position to best identify the local pregnancy help resources that are currently available and to recognize potential gaps that need addressing.

One of the best ways to prepare to assist parishes in completing their inventory of local pregnancy help resources is to share with them the best practices identified at the diocesan level.

May our combined efforts help us prepare for the day when every pregnant mother in need knows where to turn, and abortion is unthinkable.

(Tom Grenchik is Executive Director of the
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at
U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.)