Cir. No. 22.16
Dear Brother Priests, Deacons/ Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Lay Faithful,
For a woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, feeling helplessly alone at a time of personal crisis can be overwhelming.
What should normally be experienced as a joyful, new beginning, may instead bring immense fear, anxiety, and confusion. An expectant mother in difficult circumstances may fear losing her job or housing, seeing her career or educational goals slip away, being abandoned by the father of her child, judgment from her friends and family, and more.
As Catholics, we naturally feel compelled by our faith in Christ to reach out to our sisters who may be facing such challenges. If we take a moment to place ourselves in her situation, we must ask ourselves, where would we turn to find help?
The Catholic Church is often portrayed in the secular media, as just anti-abortion, without offering tangible help. We know very well that this is not true. There are over 3,000 pregnancy help centers in the United States, and they are close to each of our 45 parishes and missions. Thus, we must ask ourselves: do pregnant women in need see us as a safe place to turn? Are we known for providing concrete assistance to those facing such challenges?
The good news is that help is readily available from many compassionate and dedicated people and organizations. But do we and our parishioners know the places or resources to recommend if we encounter a pregnant or parenting woman in need? Could a mother in need turn to our parish and find compassionate support and accompaniment?
Our Eparchy works closely with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in a nationwide effort called Walking with Moms in Need. For this initiative, the USCCB has provided educational, pastoral, prayer, and action-oriented resources to help parishes come alongside and accompany pregnant and parenting mothers facing difficulties.
Walking with Moms in Need is a response to Pope Francis' repeated challenge to go to the margins and bring hope and healing to those in need. 1n our eparchy each parish is positioned to identify the local pregnancy help resources that are currently available and to recognize potential gaps that may need to be addressed.
The USCCB has provided resources and tools that guide pastor and/or parish volunteers through a step-by-step process to inventory local resources, assess the results and identify gaps, and plan and implement a parish-based response. The resources include homily helps, suggested prayers, bulletin inserts, pulpit announcements, parish-based activities, communication and outreach suggestions, and more.
These resources are easy to use at the parish level, and all materials are available for free (in English and Spanish) by visiting [www.WaikingWithMoms.com/parish-resources].
Our Lord Jesus needs our help to ensure that mothers in need know that the Church is a place they can tum to for support and assistance.
I invite you and your parish to join Walking with Moms in Need. To do this, please contact Linda George, Director of the Family and Sanctity of Life Office at (540) 520-1679 or by email fami1yandsanctityoflife777@gmail.com for more information.
Likewise, attached please find a flyer with additional information. You can also learn more about this initiative at www.WalkingWithMoms.com.
Thank you for joining parishes across the country in this nationwide effort to better support pregnant and parenting women in desperate need.
Sincerely in Christ
+ Gregory John Mansour
