Imagine our outreach and positive impact if every parishioner in our diocese knew all the resources available (at the parish, diocesan and community level) to help pregnant women in need. And then they connected pregnant women in need to those various resources.
These are main goals of Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service, a year-long initiative from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Pro-Life Secretariat. Parishes will focus on what they currently do to help pregnant moms in need, see if there are gaps they can fill, and then make sure that every parishioner knows how to connect pregnant women in need to these resources.
Originally scheduled to begin on March 25, our local launch of Walking with Moms in Need was delayed due to COVID-19. The Diocese of Camden is launching this initiative on Aug. 15, 2020, the feast of the Assumption, and will end it on Aug. 15, 2021.
The initiative does not expect a parish to become a pregnancy resource center for women. It is a blessing when a parish can help. But when a parish cannot help, and a pregnancy center (or other resource) is needed, every parishioner should know how to connect a woman with that resource.
The Diocese of Camden Life and Justice Ministry Office will help out by creating a diocesan South Jersey resource guide for easy referral for needs that the parish cannot meet.
Early feedback shows that parish-led efforts to support pregnant and parenting mothers can improve the collaboration of those in social justice and pro-life ministries.
“Catholics understand that social justice can never be truly achieved until life in the womb is recognized as a gift from God, sacred and worthy of our protection,” said Deacon Craig Bickel of the Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle in Gibbsboro. “So too, is the life of the mother who we are called to prayerfully and practically support before and after her child is brought into this world. Walking with Moms In Need is one important way for us to do this.”
To assist the diocese, the USCCB is developing educational, prayer, pastoral and action resources for parish use, including:
— Parish Action Guide with five suggested phases for launching and accomplishing this initiative
— Tools for documenting an inventory of local resources for pregnant women in need
— Ideas for improving parish responses and prayers for building a culture of life and a civilization of love
— Resources for reflecting on the teachings of Evangelium Vitae, Evangelii Gaudium, and Laudato Si
— Homily helps, suggested prayers, bulletin inserts, pulpit announcements, and parish-based activities.
Find all of these easy-to-use resources online (in English and Spanish) at WalkingWithMoms.com. Suggestions for how pastors might delegate efforts to parish volunteers are included.
Walking with Moms in Need: A 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. Meet that challenge! Help bring this initiative to a concrete reality in your local area.
For more information, please contact Matthew Davis at 856-583-2910 or matthew.davis@camdendiocese.org
Matthew Davis is director of Life and Justice Ministries for the Diocese of Camden and vice chancellor for the City of Camden.
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