(SNR) – Members of the diocese’s largest women’s organization are participating in a national effort, “Walking with Moms in Need.”
“Walking with Moms in Need” is a yearlong effort put forth by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The bishops encouraged everyone, from March 25, 2020 to March 25, 2021, to “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in need.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”), an encyclical by St. John Paul II, they encouraged all Catholics and their parishes to become “islands of mercy” to pregnant women and mothers and their families.
“Everyone should know how to help moms in difficult circumstances,” they wrote, and encouraged individuals, groups, parishes and communities to support local pregnancy centers where they exist, and to find and share other resources.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, of Kansas City in Kansas, and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, addressed the body of bishops about the need for improved pastoral responses to women facing unexpected or challenging pregnancies.
“The challenges can be immense for women in difficult or unplanned pregnancies. 75% of women who choose abortion are low income,” he said. “Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and our neighborhoods. Women facing challenging pregnancies should see the Church as a place where they can find help, especially with its myriad of social services and organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of people in crisis,” he continued.
“We have well over 17,000 parishes in the United States. Each parish is best able to identify the local pregnancy help resources that are currently available and to identify potential gaps that need to be addressed. The parish community is uniquely positioned to encourage a collaboration of resources at the local level and to increase awareness of help available to mothers and families in need,” Archbishop Naumann explained.
The Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW) is an organization of all Catholic women in the Diocese of Lincoln. Their mission statement is “Performing the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy in the service of God and His Church,” and members do so by participating in projects in their parishes and deaneries. Throughout the year, they have participated in many activities to ‘walk with’ mothers in need. They will provide a report of these activities to the National Council of Catholic Women at their 2021 convention.
The LDCCW’s well-known pro-life diaper drive – held each October for more than a decade – had its most successful year thus far. With donations of both diapers and cash, they were able to provide 143,268 diapers, distributed to six branches of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska, and nine pregnancy centers throughout the diocese.
But parishes didn’t stop there – many hold annual “baby showers” for Lent, Advent or Epiphany. They collect infant clothing, blankets, quilts, formula, diapers and other items needed. These donations are disbursed to local shelters, Catholic Social Services or food pantries. Some parishes also collect older children’s clothing to be given to families in need.
Women, parishes and deaneries (a geographical region of parishes) also participate in the “Apostles for Life” program, in which they contribute $12 a year to assist Birthright and other crisis pregnancy centers in the Diocese of Lincoln. In 2020, the LDCCW collected $1,606. They budgeted $2,200 a year to send to these organizations, disbursed three times a year.
Many parishes also collect money and goods to be given to Birthright, pregnancy centers, Catholic Social Services, homeless shelters, Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach, backpack programs and “food baskets” to benefit not only mothers but their children as well.
Matt Talbot Kitchen, for example, provides meals twice a day at no cost, and many mothers and children take advantage of this service. On Super Bowl Sunday, parishes across the diocese participated in the “Souper Bowl of Caring,” collecting money and winter items such as gloves, hats and hand warmers to support the work of Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach. They have also provided temporary emergency shelter in hotels for unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach reported a total of 134 people representing 46 households were served through this project, and 78% of households have been successfully bridged to permanent housing to date.
St. Gianna Women’s Homes of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska assists women and families fleeing domestic violence or pressure to have an abortion. Each family is provided a safe and secure environment to deal with the trauma caused by the abuse, become self-sufficient and learn to develop healthy relationships in the future. In addition to housing, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska provides education, employment and counseling services for families left homeless because of domestic violence, and services are open to women of all faiths.
Lincoln Diocesan parishes and deaneries support St. Gianna Women’s Homes with donations of household goods, furniture, bedding, personal hygiene items, paper goods as well as monetary donations.
“The people of southern Nebraska have embraced this effort since it first opened in the spring of 2011,” said Kathy Rowell, LDCCW president. “This is a ministry of helping moms in need in so many ways. It is an ongoing effort to help women and mothers when they are in need of a safe place to find balance and love.”
Archbishop Naumann and the bishops’ Pro-Life Committee also developed educational, pastoral, and action-oriented resources for parish use, 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.
More information about the initiative can be found at www.usccb.org/moms-in-need.
