Walking with Moms in Need

CLIFTON  Launching on the 25th anniversary of St. Pope John Paul II’s encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”), the U.S. Bishops are inviting the faithful to join a nationwide effort called “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service.” This special year of service to assist pregnant and parenting moms will be held from March 25, 2020 through March 25, 2021, which is also the Feast of the Annunciation.

The new program has its own website, www.walkingwithmoms.com, with resources, outreach tools and models to assist parishes in the effort. Resources will continue to be added to the site, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.

Dr. Mary Mazzarella, a retired pediatrician who is director of the diocesan Respect Life Office, said, “This is a wonderful program to help pregnant women and the moms after they have their babies. I’m hoping this even extends further and this is something we do all the time to help these moms. When a young woman is pregnant and has been abandoned with nowhere to go, she may likely make the decision to have an abortion. The Church needs to reach out and support these moms.”

Currently, Dr. Mazzarella is creating a directory with resources and information on places around the Diocese for a pregnant or new mom to receive the help she needs. In upcoming weeks, parishes can call the diocesan Respect Life Office for the directory so they can assist these women.

“Helping pregnant women and mothers in need has always been a mission of the Church,” said Dr. Mazzarella. “Often, the secular media portrays the Church as being pro-birth instead of pro-life and offering no tangible help after a baby is born. Having parishes know the resources will allow the local Church to know how to help in a meaningful way.”

Along with the directory, Dr. Mazzarella recommends parishes in the coming year host baby showers, baby food collections and diaper drives to help new moms in the community who would not be able to afford such items as part of the service project.

The Neighborhood Center for Women in Passaic is guided by the belief that when women are empowered, the family is strengthened. It has helped many young mothers over the years. Its diaper bank has assisted struggling mothers to receive diapers. They often have sacrificed when they have to make a choice between diapers or food for their children. The diaper bank’s success is due to the generosity of so many around the Diocese and other benefactors. In addition, with the help of several volunteers, its English classes have been especially popular and helpful for the moms, many whose first language is Spanish, to communicate with teachers at their children’s schools. Since its opening in 2013, women have made close to 15,000 visits to the center for assistance.

For women who are pregnant, the Morris County Right to Life has many resources where women can go to make the choice of life. It is on the frontline meeting these women, whom the Church is calling all the faithful to help, as they do their peaceful prayer vigils outside of Planned Parenthood clinics. The group offers to send these vulnerable women to First Choice in Morristown providing information, counseling and offering ultrasounds.

Lisa Hart, vice president of Morris County Right to Life, said, “The pregnant woman who is alone without support is very likely to abort out of fear. A woman with child with very little resources is tempted to abort to make her life easier and she reasons that it is not fair to bring a child into the world who is poor. This is why we do our best to bring them hope, love and support, and gently let them know that aborting your child is not a humane or reasonable solution to her fear and stress or lack of income. Many people rise out of poverty, circumstances can always get better, but the pain of losing your child in this manner can stay with you forever, and very often leads to guilt, anxiety, depression as well as physical problems.”