Building a statewide and nationwide Culture of Life means diving deeper into issues facing women and families in crisis. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched Walking With Moms in Need in March 2020 to strengthen meaningful efforts by the Church to support women in choosing life and to urge parishes to become the community that women in crisis pregnancies need in order to choose life.

Now, more than ever, we must commit ourselves to helping moms in our communities to overcome daily challenges. We will need to increase our financial support and volunteer efforts in our local crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and Gabriel Network. We also will need to answer the call to Walk With Moms in Need by addressing four of the major difficulties that women and families in crisis pregnancies often experience:

1. Need for safe, stable housing

2. Need for reliable transportation

3. Need for safe and affordable childcare

4. Need for community

Helping cultivate a Culture of Life and serving others through works of mercy is fundamental to our Catholic faith. Many parishes have thriving Respect Life committees and are looking for additional volunteers to advance Walking With Moms in Need efforts. Other parishes do not have active Respect Life groups and you may be just the person to get it off the ground. Begin in prayer and ask God where He is calling you to serve. Next, contact your priest and reach out to the Office of Life, Justice, and Peace in the Institute for Evangelization for more details and ways to get involved. There will be a Respect Life workshop Saturday, Sept. 10 for parish leaders and volunteers throughout the archdiocese as well as opportunities to grow the Walking With Moms in Need movement all through October.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world”
James 1:27