Mary’s Children is the name of the new Pro-Life group at the Tri-parish community of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sacred Heart, and St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer in Gales Ferry and Groton. Our group was “conceived” by the USCCB Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities call for parishes to form Pro-Life committees. The name “Mary’s Children” was inspired by the image of the mother and child, Our Blessed Mother and Child Jesus. All newborns, all babies and moms in need, all parishioners who help support this mission, everybody are Mary’s children and beautiful children of God!
Our community began this new Pro-Life effort to show our commitment to helping save innocent babies' lives and help mothers in need. Following the Dobbs’s decision and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, our Church’s position on Respecting Life became more criticized, and we have been increasingly accused of only being against many things. This is far from the Truth, as we are in fact, for so many good things! Especially Life! Baby’s’ lives! And baby’s health and nourishment!
In our initial meeting this past February, we decided one of our first efforts would be to participate in Walking with Moms in Need, a USCCB parish program introduced 3 years ago to encourage parishioners to help mothers and their newborn children. With promotion through our parish bulletin and pulpit announcements, we set up display tables with signage and examples, and a collection method using small children’s playpens, in each of our 3 parish vestibules. The results have been phenomenal. Huge amounts of expensive baby formula and tens of thousands of diapers and wipes have been donated and distributed to the charities we researched and decided to support; St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich, all four Catholic Charity locations, and early pregnancy centers CareNet and Birthright in New London.
Brian Burke, St. Vincent de Paul’s food pantry manager recently sent us this this urgent request: “Our SVDPP food pantry is in great need of baby food and baby formula donations. The number of families with young children seeking help from our SVDPP pantry has increased dramatically over the last few months. We are hoping you can help by having your group, “Mary’s Children” reach out to the parishioners. Your help is greatly appreciated. Past donations from you and your group have made a measurable difference in our ability to help our patrons. Thank you for all you do to help our youngest patrons.”
We have collected and distributed over $20,000 worth of products to date in just 6 months! Baby toiletries, baby clothes, baby food, even strollers, crib mattresses, and wagons. Amazing, and 100% of all this goes directly, and promptly, to those moms and babies in most need. Many thanks to our Ladies’ Guilds and Knights of Columbus Councils as well, and overall, it further benefited our tri-parish objective of getting people from each parish getting to know each other better and working together.
Our Mary’s Children pro-life group has also conducted Spiritual works of Mercy for Life. Each parish held a Holy Hour-for-Life including a Scriptural Rosary for Life. Some families attended the March For Life in Washington and our parish sponsored a bus to the Connecticut March for Life in March. And our 3 Parishes covered 3 days of praying and witnessing for life on the sidewalk during our Diocesan 40 Days for Life campaign. Our current future plans include holding a Baby Shower and conducting parish education.
Our Hope
Our hope in presenting this article is to encourage other parishes to become interested/more involved in the Respect Life movement, perhaps approach your pastors about starting a new pro-life group, and support our Catholic ministries and local early pregnancy centers. Amazing Grace food pantry in Middletown could use a lot of baby merchandise!
And if your parish is not currently participating, perhaps become a leader and sign up your parish, with your pastor’s permission, for this year’s 40 Days for Life campaign in Norwich, praying to end abortion. All ways to help and save lives, one baby at a time.
By Fr. Brian Maxwell