Bishop Thomas Calls Pregnancy Help Work Heroic
The Nov. 9–13 observance honors about 2,750 U.S. centers offering free care and accompaniment to mothers in need.
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, released a statement on Oct. 27 praising pregnancy help organizations, maternity homes, medical centers, and adoption agencies. He described their work as “heroic services every day” on behalf of vulnerable pregnant and parenting women.
The statement came ahead of Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, observed from Nov. 9 to 13. The annual observance was created by Heartbeat International, an interdenominational Christian network. Since 1971, Heartbeat International has supported more than 4,000 pregnancy help locations worldwide. Approximately 2,750 such centers operate in the United States.
In his statement, Bishop Thomas pointed to the concrete assistance many centers provide free of charge. That assistance includes ultrasounds, prenatal and postnatal care, baby clothes, diapers, childcare, career services, and housing referrals. By meeting medical and material needs, the centers accompany women through pregnancy and the first steps of motherhood, offering practical support when they are most vulnerable.
Walking With Moms in Need
Bishop Thomas also highlighted Walking with Moms in Need, an initiative of the U.S. bishops launched in 2020. Parishes in at least one-third of dioceses across the country now participate. The initiative connects women facing unexpected pregnancies with local Catholic resources, weaving parish communities into a network of accompaniment and aid.
The bishop commended parish volunteers engaged in this work for offering “life-changing help.” He called on the faithful to sustain pregnancy help ministries through prayers, good works, and financial support to help build a culture of life that welcomes both mother and child.
Pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies stand on the front line of the Church’s response to women in crisis pregnancy. Their everyday service embodies the call to defend life not only in word but in the tangible care of those who carry it. As the appreciation week approaches, Bishop Thomas’s appeal places that charity at the heart of Catholic pro-life witness in the United States.