Talking to Your Pastor

Have you thought about bringing Walking with Moms in Need to your parish, but you're nervous about speaking with your pastor? Are you afraid of how he will respond or what you should say?

Join us for a conversation on how you can prepare to talk to your pastor about bringing Walking with Moms in Need to your parish—including how to address the most common concerns.

In the News:

Thousands Fill National Shrine for 2025 March for Life Vigil

Tyler Arnold

National Catholic Register

January 24, 2025

"More than 5,000 students, families and other pro-life Catholics packed into the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., for a vigil service Thursday on the evening before the national March for Life.

Attendees filled the pews in the upper church, which is designed to hold about 3,500 people. They crammed into the various Marian shrines along both sides of the basilica to worship at the vigil Mass during the National Prayer Vigil for Life. Hundreds more flowed into the basilica’s crypt, which is similarly adorned with shrines to the Blessed Mother.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, was the primary celebrant and homilist for the Mass. Four cardinals and 21 bishops concelebrated the Mass, and 50 deacons and 300 seminarians were also in attendance.

Photos courtesy of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

'When we march tomorrow, we march as pilgrims of hope,' Archbishop Naumann said during the homily after the Gospel reading, which was part of the first chapter of the Gospel of John.

'With the love of God revealed and the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ, how can we not have hope?' Archbishop Naumann said.

The Gospel reading teaches us that 'the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,' which the archbishop related to the importance of defending the sanctity of unborn life, saying during his homily that Christ 'humbled himself to be an embryo in Mary.'

Archbishop Naumann said during the homily that 'culture is more significant than politics' and urged people to be 'witnesses to your peers' to help transform people’s hearts.

'To transform our culture, we must touch the hearts [with] efforts like Walking with Moms in Need, where we try to surround women in difficult pregnancies with a community of love and support,' the archbishop said.

Archbishop Naumann added that Christ told his disciples that 'if we’re going to follow him, we have to follow him all of the way to Calvary — that we have to be prepared to take up the cross.'...

Archbishop Naumann celebrated the Mass in place of Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, who could not attend because of a death in his family. Bishop Thomas is the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Archbishop Naumann serves on the committee and is a former chairman."

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Diocese of Baton Rouge: "Compassion in Crisis"

The Diocese of Baton Rouge will be hosting a "Compassion in Crisis" training on April 12 in support of Walking with Moms in Need. Through a combination of trauma-informed approaches and practical strategies, participants will learn how to provide effective emotional and logistical support to mothers experiencing crisis.

The course will cover topics including how to recognize the complex needs of mothers in crisis, develop effective communication skills, apply trauma-informed care principles, navigate community resources and support systems, and establish and maintain healthy boundaries while serving others.

While registration is limited to parishioners and community partners in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, other dioceses and parishes may be inspired to offer similar trainings locally.

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Diocese of Reno

Equips Disciples to

Walk with Moms in Need

The Diocese of Reno hosted their Annual Diocesan Conference with Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg January 10-11. The two-day event covering a wide array of topics featured two sessions on Walking with Moms in Need.

Local Catholic leaders learned about the mission, vision, and inspiration for the initiative before taking a look at practical examples of how moms are being served in parishes across the country.

The sessions took a closer look at the steps parishes can take to inventory local resources, identify gaps in services, and prayerfully discern how they can be part of accompanying mothers and creatively responding to the needs in their communities.