Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
May God bless you! This weekend, parishes will take up the collection for Opportunities for Life (OFL). This collection is held in the four Kentucky dioceses near the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade (Jan. 22), as part of the Kentucky bishops’ unified message advocating for a pro-life culture in our Commonwealth.
In our archdiocese, this collection provides resources to pregnant women and families in crisis, including through material assistance and programming at Catholic Charities and other community partners.
I am pleased to announce that the Opportunities for Life collection will fund $52,600 for programming to support new and expecting parents.
The Opportunities for Life collection will provide $27,400 to Catholic Charities of Louisville, where the Family Support Services department administers the Lifeline Fund, which assists pregnant or new mothers experiencing financial distress (rent, utilities, medical bills) who are referred by Catholic Charities, partner agencies or parishes. This department also provides programming for expecting (Mother-Infant Care) and new parents (Mama Matters), convenes the grant-funded partners to look for opportunities to collaborate, and extends professional social work guidance to parish volunteers who are supporting expecting parents.
In addition, six grants totaling $25,200 have been approved for organizations located throughout the 24 counties of the Archdiocese of Louisville:
- Little Way Pregnancy Resource Center, for medical supplies, community education, and RN services.
- A Loving Choice Pregnancy Center, to purchase educational resources in Shelbyville and Shepherdsville.
- BesideU4Life, to market its mobile ministry unit in Shively and Jeffersontown.
- Clarity Solutions Pregnancy Center & Medical Center in Elizabethtown, to conduct online advertising for their services to reach women in the Fort Knox area.
- Mama to Mama, to provide doula support to women who cannot afford this service.
- Lifehouse, to provide support toward the cost of a caseworker.
For some great stories and more information about these programs, see www.therecordnewspaper.org. As you consider your gift, please pray that those experiencing an untimely pregnancy will have the courage to seek help and affirm life as we pray that our culture strengthens its resolve to support both unborn children and their parents.
Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D.
Archbishop of Louisville
