An eight-room addition to Mary’s Shelter in Fredericksburg was blessed Oct. 30 as residents, staff and community supporters celebrated the official opening of the newest expansion to the maternity home.
Father Jamie R. Workman, diocesan vicar general, blessed and toured the new homes in downtown Fredericksburg on behalf of Bishop Michael F. Burbidge.
Mary’s Shelter, which provides housing and support for women in crisis pregnancies, has a history of growth since its founding in 2006. The jump from 16 to 24 bedrooms in the past six months is the fastest growth period in the organization’s history and was prompted by increased calls from women in crisis and the Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade, said Director Kathleen Wilson.
Leading up to Roe’s reversal in June, pro-life organizations were advised to prepare for increased needs in their ministries, Wilson said.
“We are a very well-known ministry, so we do get lots of calls, and we want to accommodate as many of them as we can,” Wilson said. “We really realized we needed to be prepared.”
Mary’s Shelter already owned three homes and four apartment units — a total of 16 bedrooms. Donors immediately came forward when the ministry asked for help and the two homes were purchased in May. The new homes are part of a two-level building with four rooms on each floor.
The building needed significant renovations but before they were completed, three new families had moved in. Wilson said they are talking about buying a fifth home.
“We are actually getting even more calls than we anticipated,” Wilson said. “The need out there doesn’t go away, people hear about us and they’re willing to take a chance when they come to our homes.”
Mary’s Shelter has resources to house women up to three years after giving birth, so they receive care during the critical months of transition that follow, Wilson said. The ministry takes in women with as many children as they have. To date, they have served around 400 women and thousands of children.
Rachel Hackett, a current resident who escaped four abusive situations before finding Mary’s Shelter, arrived in May with four children under 10 and twins on the way. “I was at my worst,” she said.
Since arriving, Hackett said her family has experienced nothing but support and love from the staff at Mary’s Shelter, especially when her twins were born in July. Now, she is studying for her realtor’s license, working as an assistant at a realty firm and running her own charcuterie board business, all while caring for six children.
“They’re not just people running a business, they’re family,” Hackett said.
“My mindset has changed so much, just from being there, having that positivity versus so much negativity has done wonders for me. And my kids, they benefit from my mindset being different, too.”
Mark Ivory, president of the board of directors at Mary’s Shelter, said, “We’re providing a venue for these women to grow, not only to grow the children that they wish to give birth to, but also growth in their own adulthood, and to become productive parents and workers.”
Mary’s Shelter credits the renovations of the new homes and nearly all the furnishings to volunteers and donations from the local community. Wilson said the ministry provides a unique opportunity for “an entire army of Catholics” to take what they hear in the pews and put it into practice.
“It’s beautiful because it’s such a community project,” Wilson said. “It’s not this hidden away ministry. You just have to understand how many hands and feet from this community are in those homes making them what they are. I work with ministries all over, and while many have beautiful stories, they’re always in awe of what this diocese does.”
The June 2022 Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson has not ended the need for pro-life and after-abortion healing ministries, said Amy Mc-Inerny, diocesan respect life director. Although abortion is no longer federally protected, many states still allow abortion, including Virginia where abortion is legal in some cases through all nine months of pregnancy.
“In terms of the posture of Virginia, nothing has changed, we have a lot of work to do,” she said.
Many diocesan resources, ministries and clinics are provided for post-abortion healing and pregnancy crisis support, including Gabriel Project and Project Rachel.
Father Workman said the number of people gathered at the blessing was inspiring. “We think about the hope that is brought through Mary’s Shelter, (and) we’ve all heard many of the powerful stories that witness to that,” he said. “Hope is more than just optimism. It’s bringing the very presence and trust in God to somebody else’s life. We bless (Mary’s Shelter), to consecrate it, to set it aside as a place that is to be holy, a place that supports family, in imitation of the holy family of God.”
Engbert is a freelancer in King George.
