By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
I was intrigued from the start. A distinguished-looking woman stood in front of our church congregation, gaining our attention. She came to share the miracles that had occurred at Morning Star, a pregnancy resource center in Pennsylvania.
She came bearing astounding news—609 precious babies had been saved at Morning Star last year. That’s 609 human beings who might not have been given a chance at life, had not their mothers received help and hope at the pregnancy care center.
Morning Star has been operating in the Harrisburg area for decades. That represents years of life-saving, life-affirming service. With each baby saved, a branch of a family tree is saved—and a mother is protected from the trauma and tragedy of abortion.
Our church is one of a number of houses of worship that participate in something called the Baby Bottle Blessing for Morning Star. Baskets of baby bottles are positioned at the church doors. Congregants are asked to take a baby bottle home and fill it with loose change. The bottles are then collected on Father’s Day, with the money raised supporting Morning Star’s phenomenal work on behalf of women, children, and families.
When I think of Morning Star, grace comes to mind. There is grace in the compassionate way in which the counselors interact with their clients. Grace abounds in the ultrasound room, where moms and dads have a chance to bond with their babies via the latest medical technology. And there is grace, too, in the outreach to mothers who have suffered the tragic loss of abortion and who seek healing and wholeness.
This Mother’s Day, I invite you to say a special prayer for the staff and volunteers at the pregnancy care centers in your area. They are shining a light into the darkness of our culture, helping pregnant women to find a path toward the joy of welcoming their children into the world.
With each woman they serve, they are adding a bit more love to the world.