St. Mark's Church

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and our Diocese have joined together in a nationwide effort called Walking with Moms in Need. The initiative was created to pray for and provide resources to accompany pregnant and parenting mothers facing difficulties.

Phase 1       Introduce Walking with Moms and begin recruiting team Members

The St. Mark’s team will meet throughout the year and complete various tasks, including the parish assessment, response planning and implementation. Members of the team will become aware of the purpose and vision of Walking with Moms in Need and act as ambassadors of the initiative in the parish. The entire parish community is invited and encouraged to participate, and the core team will organize and plan broader parish efforts.” 

In addition to building a parish core team, we also will establish a broader parish support network for those who want to volunteer in a variety of ways. Volunteers in our parish will discern if they want to sponsor a diaper drive, or a baby shower for a single pregnant mother, and various other activities. This would need the support and participation of the parish.

Phase 2     Launch Parish Inventory Process

We are fortunate that the inventory phase has been thoroughly researched and completed by Peace of Christ Parish. The needs of pregnant and parenting moms can be overwhelming, and the sources for help may not be apparent to those most needing support. In light of that, please take as many cards as needed, which will be handed out after each Mass this weekend.

Phase 3     Refine Inventory Results & Begin Assessment & Planning

 Walking with Moms in Need parish teams, in collaboration with parish leaders, will review and evaluate the results of the completed parish inventory. They will assess their findings, identify any gaps, and begin planning how the parish can respond. The core team will then plan and host a parish-wide meeting in which they share the results of the inventory, propose parish responses, and invite input and feedback from the parish community. Finally, the core team, in collaboration with their parish leaders, will review all the information and parishioner feedback and determine how their parish will respond. During the evaluation of our inventory results, our core team will take the time to identify the gaps in resources in Greece, and brainstorm solutions and ways to fill the gaps.

Phase 4     Announce & Commit to Parish Response

Our parish will announce and commit to our specific parish response to better serve vulnerable pregnant and parenting women needing assistance in our community. The core team will plan and host a parish-wide meeting in which the plans for a parish response will be shared with the community. The core team, in collaboration with their parish leaders, will also develop a communications plan to share the parish efforts with the wider community (other churches, library, beauty salons-any place which will accept information cards). The parish will then begin to implement their plans for serving mothers in need.

Phase 5     Celebrate and Implement Parish Plans

Our parish will come together to pray, celebrate, and discuss the best ways for our parish to pray for, support, and serve local moms in need!

Would you like to become more involved or Have Questions?

Please contact Kris Burgio at the Parish Office, Father Jim Hewes via email fr.jim.hewes@dor.org or one of the core team members as they are finalized.

We will be happy to answer any questions.