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“Pastoral care encompasses a broad range of services provided with competence, compassion, and dignity. It includes spiritual assistance and essential material help, and may include supplementary services beyond those available in the community. Providing pastoral care to those in need is a primary way that the Church expresses its love for all God’s children.”
U.S. Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
Pro-Life Pregnancy Services
Respect for human life compels us to reach out to those with special needs. With the support of the faith community, Catholic organizations and agencies provide pastoral services and care for pregnant women, especially those who are vulnerable to abortion and who would otherwise find it difficult or impossible to obtain high-quality medical care.
Resources
Local
National
Walking with Moms in Need
Walking With Moms in Need (WWMIN) is a USCCB initiative for Catholic parishes and communities to support and “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in need. Everyone should know how to help moms in difficult circumstances.
While not trying to turn Catholic parishes into pregnancy centers, we can support local pregnancy centers where they exist, and we can also find and share other resources with pregnant and parenting women.
For a complete listing of parishes in the Diocese of Orlando who have an active WWMIN ministry in English and Spanish, click here.
Post- Abortion Healing and Reconciliation
“The Church offers reconciliation as well as spiritual and psychological care for those suffering from abortion’s aftermath primarily through diocesan-based programs, most often called Project Rachel. Such ministries utilize specially trained priests and professional counselors who provide one-on-one care. Other post-abortion ministries that involve support groups and retreats are also available in many areas.
Every church-sponsored program and identifiably Catholic organization and agency should know where to refer those in need of post-abortion healing. Special resources to assist priests in this ministry are available from the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities and from many diocesan pro-life offices.”
—U.S. Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
Jesus Keeps on Loving You, No Matter What
Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has shared this message on healing after abortion in preparation for Lent.
Used with permission. Copyright © 2025, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
Care for Those Who Are Chronically Ill, Disabled, or Dying
Euthanasia and assisted suicide can appear a reasonable and even compassionate solution to the suffering of individuals and families struggling with illness or the dying process. Yet these are not real solutions—they do not solve human problems, but only take the lives of those most in need of unconditional love.
As Christians, we are called to help build a civilization of life and of love, in which seriously ill persons and their families are never abandoned, but are supported with services, friendship, and love.
—U.S. Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
Resources
Local
State
National
Care for Prisoners, Those on Death Row, and Victims of Violent Crime
“When violent crime impacts a community there is a temptation to respond with anger and vengeance. But the Gospel calls for rehabilitation, reconciliation, and restoration and teaches us to respect the dignity of all human beings, even those guilty of committing horrendous crimes. To promote these ends, we should
- Encourage outreach to prisoners through programs of visitation or letter-writing
- Ensure that the spiritual needs of prisoners are met and that they can receive the sacraments
- Foster pastoral outreach to victims of violent crime
- Offer emotional and material support to the family members of prisoners, especially children, and to pregnant women and new mothers in prison”
—U.S. Catholic Bishops, Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
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