(The Irish Rover) Notre Dame Right to Life (RtL) kicked off their new “Be Not Afraid” Project (BNA) with a launch party on November 13, marking a major step toward supporting pregnant mothers and new parents in the Notre Dame community. The project, also sponsored by the Family Resource Center (FRC), Campus Ministry, and Student Government, aims to expand support for pregnant and parenting students on campus and provide them with comprehensive resources as they continue their education.
According to RtL, the three main objectives of the project are “to streamline and publish currently available pregnancy resources, to initiate deliverables to foster a culture of life for pregnant and parenting students, and to educate students on best practices to support a pregnant and parenting student.” The club hopes to distribute a comprehensive resource guide that includes all relevant information for pregnant and parenting students, and to revamp the FRC’s landing page.
Free offerings will include babysitting services, baby showers, meal chains, transportation to appointments, and many other resources for pregnant mothers. RtL also plans to educate Notre Dame students on building a culture of life by adding information about their resources to RA training and course syllabi.
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RtL president Jackie Nguyen told the Rover, “Essentially, the ‘Be Not Afraid’ Project seeks to make obtaining resources needed for a mother in need as easy and frictionless as possible.” She continued, “Our mission is to communicate to a mother in need that she is certainly not alone and that she need not be afraid, for a plethora of resources and support are available to her.”
Tweet This: Our mission is to communicate to a mother in need she is not alone and she need not be afraid, resources and support are available to her.
At the launch party, Nguyen and Michael Urban, RtL Director of Spirituality, presented and explained each part of the project, as well as its inspiration.
The launch centered around the story of Mireya Monterosso, a Notre Dame student who shared her experience with an unplanned pregnancy. With her baby Anais Hope in the auditorium, Monterosso shared her journey of overcoming the challenges and fears she faced as a pregnant mother on campus, and the support she received from her roommate, the Family Resource Center, and RtL.
Monterosso explained that in her most difficult moments, she drew inspiration from the Virgin Mary, saying, “I just look up at her, at her whole life, how she can be so strong and faithful and trust her life entirely to God’s hands, and that relationship with her is what really helped me with my pregnancy with Anais.”
Monterosso’s remarks were followed by three speakers: Peggy Hnatusko, Program Director at Notre Dame Family Resource Center; Brett Perkins, Campus Ministry’s Director of Religious Education; and Dawson Kiser, Student Body President.
Hnatusko explained the various services provided by the FRC and the work they do to help pregnant students, saying, “First off, the first ever question is always about financial resources. And we explain to [expectant mothers] what resources are there, including the McGrath Institute for Church Life, and pregnancy and parenting student systems. Then … we work with housing, academics, pastoral support, community, and everything else.”
In a comment to the Rover, Hnatusko explained, “Recognizing that pregnancy and parenting can cause isolation, financial hardship, or other constraints for university students, the University of Notre Dame, in keeping with its mission as a Catholic university, is committed to creating a culture of life on campus. Assistance is available for students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, through the FRC and other campus departments.”
Perkins spoke about the role of Campus Ministry, particularly when it comes to spiritual assistance: “We are all composites of mind, body, and spirit, right? So, we have to make sure we support student’s spiritual lives as well, especially in the midst of anything going on like a planned or unplanned pregnancy.”
Kiser emphasized the importance of “looking at pregnancy resources on campus and trying to really streamline that process and better engage and help students understand what’s available.” Regarding Student Government’s involvement, he said, “We’re really happy to be working with [RtL] and just being able to walk with pregnant and parenting students on their journey and building the culture of radical love.”
Student Government told the Rover, “We were inspired to sponsor the ‘Be Not Afraid’ Project from our commitment to create an inclusive and supportive campus environment for all students, particularly those navigating the blessings and unique challenges of pregnancy and parenting. Through this project, we sought to ensure these students have access to the comprehensive resources offered on Notre Dame’s campus through the Family Resource Center, Right to Life, and Campus Ministry.”
When asked how students can best contribute their talents to supporting the new initiative, Nguyen responded, “All students can get involved in the ‘Be Not Afraid’ Project Student Committee. The Committee will begin in the spring semester 2025 on carrying out the mentioned projects in Marketing/Design, Pastoral Care, Digital Media, Policy and Implementation, Programming, and Research & Development.”
More information about the initiative can be found on RtL’s website.
Editor's note: Xavier Anderson is a sophomore from Reston, Va., studying finance. This article was published by The Irish Rover and is reprinted with permission.
