Mater Filius, a maternity home for women in unexpected pregnancies, recently celebrated its opening in Colorado Springs, Colo.
In 2020, Executive Director Lisa Schmitz felt called to open a maternity home in the city.
“I just felt that God had something for me next–and I didn’t know what it was—and I just felt really clearly in my heart God say, ‘help start a maternity home here,’” said Schmitz, who has a background working in transitional housing and pregnancy help.
She spoke with a friend who worked for the local Catholic diocese—who, unbeknownst to Schmitz, had actually been meaning to talk to her about the same thing. The friend had been in prayer for over a year with other pregnancy help leaders in the area.
At the same time that Schmitz and her friend were in discussion, two other local pregnancy help advocates had been thinking about the same idea and had seen a property for sale.
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A long journey followed. The group “saw lots of miracles along the way,” Schmitz told Pregnancy Help News, and had confidence that their mission was guided by God.
Mater Filius Colorado Springs was officially launched by the four founders on March 25, 2024. Part of the worldwide Mater Filius network of 27 homes that began in 2003 in Mexico City, the home’s motto is “defend life with love.”
Life at Mater Filius
The home welcomes pregnant women, including those with other children up to the age of five. Each woman has a private bedroom and shared bathroom, rent-free.
Meals and snacks are provided by the home, and each woman is assigned a mentor. Mothers are given “anything they’re lacking” when they arrive, at no cost to them.
Workshops are held in the home, covering topics like spirituality and life skills. The home also has Christian enrichment programs for the children.
After leaving Mater Filius, the women stay connected with the staff and can access ongoing support. Their children can enjoy the child enrichment programs until age five.
Clients’ ages range from minors up to women nearing midlife. Schmitz said the women are from “every race, every ethnicity, every religious background or lack thereof” but that they all have differing circumstances.
Since many of the women have come from unstructured, traumatic situations, the home provides a structured program for them.
Every client is up and ready for the day by eight, when they eat breakfast. After cleaning up, the clients work on their goals—attending college, going to work, or visiting the doctor and such.
Lunch is from 12 to 1, followed by rest time and more time for goals. In the evenings, the women cook dinner with the help of a volunteer. After dinner, everyone assists in clean-up. Depending on the day, dinner may be followed by a workshop or free time.
Weekends consist of free time and church on Sundays. Clients are welcome to attend the church of their choosing or worship at Mater Filius’ in-house chapel.
When asked about what the women’s response has been like, Schmitz said it has been “really positive overall.” Upon being offered a place at Mater Filius, the women are often very relieved. Many have come from situations where they don’t have a bed and are unsure of where their next meal will come from.
Although the women aren’t always comfortable living in community, they adapt to their new environment quickly and many of them have developed friendships.
When one woman had an important test coming up, all the other women visited the in-house chapel to pray for her before she took the test. They did this without prompting, Schmitz noted with pride. It was a shining example of how the women of Mater Filius have learned to support one another.
The home has served about 11 women since its opening. Six women are currently residing there.
Looking forward to the journey ahead
Mater Filius has a team of about 80 staff and volunteers, although it is largely composed of volunteers.
Supporting Mater Fillius can manifest in a variety of ways; prayer, volunteering, or donations. A wish list for items that the home needs is posted online. The home is also in need of donors, especially recurring ones.
Since the Mater Filius network has a proven track record of success, Schmitz is optimistic about the future of the Colorado Springs home.
“We’re really excited about it,” she said.
“We feel like we’re off to a good start and appreciate people’s prayers for us and the moms and kids moving forward,” Schmitz said.
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Schmitz encourages others to start homes in their communities if they have seen a need and they know it is in line with God’s will. She is happy to connect those who are interested in starting a home—or who would like to learn more about successful maternity home models—to the Mater Filius headquarters.
For Schmitz, opening Mater Filius has been a great blessing.
“It’s really rewarding, and we know that whether a woman stays here a day or throughout the whole program, she has been touched in her life for the better,” she said. “You know, it’s going to help the community as well and it’s going to help stabilize their lives and the lives of their children for generations.”
Editor’s note: Information and resources related to maternity housing are available from the Maternity Housing Coalition. Heartbeat International manages the Maternity Housing Coalition and Pregnancy Help News.
