A pregnancy help medical clinic in Illinois hosted the baptism of a client’s baby on Jan. 22, the annual day of prayer for the legal protection of the unborn.
The day marks the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which created a constitutional “right” to abortion across the country. But this year, the day was marked with a joyful celebration hosted by the Chicago-based pro-life organization Aid for Women. According to an email newsletter shared with supporters, their client’s child was sacramentally brought into God’s family surrounded by family and friends.
“Joy filled the chapel at Monica’s House as Kayden Anthony was baptized into the Catholic Church by Rev. Gerald O’Reilly, Associate Pastor of Mary, Mother of Martyrs Parish in Des Plaines,” Aid for Women’s Executive Director Susan Barrett wrote in the email.
She added that those “proudly” in attendance at the baptism included Kayden’s mother, Nikki, as well as her parents and the child’s godmother. Other pregnancy center staff, volunteers and four seminarians from the Archdiocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, were also present.
“Nikki first learned about Aid for Women when she found out that she was pregnant,” Barrett explained. “She was transitioning out of her home and her career, with no steady work or place to live,”
After moving into an Aid for Women maternity home, though, she found “community with the other moms [which] helped her grow in confidence and, since Kayden arrived, Nikki has now achieved her goals of being able to support herself and her baby.”
In the thriving mother’s own words, “Without Aid for Women, I wouldn’t be the strong woman I am becoming I am grateful for all that Aid for Women has done for us as I continue to grow as a woman and a mother.”
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The date for Kayden’s baptism was selected by Fr. O’Reilly, according to additional information shared by Aid for Women with Pregnancy Help News. Aid for Women’s Maternity Home Manager Faith Cintron said that the priest “specifically wanted the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism to be celebrated on that significant date.”
“I thought it was a wonderful idea,” she added, noting the symbolism of “hav[ing] Kayden’s Baptism on the day that all Americans are invited to help build a Culture of Life.”
Aid for Women offers its services to women with a variety of spiritual backgrounds.
Barrett emphasized in her additional comments to Pregnancy Help News that the organization strives “to meet clients where they are in their faith journey,” including inviting and encouraging Catholic clients “to attend Mass regularly, be active in their parishes, and grow in their own relationship with God.”
Tweet This: Kayden’s baptism on the Roe v. Wade anniversary was a joyful reminder to all of us of the grace that comes when we put our trust in God.
In addition to individual faith practices supported by daily prayer, weekly Bible study and weekly Mass held in their two maternity homes, the director said Aid for Women “affirm[s] clients of all faiths as they recognize that their unborn child is a miracle—a gift from God to be valued, and treasured. We help alleviate the concerns in their lives so they can focus on this truth.”
“Kayden’s baptism on the Roe v. Wade anniversary was a joyful reminder to all of us of the grace that comes when we put our trust in God,” Barrett noted. “We sincerely thank Fr. O’Reilly and all the priests who administer sacraments for us and help fulfill our mission on an ongoing basis.”
Barrett also said that she hopes and prays that January 22 “becomes recognized more and more as a day for Americans to join together in support of unborn children, mothers and young families who are struggling.”
“If we can make this a national priority, no mother, from any state, will feel the need to consider an abortion,” she said.
Aid for Women offers free pregnancy resources to clients at eight different locations in the Chicago area. Their services include pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, pregnancy and motherhood support programs, maternity homes and Abortion Pill Reversal. The organization has been serving women since 1978, with their work being widely recognized over the years.
Aid for Women was given an Emmy Award in 2016 for a video featuring the story of a former client. More recently, the organization made headlines for persevering with its Christmas ministries even after being vandalized during the Democratic National Convention.
