Follow-up on the closing of the Pro-Life Clinic...

A anonymous reader sent me the following earlier yesterday:

This is a response to the closing of the only Catholic Prolife Center in the Archdiocese from a parish priest when he was asked about the closing of The Birthing and Care Center in College Park.

" The Birthing and Care Program was established right next to an abortion clinic in College Park. That abortion clinic has now closed. Some might say it was due to the prayer and efforts of those at the Birthing and Care Center. Evidently, many would come in and wait in a long line outside the abortion clinic in front of the door to the Birthing and Care office. The women had to pass The Birthing and Care office as they went through and many came in and used the services of that program. An altar was set up immediately adjacent to the wall of the abortion clinic. Masses were often offered there by Bishops Holley and Gonzalez. In addition, 52 babies were saved in the past year or two since this began. Now that the abortion clinic is no longer there, the Archdiocese is going to do something a little different. We’ll use the monies from that program to enable each parish to have people able to deal with abortion issues. The struggle of the Birthing and Care Center in College Park was that it only served a few parishes: St. Mark, Holy Redeemer and St. Jerome and the University of MD. Now the money that was used for the Center (@ $100,000 for rent) will be used to help train people who can be advocates in each parish, providing the same kind of guidance and leadership to individuals across the Archdiocese who need assistance. That program is just being implemented. We haven’t been visited yet (but we will be soon) to design our own efforts to meet this need."

Late yesterday, I was forwarded the the following email from one of my regular readers (and an all around nice guy):

Hello all,

Please be careful about spreading this type of news! The Birthing and Care Program is actually still in existence, but under a new name and at a different location. They are now called The Sanctuary for Life and they are in Hyattsville, MD. Their phone number is 301-853-5453. As far as I know, they are still offering their prenatal program to women who qualify. We just received a letter from them last week of their change of location.

Cynthia Gilday
Pregnancy Center Director
Northwest Center


So, it may have been moved and maybe the mission will change a bit. That is good. But, this raises other questions for me.

First, when conducting a reverse phone lookup, the phone number of the center is unlisted. Odd if you ask me. Wouldn't you want it listed?

Second, you would have thought that this would have been published in the Catholic Standard. But there is no mention of it. Possibly they are waiting for all of the plans to be put into place? But why hide it.

Third, is the center going to continue to do what it does and also branch out, as the first email indicates?

As I mentioned yesterday, I wrote to the Archdiocese hoping to get an answer, and I still hope to get an answer.

So, let me say this: If someone from the Archdiocese could respond, I will post your response exactly as written. I would love to hear from you on this.

I am really hoping that this is just an issue of poor communication and some poor planning. And nothing more.

You know, if you had the program outside of a clinic, maybe the Archdiocese should re-establish the office next to the abortion clinic on Georgia Avenue?

Have a great weekend.