By Valerie Schmalz
The willingness of Gabriel Project volunteers—or angels—to step up to help moms in need is heartwarming.
In the last couple of months, a baby shower for a mom who just had a baby was organized by a volunteer at St. Augustine Church in South San Francisco while for the month of May the Gabriel Project volunteers held a parish baby shower at Our Lady of Angels in Burlingame.
“The Gabriel Project coordinator along with other parishioners organized a baby shower at Our Lady of Angels honoring Our Blessed Mother Mary on the Feast of the Visitation which was May 31,” said Maria Martinez-Mont, Archdiocese of San Francisco Gabriel Project/Respect Life coordinator.
Our Lady of Angels set up for the parish baby shower.
Parishioners were invited “to bring a gift for Baby Jesus,” according to the OLA flyer.
Following the weekend Masses of May 30-31, the Gabriel Project volunteers collected baby items, diapers, and gift cards. After the 10 a.m. Mass they prayed the rosary and closed with baby shower games including “The Visitation Word Search” and “Let’s make a baby” from a can of Play-Doh.
So far this year, the Archdiocese of San Francisco Gabriel Project has helped 44 new moms, as well as continuing to support pregnant and parenting mothers who the volunteers began helping last year. Just in May, the Gabrel Project began helping 11 new moms.
Our Lady of Angels baby shower included crafts to celebrate the day.
Close relationships often result, so several babies have been baptized recently, and a couple’s marriage was convalidated in the Catholic Church with the help of Gabriel Project volunteers.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco Gabriel Project is a bilingual (Spanish-English) volunteer parish-based ministry that offers support during and after pregnancy, emotional, material, and spiritual. Angels also speak other languages, including Cantonese and Mandarin. Each mom is treated as an individual. The 24-hour hotline (1-800-910-2848) refers messages to the Gabriel Project coordinator who then finds a team of two, an Angel and assistant Angel. The first step is a visit with the expectant mothers, to find out her circumstances and how she can best be helped. Moms range in age from teenagers to those in their 40s. All are welcomed with love and support, Martinez-Mont noted.
Our Lady of Angels baby shower decorations and gifts.
On the website for the Gabriel Project, there is this message:
“In the Gospel of Luke, the Angel Gabriel told Mary the good news that a child would be born and that she was to be the Mother of our Savior. When she asked, ‘How can this be?’ the angel told her not to be afraid for “nothing is impossible with God.”
The Gabriel Project announces the same comforting message to you: Fear not, for God is with you! Nothing is impossible with God. You are stronger than your fear, and more powerful than even the most challenging circumstances that you may find yourself in.”
To learn more about the Gabriel Project, go here. To volunteer or for more information, contact Maria Martinez-Mont at gabrielproject@sfarch.org.
