Since the 13th century, the month of May has been dedicated to the Blessed Mother Mary. Our Blessed Mother is known to be one of our greatest saints. She was born in Jerusalem and was presented in the Temple and took a vow of virginity. The archangel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth and announced to her that she would become the Mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. She married Saint Joseph and gave birth to a son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
A very cherished story my mother shared with me as a child was about her fifth grade Confirmation class trivia contest. They held this contest in loving memory of an older classmate that had passed away in a car accident. Each student was quizzed on their knowledge of the Old and New Testament with the winner receiving a new prayer missal.
The contest continued for a couple of hours one Saturday with only my mom and two other students remaining. My mom and another student were finally eliminated when they incorrectly answered the question, for how many pieces of silver did Judas betray Jesus. Both my mother and the other student were both deeply disappointed after a long day of participating, however the panel was so impressed with them that they gave each of them a beautiful statue of the Blessed Mother. 
For nearly 60 years, this serene statue and the wonderful story of its origin have been a lovely part of our family. It serves as a reminder that Mary the Blessed Mother is there for us daily, to guide and nurture us. Nurture can be defined as to care for and encourage growth or development.
Motherhood is truly a gift to be cherished. In the month of May especially, we celebrate our moms and show them appreciation for all they do for us. Pro-Life Activities, an extremely important ACA supported ministry, focuses on education about the beginning and natural end of life as well as the threat to all human life posed by abortion and euthanasia. Pro-Life Activities provides morally acceptable alternatives by expanding education, health, nutrition and other services to disadvantaged mothers, fathers and their children.
The Reverend Walter Nagle, Diocesan Director of Pro-Life Activities, sharing his philosophy, said, “Life is beautiful, and I paraphrase Saint Gianna Beretta Molla who said, "We must be living witnesses of the beauty and grandeur of Christianity." I say, "We must be living witnesses of the beauty and grandeur of life."
Pro-Life Activities is just one of the many important ministries that benefits from our Annual Catholic Appeal. With your support you can help many parents and children with support services through the Pro-Life Activities Ministry. With our 2022 campaign now underway, please consider a monetary gift to the ACA, to help our ministries carry out their spiritually affirming and life changing missions.
To make a contribution to our 2022 ACA “One Faith, One Family,” please go online to www.norwichdiocesedevelopment.org or contact Heather Harris, campaign manager, at (860) 886-1928, Ext. 111.
Thank you so much for your generosity. Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and best friend, Donna, and all the beautiful moms of the diocese.
By Gina Foster