Friends and supporters of St. Gianna Crisis Pregnancy Home in Bowling Green are seen with Bishop William F. Medley on Aug. 24, 2024. COURTESY OF MIKE NOLAND
Already changing lives: St. Gianna’s opens for women in crisis pregnancies
BY SYLANN SMITH, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
On Aug. 24, 2024, Bishop William F. Medley visited the newly-opened St. Gianna Crisis Pregnancy Home in Bowling Green, a faith-based program whose mission is to help the pregnant woman in crisis who has chosen life for her unborn child by striving to provide support, spiritual guidance, a safe and nurturing environment, and life skills to achieve independence. Women can come at any time during their pregnancy and stay for up to eight months after the birth of their baby.
Missy Monroe, one of the house directors, gave the bishop a tour of the inside and outside of the house, which can accommodate six women, their babies, and a housemother. As they walked, she spoke to him about the progression of the home and how the program is anticipated to operate.
Once a rental property on the serene grounds of Holy Spirit Parish, the house was renovated by local parishioners who donated the cost to repair the home and assisted in constructing a much-needed dining room/classroom addition. The beautiful addition was funded by St. Teresa Ministries, United Way, and anonymous donors. This will be where participants in the program will attend life skill classes and sit down to evening meals around a family-style table, participating in devotions and talking about their day.
During his Aug. 24 visit to St. Gianna Crisis Pregnancy Home in Bowling Green, Bishop William F. Medley offers a prayer of blessing over the home. COURTESY OF MIKE NOLAND
During the construction of the addition, the house was damaged and a storage building was destroyed by a tornado that hit in December 2023. Monroe said she believed the event was actually a blessing in disguise. Insurance reimbursement for the losses allowed for expansion of the upstairs bedrooms and the construction of a garage. The Good Samaritan Ministry assisted in building a garage as well as a spacious wraparound deck for the moms to relax on and enjoy the outdoors. Charlie Gries, a Holy Spirit parishioner, also provided materials and labor for an inviting portico erected over the front stoop, which will protect the women, visitors, and volunteers from the elements.
The garage provides storage space for extra supplies and yard maintenance equipment and tools. Eventually, it will house a boutique. The women in the program will be able to “purchase” donated items such as highchairs, clothing, and baby beds with points they earn. These items will go with them when they transition out of the program to a home of their own.
After the conclusion of the tour, Bishop Medley said a prayer of blessing over the home and said, “This will change lives.”
Monroe replied, “It already has, in the lives of all who have been involved in this ministry in any capacity.”
For more information on St. Gianna Crisis Pregnancy Home, visit our website www.stgiannacph.org or follow us on Facebook @stgiannacph. To reach one of our house directors, Kathy Byrne or Missy Monroe, call (270) 702-4984, or send an email to [email protected].
Note: St. Gianna Crisis Pregnancy Home was blessed to welcome its first program participant on Sept. 5, 2024. Please keep this young mother, her preborn baby, and all who directly and indirectly support her in your prayers.
A tour is given of St. Gianna Crisis Pregnancy Home in Bowling Green on Aug. 24. (Right to left) Bishop William F. Medley; Fr. Martin Ma Na Ling, associate pastor of Holy Spirit Parish; house mother Amanda Ashley; Fr. Randy Howard, pastor of Holy Spirit; and house director Missy Monroe. COURTESY OF MIKE NOLAND
Originally printed in the October 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
