Teen Pregnancy Rates Fall? Hold the Applause!

4/17/2012

(Page 2 of 2)

in Reading, PA.

"Michael Six, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, is careful to point out that Mary's shelter is an independent organization, not affiliated formally with the Catholic Church.

The fact that it is located in a former convent with the vast majority of volunteers being Catholic, speaks loudly of a real, though not official, connection to Catholicism.

"The response has been tremendous," said Six. Each of the rooms available to a mother and her child has been sponsored by pro-life groups. There is visible evidence of the participation.

Six can't keep from sharing his warm smile as he opens door after door of renovated rooms ready to welcome pregnant women.

He proudly displayed the room that Cassidy's Pro Life Club decorated. "They even painted the bands around the ceiling lights and the inside of the medicine cabinet!"

One Boy Scout troop took on the monumental task of organizing the numerous donations the shelter has received.

There is a huge emphasis on education at the shelters. Many of the girls in the program have no experience with life or parenting skills.

Popular television shows like "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" have certainly brought the phenomenon of teen pregnancy to the forefront. Viewers are invited into the soap opera-like lives of teen moms. The effect of these shows on teen pregnancies is yet to be determined. Just watching a smattering of episodes of "Teen Mom" showed much drama and little substance.

One 64-year-old Easton, Pennsylvania woman, who chose not to be identified, had a more realistic view of teen pregnancy. She was 15 when she got pregnant

"I just about finished tenth grade," she said.

"Are you kidding me!" she said when asked whether she was scorned by a society less accepting of teen pregnancy.

"I lost my friends and my freedom but abortion was not an option I would even consider."

She married the baby's father and both committed to giving the baby the best life they could.

"My mom didn't have that talk with me! She said when discussing abstinence. Her mom did support her though in her decision to marry and keep the baby.

For more information, see www.Marysshelter.org

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: teen pregnancy, Catholic, homes for unwed mothers, love, charity

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

Brandon
1 year ago
Definitely some good news in the report.

http://i43.tinypic.com/33vovlw.jpg
abey
1 year ago
The truth to this matter reflects to the administration's Social & Moral issues which is to reduction in the populations using every means, one of which is to the reduction in teen pregnancies points not to a Moral upliftment, since it is not the Policy applied, but to a Moral depravity, increasing in the sexual indulgences through the liberal use of contraceptive & other birth control means to the "appeasings" in the policies but reduction in the pregnancies shown through the statistics . In other words favorable statistics need not point to the Moral truth , when actually it should have been, if it came through absenteeism. Some where along the line the Statue of Liberty seem to signify sexual liberty, morally,[ to a "liberty to sin" which in Biblical terms denote "Harlotry" against the reproduction, against the moral conscience, which becomes against life, getting nearer to the truth of that deceitful word of the administration called Planned Parenthood, from that ole' Dragon or Serpent called the devil.
Linda
1 year ago
This is a very good look at a problem that will probably never go away completely but if
it helps one young girl to think twice about becoming a parent so young it is worth the space and time. Ms Gifford wrote a good take on the best options for the women of tomorrow.

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