Local Catholics 'spiritually' adopt children in the womb

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SALT LAKE CITY – Thanks to a new parish prolife ministry, St. Olaf parishioners have been able to participate in a special effort to pray for the unborn over the last eight months.

In March, Respect for Life coordinator Cindy Wilson introduced the spiritual adoption program, which allows parishioners to pledge to pray daily for a child conceived that month who “might not otherwise make it to birth,” Wilson said. Participants were encouraged to name their baby and to pray specifically for him/her each day in a simple prayer:

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I pray to you for the unborn child that I have spiritually adopted whose life and death may be in danger.”

Naming the babies reminds participants that “although you might never meet the child in this life you truly are praying for a specific child, perhaps known only to God, who needs your prayers,” Wilson said.

Wilson came across the spiritual adoption program on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s website.

“I was looking for something that would enable everyone who was looking to participate in something to be able to do so and not make it super difficult,” she said. “I wanted to start our ministry with something that everyone could participate in if they so choose to do.”

An unexpected blessing of the program is that it can be done easily during the pandemic and at the convenience of the participants.

“Anybody can pray any time of day,” Wilson said. “There can never be too many people praying for this type of worthy cause.”

Wilson has made a poster of the 30 or so pledge cards that have been returned to her. These cards include the names of the babies. Based on the feedback she has received, she feels there are many more parishioners who have not yet returned to Mass who are involved in the effort, she said.

Each month, Wilson provides an update in the parish bulletin on the growth and development of the spiritually adopted baby.

The program will culminate in December, when most of those babies are likely to be born. The parish will celebrate the birth of the babies by collecting baby items that will be given to mothers in need.