Peace Garden News

As a lawsuit looms over the issue of abortion in North Dakota, a maternity home located in Warsaw offers women that are experiencing a crisis pregnancy an alternative to the procedure. Former residents speak highly of their positive experiences at the home.

On March 16, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled that the abortion restrictions that were passed by the North Dakota legislature last year would remain on hold while a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds, according to NPR News.

While pro-life activists are engaged in the courts, the staff at the Saint Gianna & Pietro Molla Maternity Home continue to offer support for women who are experiencing crisis pregnancies. Founded in 2003, the home offers pregnant women of any age safe shelter, food, clothing, education, counseling and support as they pursue an alternative to abortion.

"I was going down a path that wasn’t good for me and especially not for my child. I was not sure where life was going to take me, but I knew that something needed to change. Thankfully, I was presented a few options or ways that could help me and my baby, and Saint Gianna’s was one of them," according to a testimonial on the home's website. "I didn’t know what a maternity home even was. However, the Gianna Home has changed my life and given my baby a wonderful start in life." 

According to a report in the National Catholic Register, since their founding in 2003, more than 300 women and children have lived at the home and most mothers have chosen to keep their babies. The remaining 20 babies were placed for adoption.

Residents of the home attend classes to finish high school, or to start online colleges or trade schools, National Catholic Register reported. They are provided with therapy and addiction counseling, and all moms receive prenatal and parenting classes. Additionally, residents help with chores and preparing meals, and enjoy birthday parties, holiday celebrations, bonfires, games and more. Catholicism is at the core of the home's philosophy, so prayers and daily Mass are also part of the resident experience. While daily Mass is optional, true to their faith, Sunday Mass is not.

Mary Pat Jahner, the home's founder and director, was once a teacher, but after volunteering at a Missionaries of Charity maternity home in Los Angeles, California during a summer break, she ultimately felt compelled to form a home of her own, according to Celebrate Life Magazine.

“Saint Gianna’s Maternity Home is more than a shelter,” Jahner told Celebrate Life Magazine. “It’s a pro-life home of formation for pregnant women and their children. [Unlike many maternity homes, Saint Gianna’s welcomes pregnant moms with children.] Many women come from abusive and dysfunctional backgrounds and need the emotional, physical and spiritual support of a family. For some women, Saint Gianna’s is the only family they have.”