Blogcast: The Visitation: A Model for Walking with Women

Catholic Apostolate Center Resources

This blogcast explores “The Visitation: A Model for Walking with Women” written and read by Fatima Monterrubio Cruess.

In this blog post, Fatima shares how the example of Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth is a way to accompany women in our communities.

I invite you to celebrate this feast day by imitating the example of Mary and taking the initiative to reach out to a woman in your community.

While this may involve going a bit outside our comfort zone, each of us, no matter where we are in life, can offer this much-needed kinship. We don’t have to be in the same boat as a woman in need or know her pain or experience firsthand. We are simply called to walk alongside her, providing support, friendship, and encouragement. Accompaniment does not mean taking on or attempting to fix someone’s problems. It means a willingness to listen, to be truly present to another, to offer reassurance, closeness, and compassion.

Reaching out to a woman in your community can take many forms, from working to enact systemic change (such as advocating for paid parental leave or working to ensure access to healthcare) to just grabbing a cup of coffee with a mom you know.

Other concrete ideas for living out the spirit of the Visitation include offering to babysit, donating to or volunteering with a local pregnancy center, starting or joining a mom’s group at your parish, organizing a diaper drive, or making a meal for a family. You may consider getting involved with Walking with Moms in Need, the Church’s nationwide initiative that helps Catholics form parish teams to identify resources in their local area and connect pregnant and parenting mothers with support and services.

For a woman struggling in her fertility journey, just lending an ear, offering to accompany her to a doctor’s appointment, or putting her in touch with someone else who has been there can make a huge difference.

In every gesture of closeness, we will find ourselves enriched and accompanied in return. May we strive to emulate authentically the spirit of the Visitation, so that every woman can come to feel the profound embrace of kinship!

Author:

Fatima Monterrubio Cruess is the Resource Coordinator for the Catholic Apostolate Center. In this role, she assists in the creation and use of the Center's content and resources in both English and Spanish.

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