• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
The Center for Pregnancy Concerns hopes to open a new pregnancy resource center next to Planned Parenthood in downtown Baltimore. Donors gave funds to purchase a building for the new center last year. The building needs extensive rehabilitation. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Pro-life pregnancy center to open next to Planned Parenthood

March 21, 2018
By George P. Matysek Jr.
Filed Under: Archbishop's Ministry, Feature, Local News, News, Respect Life, Urban Vicariate

A man was praying outside a busy Planned Parenthood clinic on North Howard Street in downtown Baltimore more than a year ago when he noticed a for-sale sign on a long-abandoned, 100-year-old building right next door.

Instantly, he was inspired.

What if the three-story structure could be turned into a pro-life pregnancy resource center, he wondered? How many lives might be saved that would otherwise be lost to abortion at Planned Parenthood?

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted the Center for Pregnancy Concerns (CPC), a nondenominational, Christian nonprofit organization that operates four pro-life pregnancy resource centers in the Baltimore metropolitan area. He offered to put up money to purchase the building for CPC.

After another anonymous donor stepped forward to match the initial contribution, the CPC’s board of directors approved going forward with acquisition of the dilapidated brick building. The CPC submitted the winning $94,500 bid — paid with the unexpected contributions — to purchase the property at auction Jan. 19, 2017.

A new pregnancy resource center is being established right next to Planned Parenthood in downtown Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Plans are now underway to rehabilitate the former electronics and jewelry store and transform it into the CPC’s fifth location. Once operational, the new outreach center will become only the second pro-life pregnancy resource center operating in the city.

“It’s definitely providential,” said Carol Clews, executive director of the CPC. “When we tell people in the pro-life community about this, their jaws drop. They are so excited.”

The CPC, which helps approximately 1,000 women a year, includes two pregnancy resource centers based at Catholic institutions – one at St. Rita in Dundalk and another at St. Ann in East Baltimore. The other centers are located in Essex and Arbutus.

Among the free services offered at the existing centers include private counseling, sonograms, training programs and extensive material assistance, including donated baby clothes, toys, diapers, books, furniture and other supplies.

Gretchen Carney, the CPC’s development director, said the Howard Street location gives her organization more direct contact with abortion-minded women.

“We have the opportunity to reach a whole group of people we haven’t been able to access before,” she said.

The purchased building, located at 328 North Howard Street, needs extensive renovations.

Wayne Dickie, a CPC board member and construction manager for the Howard Street property, said a final cost estimate for the restoration has not been completed. His goal is to get the first floor repaired first so the center can open to the public as soon as possible. Depending on available funds, the second and third floors could also be rehabilitated.

What services are offered at the new building are yet to be finalized and will depend on how much of the facility is able to be utilized.

“It was originally two structures that they actually joined together,” said Dickie, noting that floors are misaligned in parts of the building. “We’ve got piping sitting in there that is leftover legacy stuff that isn’t used. There’s wires going places not even being used. It’s got a basement in the front, but not the back. It’s a mismatch.”

Deacon Richard “Monti” Montalto, a CPC board member, is conducting an appeal to raise money to repair the building. He sent a letter to all parishes in Maryland, asking for support. Appeals were also made to other Catholic organizations and Christian groups.

“I reminded pastors that we have 2.5 million baptized Catholics in Maryland,” he said. “I’m asking for a widow’s mite – $1 each to put toward the project.”

Deacon Montalto noted that after he mentioned that a large percentage of baptized Catholics are not active in the church, someone gave $200,000 to cover those people.

“I have no doubt we will raise enough money to complete the project,” Deacon Montalto said. “We are totally committed.”

Archbishop William E. Lori, a strong supporter of opening another pregnancy resource center, will lead the annual Good Friday prayer walk to the Howard Street Planned Parenthood March 30 beginning at 8 a.m. Participants will walk from the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Ligouri to Planned Parenthood, praying the Stations of the Cross along the way. At the abortion clinic, they will pray the rosary.

Contributions may be mailed to the Center for Pregnancy Concerns, 442 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221. Make checks payable to the Center for Pregnancy Concerns and note “328” in the memo line.

Read more stories about respect for life here.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org.

 

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

George P. Matysek Jr.

George Matysek, a member of the Catholic Review staff since 1997, has served as managing editor since September 2021. He previously served as a writer, senior correspondent, assistant managing editor and digital editor of the Catholic Review and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

In his current role, he oversees news coverage of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a host of Catholic Review Radio.

George has won more than 100 national and regional journalism and broadcasting awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, the Catholic Press Association, the Associated Church Press and National Right to Life. He has reported from Guyana, Guatemala, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

A native Baltimorean, George is a proud graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Essex. He holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and a master's degree from UMBC.

George, his wife and five children live in Rodgers Forge. He is a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • St. Mary’s High School swimmer breaks record held by Michael Phelps
  • Long homilies are ‘a disaster,’ keep it under 10 minutes, pope says
  • Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program
  • Catholics look to night skies as new comet reveals ‘the glory of God’
  • Movie Review: ‘The Pale Blue Eye’

| Latest Local News |

Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale

Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population

Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program

| Latest World News |

Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations

Mission begins by meeting Jesus in the Scriptures and Eucharist, pope says

Bishop’s heroic crusade against America’s suicide epidemic is personal

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale
  • Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations
  • Analysis: As GOP primary season nears, will pro-lifers embrace Trump or hold out for a new hero?
  • Mission begins by meeting Jesus in the Scriptures and Eucharist, pope says
  • Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population
  • Bishop’s heroic crusade against America’s suicide epidemic is personal
  • Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program
  • Ukraine’s religious leaders renew invitation to pope to visit Kyiv
  • ‘I love you, Papa!’: Maryland Catholics recall encounters with Pope Benedict XVI

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED