Baby surrendered to Safe Haven Baby Box

A baby girl was surrendered in February to Missouri’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, six months after it debuted at the Mehlville Fire Protection District House 2 in south St. Louis County. The infant was in the climate-controlled box for less than a minute, before paramedics retrieved her and transported her to an area hospital. The baby will be handed to the state’s social services department and eventually placed for adoption. “To that mother, I would like to say that we loved that baby and cared for that baby the minute that we laid eyes on her and the minute that we opened up that door,” Mehlville Fire Protection District chief Brian Hendricks said at a press conference Feb. 13. “The baby was transported safely and is healthy and doing very well. Everything worked just like it was supposed to.”

The baby box, located on an external wall of the fire station and available 24 hours, seven days a week, allows a mother to safely, legally and anonymously surrender her baby. Safe Haven Baby Boxes, an Indiana-based nonprofit organization, was founded in 2016 by Monica Kelsey, who learned as an adult she had been abandoned as an infant. There currently are 202 baby boxes in 15 states. Since then, a total of 42 babies have been anonymously surrendered to baby boxes across the country, with an additional 147 infants who have been handed off to officials at baby box locations.

“To the parent that came to this location and surrendered your infant … I want to say thank you,” Kelsey said. “Thank you for keeping your child safe. ... It’s always a selfless act that a mother does when she basically says, I want what’s best for my child and it’s not me.” Hendricks said there are plans to install another baby box as early as next year, and he has received inquiries from other fire chiefs about installing baby boxes elsewhere in the St. Louis area.

90 Prayer Days for Life

The archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate has launched a 90 Days of Prayer for Life campaign to pray before the eucharistic Lord to stop efforts behind a proposed ballot initiative that seeks to amend the state’s constitution to restore legal abortion. The prayer campaign will continue through May 5, the deadline to collect enough signatures in support of the proposed amendment, which would allow abortions until fetal viability (typically around 22-24 weeks of pregnancy), with an exception for the “life and physical or mental health” of the mother.

Individuals, families, groups, schools and parishes are invited to choose a day to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. To sign up, visit bit.ly/90DaysForLife-2024.

Several pro-life organizations have formed Missouri Stands with Women, a coalition to oppose the ballot initiative. The Missouri Catholic Conference, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and ThriVe Nation, a St. Louis-based pregnancy resource organization, are among the members of the coalition. Several groups have already donated to the campaign, including the Missouri Catholic Conference and the four Catholic dioceses of Missouri.

Monthly guided eucharistic adoration

The Daughters of St. Paul will offer a monthly guided eucharistic Holy Hour in preparation for the nine First Fridays, featuring scripture meditations and prayers from “Come to Me: Living the Nine First Fridays,” Sister Anne Flanagan, FSP. Guided Adoration will take place in the chapel at Pauline Books & Media, 9804 Watson Road in Crestwood, from 5-6 p.m. on Thursdays before the First Fridays. Dates include Feb. 29, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 2 (Tuesday), Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, and Oct. 31. Contact Sister Laura with questions at (314) 965-3512.

Nazareth Night Brentwood

St. Louis Young Adults will host its first Nazareth Night Brentwood at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Brentwood. The evening will include eucharistic adoration, confession and music from a young adult schola. Social will follow at Global Brew. For future dates, visit stlyoungadults.com/ nazereth-nights-in-brentwood.

Gabriel’s Retreat

The next Gabriel’s Retreat for women facing unexpectedness in her pregnancy or new motherhood will be held on Saturday, March 23, at the LaSalle Retreat Center in Wildwood. The day-long retreat will provide an environment of love and support and counseling or spiritual direction, if desired. The retreat is free and open to any pregnant or new mother, up to one year postpartum, regardless of faith, marital status or pregnancy situation. For more information and to register, visit gabrielsretreat.org.