Centro Tepeyac is a crisis pregnancy center in Silver Spring, Maryland, supported by several members of the Maryland CL community. Miriam Bethencourt, the Executive Director, shares what it means to entrust the work of the center to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Why did you choose Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Patroness of the crisis pregnancy center?

Centro Tepeyac takes its name from the hill where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531. This apparition coincided with the Aztecs’ end of human sacrifice, making Our Lady a champion for the right to life. When we started in 1990, a group of local citizens became aware that the abortion industry was targeting the Hispanic population in the Washington, Maryland, and Virginia areas. Abortion clinics had begun an intensive campaign to promote their practices through Spanish radio and newspaper ads, seeking to exploit for financial gain the desperation that poverty-stricken immigrants can feel when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Someone needed to fight for the forgotten, as Our Lady did with Juan Diego in 1531. Centro Tepeyac is that warrior, for not only the unborn, but for expectant and current mothers as well.

How do you cultivate a relationship with Our Lady through your work?

Our relationship to Our Lady manifests in many ways throughout our work. We do small things to remind us of her presence, with several images of her around our office. We sign off our emails with a hopeful "Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!" But she also guides our work in deep and transformative ways, primarily by offering an example for the kind of care that we'd like to show our mothers. Our services are not transactional: we do not ask for a dollar, or even a thank you in return. Instead, we aim for a transcendental vision, where we demonstrate the kind of unconditional love that Our Lady showed to Juan Diego. Whatever form of assistance we're providing — a pregnancy test, a pack of diapers, a nutrition class, a counseling session — we want to be communicating her message to St. Juan Diego: "Am I not here, I, who am your mother?"

Are there any particular stories of examples you can share that speak of Mary's presence in your work?

Our Lady is the patroness of the Americas, so she often becomes a bridge for newly arrived mothers from Central or Latin America to the United States. Some of the mothers that come to us, see the image of Our Lady and immediately feel at home.

We've had volunteers come to us solely because of our name, sensing a shared mission and devotion to Our Lady. One volunteer shared that as she folds clothing or sorts diapers, she makes sure to say a prayer for the child who will receive that item. In this way, every pack of diapers or every newborn pajama in the baby boutique is a tangible Hail Mary. The mothers at Centro Tepeyac are not only served but literally and physically wrapped in prayers.

But in many ways, the most powerful stories are the stories of success that our mothers share with us. We pray to Our Lady every day and mention each mother to her by name. Every time that a mother comes and introduces us to her baby, we feel an immense gratitude to Our Lady. We know that she was the one who gave us the compassion to care for this mother. We know that she was the one who strengthened that young mother to brave her unexpected pregnancy in the same way she did, when she gave her fiat.

For more information about Centro Tepeyac and to support their work, visit centrotepeyac.org/donate.