After a long journey of searching, learning, praying, working and volunteering in pregnancy centers led to an encounter with God, Sara Moran knew that the Lord had chosen her for a special mission in pro-life ministry.
Since 2003, Moran has spent much time working and volunteering in pregnancy centers and maternity homes in different states. However, in 2012, she founded The Little Flower Maternity Home in her home state of Colorado. In this tiny little house with two bedrooms, Moran has been able to provide housing for nine pregnant mothers who, for one reason or another, were alone and seeking the love of God.
The Little Flower Maternity Home is not a government funded shelter, but rather a home and a community for pregnant women to prepare to be new mothers, located in Louisville, Colorado. Besides providing free housing to homeless pregnant mothers, along with all of their basic needs, Little Flower’s most important mission is to evangelize these mothers.
“They don’t have anybody, they’re just thrown to the curb. This is not a shelter, this is a home,” Moran said. “We’re like a family. Our goal is not self-sufficiency because God takes care of that. Our goal is really that they bond with their baby, that they have an encounter with Christ, that they are well, physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is a place to come in to rest from the world.”
The mission of Little Flower is rooted in the Church’s teachings and provides a space for mothers to experience the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith.
This is not a shelter, this is a home. We’re like a family. Our goal is not self-sufficiency because God takes care of that. Our goal is really that they bond with their baby, that they have an encounter with Christ, that they are well, physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is a place to come in to rest from the world.”
Sara Moran, founder of Little Flower Maternity Home
“We are a home of evangelization and a home of Christ in the light of Christ,” Moran added. “The mothers go to Mass with us. They don’t have to be Catholic, but there are many conversions that are happening. We teach theology of the body in our home, abstinence, healthy sexuality, and gender issues.”
The home is staffed by interns who commit to spend at least three months living in community and serving these moms 24/7, something that may also allow them to have the opportunity of an encounter with Christ.
Not only does Little Flower Maternity Home help pregnant women through the process of having a baby, it also supports them after giving birth. They ask that mothers take a six-month maternity leave to bond with their babies and live in community with other moms who are going through the same circumstances.
One mom recalls finding hope at Little Flower in what felt like a hopeless situation: “I was 17 weeks pregnant and about to be homeless. I had no friends or family to rely on. I called on a whim after finding The Little Flower online. Being there gave me the chance to rest from the chaos of my life. I loved the community of mothers with similar circumstances and needs. I felt like I wasn’t going through this alone. The Little Flower changed my life!”
A resident generally stays at Little Flower Maternity Home beginning at any time during her pregnancy until about six months after her baby is born, when they feel financially stable and find a safe place to go. There is no cost to live at the maternity home; they rely on the generosity of volunteers to keep the house functioning and all their funds come from the generosity of donors and the grace of God.
“It’s all provided by the grace of God, by divine providence, because we’re not government funded… God provides for this,” Moran said. “Miracles happen every day here. When a mom needs diapers, we pray about it and then someone shows up with a bag of dippers. It’s all divine providence.”
Little Flower Maternity Home has new openings for pregnant mothers in need as well as for interns interested in an opportunity to experience the love, forgiveness, and mercy of God. Candidates must apply online and make a commitment of at least three months of living in community at the maternity home in Louisville.
“Innocent precious babies’ lives have been saved because their mothers had the support and housing they needed to make a life-giving choice,” Moran concluded. “When they come here, we just praise God that they’re giving life to their child and you coach them through the birth of their baby. It’s just amazing.”
For pregnant mothers interested in being a part of this community, they must call Little Flower Maternity Home at 720-609-2934. The intake process takes 5-7 days and includes an initial telephone screening, an off-site interview, a house tour, background check, and final acceptance. For more information visit littleflowermaternity.org .
