Nurturing the Light of Life

Introducing the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers

Lumen Vitae — “The Light of Life.” As a Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine community of learners, the University of Mary strives to put this motto into practice by acknowledging and defending the inherent dignity of the human person at every stage of development. “Under Monsignor Shea’s leadership and long before that with our founding Sisters, we have always been very intentional about defending life,” said Jerome Richter, the university’s Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff. “Since 2010, we’ve been sending busloads of students and faculty to the March for Life in Washington, DC every spring. We’re heavily involved in pro-life advocacy.”

The university’s commitment to life glows with a special radiance among flashing toys and basketfuls of baby essentials in a cozy community room on the south end of Boniface East Hall. Each morning, two young mothers tote their little ones to this newly stocked nursery for an hour or two of quality time before the day’s responsibilities draw Mom across campus and back again in time for dinner.

Welcome to the heart of the University of Mary’s Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, established last fall to supply student moms with stable housing, reliable childcare, and vital parenting resources, all free of charge. “This program goes back to the basics of who we are as an institution,” said Maggie Popp, ’20, coordinator of Mission for Life, the university’s core student volunteer organization. “We’re a Catholic university first and foremost, so we want to care for those on the margins. This is a new opportunity for us to care for those in need.”

The concept for the program first arose in 2019. “A young couple associated with the University of Mary came forward to me and said, ‘We’re going to the March for Life, we’re supporting the Women’s Care Center. What can we do for young women who’ve found themselves in a situation they didn’t anticipate but want to receive an education?’” Richter said. “And I said, ‘Let’s start brainstorming.’ If a young mom finds herself in this situation and chooses life, thanks be to God, we don’t want them to all of a sudden say, ‘Well, now I can’t get an education.’”

Three years later, after raising over $1.2 million in funding for the initiative at its annual Candlelight Gala, the university set to work in earnest, launching the program last November under the patronage of Mother Teresa. “The generosity of our donors and the good people around here has been tremendous,” Richter said. “And it all started with that couple, two friends of the university, and their faithfulness and dedication to the project. They ultimately made it happen, both through their efforts and their own finances — they made the first gift.”

After graduation, Katie plans to pursue a career in either adolescent or geriatric social work.

In keeping with the University of Mary’s Benedictine heritage and identity, the program places a strong emphasis on stability and community.

“We’re providing room and board year-round so these moms can continue their education without having to worry about their living situation and basic necessities on top of everything else,” Richter said. “We’re offering year-round childcare as well. We have volunteers from all over campus: Mission for Life, Collegians for Life, Vera Forma, the other students in the residence hall. We’ve had no trouble finding students to help out.” Besides providing free room, board, and childcare, the university regularly invites local leaders to Boniface East for formation dialogues focused on financial literacy, effective parenting, mental and spiritual self-care, and other key skill areas for new mothers. “As a donorfunded institution, we have strong relationships with all of these community leaders with important skillsets,” Richter said. “Whether they’re currently in their profession or retired, they can come in and talk with our mothers and provide valuable insight on a variety of foundational life and parenting skills. We’re trying to provide that formation and stability to set these mothers up for lifelong success.”

Angelina works toward her calling in the Casey Center for Nursing Education.

For Katie, ’24, a junior social work major and a member of the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, the program stands as a rock of refuge amid the dueling pressures of new parenthood and college life. “The consistency has meant a lot to us,” she said. “I’m just amazed with how well everything’s been working already, and I’m so grateful to the university for putting value into us and our story.” Katie welcomed her daughter Lucia, now a chatty 13-monthold with a contagious smile, last spring. “I found out I was pregnant two weeks after arriving in Rome to study abroad. I had absolutely no idea what to do or who to ask for help, but I ended up reaching out to one of my RDs, and the very first thing she said was, ‘Congratulations!’ Everyone there and all of my professors made it clear they would do whatever they could to help me have a good semester. They gave me confidence that everything would be okay.”

After spending the summer months getting to know each other with the support of family and friends, Katie and Lucia set out for Bismarck from the former’s home of Denver, Colorado. “In the fall, I got to move in with a family here in town,” she said. “They were able to help me out until I moved into the Saint Teresa Community this spring.” Today, mother and child are thriving in their new home. “The other students here on campus and everybody involved with the program have made it clear to me that they want to do what they can to help me flourish at college and earn my degree and feel like a whole person.”

Angelina and Auggie, left, and Katie and Lucia, right, joined the Saint Teresa Community for Mothers this spring.

Sophomore nursing major and Texas native Angelina, ’25, first learned of the community from a feature on Relevant Radio. “I was sitting in my car, wondering what I was going to do, and suddenly I hear about this program on the radio,” she said. “My mom was actually listening across town, and we called each other and said, ‘This is what we need.’” Angelina and her son, Auggie, a busy, chubby-cheeked boy of five months and counting, joined Katie and Lucia in Boniface East this January. “This has been amazing for us, to get this kind of support so I can work on my degree and be a mom at the same time.”

In the coming months and years, the university hopes to expand the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers to accommodate up to 20 young women and their children. “Our university is Christian, it’s Catholic, it’s Benedictine, and what we do here as a family is support each other,” Richter said. “We want people to know that we’re here to receive them with these necessary support systems and fill the need for young mothers who want to get an education.”

For now, baby steps. “So far, the program’s been a great success, and we’re excited for what’s coming down the road,” said Popp. “We’re so grateful for the overwhelming support of the Mary community and beyond.”