August 28, 2025 — (Wilmington, Delaware) —Bayard House, the Catholic Charities residential program for pregnant and parenting mothers, will temporarily close on November 1, 2025, so the facility can undergo needed renovations, it was announced recently. Catholic Charities staff will seek alternative residences for women who need housing and care during the approximately 6 months that Bayard House will be under renovations.
“We are very excited about the renovations planned for Bayard House,” said the Most Reverend William E. Koenig, Bishop of Wilmington. “For many years, Bayard House has been our flagship pro-life ministry, and these upgrades will create a more beautiful home for our residents and assure that Bayard House can continue to be an alternative to abortion for many years to come.”
The renovations, which include plumbing and electrical upgrades as well as a needed expansion of rooms and fresh paint, are being financed, in part, by a generous bequest from Reverend Frederick A. Kochan, a priest of the Diocese of Wilmington and long-time supporter of Bayard House. Father Kochan passed away on October 1, 2022, at the age of 92.
Originally named The Home of Divine Providence, Bayard House was created in 1979 by a group of lay women and men from Wilmington’s Catholic community with the support of then Wilmington Bishop Thomas Mardaga. Twenty-one years ago, on October 1, 2004, Bayard House became part of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington. This will be the first major renovation to the home since then.
Bayard House, located at 300 Bayard Avenue in Wilmington, Delaware; offers pregnant and/or parenting teens and young women a residential program in a home-like atmosphere. Housing, meals, education (including birth and parenting classes), educational and/or employment assistance, independent living and home management skills, access to pre-natal care and pregnancy counseling and information and referral services are all services offered at Bayard House. It has been the only licensed residential program for pregnant and parenting mothers in Delaware for decades.
Bayard House operations are financed by donations to the Diocese of Wilmington’s Annual Faith and Charity Appeal and from organizations and individuals. For more information, visit ccwilm.org or cdow.org. To contribute to Bayard House renovations, to contribute, email sstephenson@ccwilm.org or visit https://www.givecentral.org/appeals-form-registration/acp64ae5aa1f012c/user/guest.
Catholic Charities, the charitable arm of the Diocese of Wilmington, is a faith-based social services organization dedicated to providing help and creating hope for those in need. For over 190 years, Catholic Charities has empowered and strengthened individuals and families in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Each year, the organization serves tens of thousands of people through a range of critical services – from emergency food and energy assistance to housing for the homeless, counseling, and much more. Guided by the belief in the inherent dignity of every person, Catholic Charities works to alleviate human suffering and uplift the most vulnerable, putting faith into action to build caring, resilient communities for all.
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Media Contact:
Bob Krebs
rkrebs@cdow.org
302-573-3116
