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.
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.
# # #
Media Contact: Bob Krebs rkrebs@cdow.org 302-573-3116
Louis P. De Angelo, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Wilmington, issued a letter to families with children enrolled in Catholic schools in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the wake of the August 27, 2025, school shooting in Minneapolis that claimed the lives of two students and injured 17 others.
“It is with sadness that we acknowledge the tragic shooting which occurred this morning in a Catholic church during Mass celebrating the opening of the new school year at Annunciation School in Minneapolis, MN. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and the entire school community affected by this devastating act of violence.
Moments like these remind us in schools of the sacred responsibility entrusted to us: to provide our students not only with an education that forms their minds and hearts, but also with an environment that safeguards their well-being. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff must remain our highest priority.
We invite you to pause and pray for the Annunciation School community, particularly those who are injured or deceased. May the injured be healed and those who have died rest in the arms of God.”
De Angelo went on to ask that schools review their emergency preparedness and safety plans “to ensure that staff and students are familiar with safety procedures in school, in church, and in other areas on campus and that communication channels are clear so that students and families know that we take their safety seriously.”
There are 30 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wilmington serving over 8,000 students.
# # #
Media Contact: Bob Krebs rkrebs@cdow.org 302-573-3116
On this extended episode of Catholic Forum, after a news update from Joe Owens of The Dialog, we talk with Aaron Lemma, Director of US Operations for Water is Life Kenya. This locally-based organization is bringing fresh drinking water and hope to the Maasai people of the African plain. Aaron tells us how a horrible act of terror began a sequence of events that triggered countless acts of love for the women, children and men of the Kilimanjaro region of Kenya. You can see a video of this interview on the Diocese of Wilmington YouTube channel, YouTube.com/DioceseofWilm. Catholic Forum is a production of the Office of Communication of the Diocese of Wilmington. Please like, subscribe and share!
“One of Us” is a brief snapshot of people who support the Catholic church in various ways in the Diocese of Wilmington. We regularly feature people who may be recognizable within their parish or school communities.
On this episiode of Catholic Forum , after a news update from The Dialog and a song from Beth Neilsen Chapman’sHymns CD, we discuss the hot topic of crypto currency and the sin of usury, with MIT grad and local Catholic author, Joseph Arminio, Ph.D. He is the founder of the Coalition for America’s Resurgence, and holds a Doctorate in Political Science from MIT, served as a college professor, think-tank analyst, historian, journalist, global corporate manager, government consultant, speech writer, debate coach and US House candidate. He is the author of many books, including The Fed’s End Game: Handing America Over to the Globalists and How to Stop It. He is a parishioner at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Parish in Greenville, Delaware and is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. Catholic Forum is a production of the Office of Communication of the Diocese of Wilmington. Please like, subscribe and share.
“One of Us” is a brief snapshot of people who support the Catholic church in various ways in the Diocese of Wilmington. We regularly feature people who may be recognizable within their parish or school communities.
On this episode of Catholic Forum, after a news update from The Dialog, we travel to Millville, Delaware and visit the headquarters of Rosaries and Scapulars Intuitive, Inc. to meet its founder and president, Andy Maggio, and one of his many volunteers, Chick Anderson. What started as a request to a VA Hospital turned into a apostolate that has distributed over 500,000 rosaries and scapulars to hospitals, schools, prisons and military bases. You can see a video of this interview on the Diocese of Wilmington’s YouTube channel – YouTube.com/DioceseofWilm. Please like, share and subscribe.
“One of Us” is a brief snapshot of people who support the Catholic church in various ways in the Diocese of Wilmington. We regularly feature people who may be recognizable within their parish or school communities.
