By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
For Rosemary Tarangioli, the decision to become a Catholic Pro-Life Community Project Gabriel angel was inspired by a simple message from a Catholic podcaster: If you are pro-life, take action!
A lifelong advocate for the pro-life cause, Tarangioli said she inherited her passion for the preciousness of life from her parents. Her father, she shared, was a New England physician who made news as one of a few doctors to testify before the Connecticut House of Representatives in defense of life. Inspired by this witness, Tarangioli supported the pro-life cause for years through financial contributions and prayer; but during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she heard a pro-life podcaster’s call to action, she felt inspired to contribute in a more immediate and active way: as a Project Gabriel angel.
“Project Gabriel is an outreach for women who are facing unexpected pregnancy or may have young children in their care,” Maria Machelski, director of the program, explained.
Through Project Gabriel, CPLC provides mothers with material items; a binder full of resources they can utilize; and, for mothers who complete the Gabriel Education Ministry & Support program, a $1,000 scholarship to be used toward further education, such as going to trade school or completing a license or certification.
Mothers in the program who are pregnant may also choose to be assigned an angel: a volunteer to walk alongside them during and after their pregnancy to provide spiritual and emotional support.
“When a mom agrees to have an angel, she is committing to communicating with that angel on a weekly basis,” Machelski said. “This is someone they can confide in, look to for help with anything they may be going through with their pregnancy or in their life at that time.”
Tarangioli has served as an angel to three different mothers. She sees her role as a “cheerleader” of sorts for these moms, someone to be supportive and provide encouragement to women who may have no one else to root for them.
“A lot of these moms don’t even have any relationship with family, so we become somebody that cares about them and is present for them,” the St. Rita parishioner said. “The little that we’re doing gives them some hope… It’s somebody that is showing care for them, just like Christ wants us to do.”
As an angel, Tarangioli has accompanied mothers through some difficult and truly heartbreaking moments. Machelski recalled one instance when a mother tragically lost her baby. In the midst of that loss, Tarangioli was a steady presence for the mom, supporting her and encouraging her through the difficult time. With her continued guidance, the mother was able to move forward despite the tragedy and achieve notable growth.
“I definitely see the difference in that girl,” Machelski said. “She now has a job; she has a roof over her head; she’s making her own money; so, she’s on a good trajectory.”
Tarangioli said she has also experienced several heartwarming moments with the mothers she serves. She recalled a time when a mother she had previously accompanied spoke to new moms in the program; the mother shared about the monumental role Tarangioli had played in her life as an angel.
“When she recounted to the new moms how much her relationship with me meant to her, that really touched me. She knew that somebody cared about her and cheered her on,” the angel said. “We are charged with meeting people in the margins, not just giving them money or helping in some way, but really meeting the person, and I do think that this program does that, and I do think it does give moms hope.”
Machelski expressed that Tarangioli has embraced her role as an angel with notable patience, resourcefulness, and a servant’s heart, going above and beyond what is typically expected of an angel and doing so with a smile. She brings these same strengths, Machelski suggested, into her other role with CPLC as a driver. In this role, Tarangioli provides mothers with rides to where they need to go, which affords her the opportunity to get to know them, suggest helpful resources, and offer some wisdom where she can.
“When you travel through life, you learn certain lessons, and you can pass some of that along to these moms,” Tarangioli said. “I think it’s a very rewarding volunteer assignment.”
Cutline for featured image: St. Rita Catholic Church parishioner Rosemary Tarangioli volunteers as a Catholic Pro-Life Community Project Gabriel angel. As an angel, Tarangioli offers a supportive and steady relationship for mothers in the Project Gabriel program. (AMY WHITE/The Texas Catholic)
