Pro-Life Office maps plan for succession of leadership

Despite a throwaway culture, a financial crisis, and Covid, the diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities continues to grow. Not only does the office organize the annual trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the March for Life, offer post abortive counseling, and provide guidance for women unsure how to handle a pregnancy, it also oversees the Mother Teresa Home and seven St. Gianna Molla Pregnancy Outreach Centers.

With the retirement of Cheryl Calire, director of the office for the past 15 years, a succession plan has been put into place to make sure all the entities have a smooth transition when Calire officially leaves the office at the end of 2024.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, Cheryl Lynn Zielen-Ersing will become the director of Pro-Life Activities. Sarah Lindstrom will be in charge of the St. Gianna Centers, a role previously held by Zielen-Ersing. Jennifer Tong will continue her role as coordinator of the Mother Teresa Home.

Calire will take a slow one-year transition away from the office. She will continue to oversee the St. Gianna Molla Pregnancy Outreach Centers and Mother Teresa Home. On Dec. 31, 2024, when she officially retires, management of those entities will be reassessed.

“I’m really excited about it on one hand, and on the other hand, of course, it’s very difficult to turn over the reins,” said Calire. “But in my humble belief, a good leader will have a plan so that when they’re no longer there, the mission will be able to move forward.

“So, I have worked prayerfully and carefully to find people who I feel have an unbelievably strong desire to carry on the ministry, who also have a really strong faith and belief in what we do and why we do it. I’m ready to continue to mentor and help get them settled in their chairs.”

Zielen-Ersing, currently assistant director of the Office of Pro-Life, has served as coordinator of the St. Gianna Center for the past eight and a half years.

“In hindsight, I think I’ve been pro-life since before I even knew it,” she said. “I have a large family and over the years, I spent several years as a parish secretary and faith formation coordinator down in Holland. With that I worked with families in a variety of ways. Coming to St. Gianna’s has brought that to a whole new level, being able to help families that are in need in the community in a variety of ways. It’s just enhanced what I’ve been doing and just now in a different way.”

Lindstrom became the coordinator for the St. Gianna Pregnancy Centers in September 2023. She also serves as the Respect Life coordinator at OLV National Shrine & Basilica in Lackawanna, and has worked with Calire with Sidewalk Advocates for Life and other programs.

“This was always in my heart. For years, in talking with my husband, he would always ask me, ‘What is your dream job?’ And it was something with pro-life work. I wanted to work with Cheryl, honestly, and so it just kind of all came together. God’s hand was in it, for sure.”

While many ministries within the diocese have been reduced in recent years, the Pro-Life office has grown. 

“What it is, is our faith and our belief has allowed us the opportunity to serve others,” said Calire. “And while you’re doing that, you have to be that conduit to be able to be there to do it. So, it was kind of a no brainer to say, well, It’s working. We’re serving people. We have to have people to do it. There’s only X amount of hours in a day, and if you’re seeing so many clients a day and you’re spending 20 minutes with each one of those clients, we need to hire X amount of people. So, that’s how we’ve been able to grow. Because we’re serving 10 or 12 people a day, we need help. We have not overstepped. I’ve always called it baby steps. I would have loved to open up all those (outreach) centers all at the same time, because I knew in my heart that we needed them. But I tried to methodically and slowly do what I was doing with a good foundation and build upon that foundation.”

Tong, who works alongside Calire at the Mother Teresa Home, a transitional residence for women facing challenges with impending motherhood, has seen how the power of prayer and the assets of the community have allowed over 100 children to be born into a promising, stable life.    

“For me to be on the front lines and see how (Calire’s) prayers and her due diligence has changed lives, saved countless lives, turned countless lives around. And I know for me it would be a lot to say, like, that’s one person, but that’s to me from God through Cheryl.”

One thing that will remain constant during this period of change is Miriam Escalante. The mainstay of the pro-life office for 24 years will continue in her role as administrative assistant, maintaining schedules, updating the database, and booking drop offs for the St. Gianna Center in Lackawanna.

“I like it,” she said of her work over the past two dozen years. “I’m comfortable. I enjoy helping with the ministry.”