Homeless, expectant mothers have new place to stay southwest of metro

In the 1970s and 1980s, Dorothy Arockiasamy, 70, cared for expectant mothers in the Twin Cities who weren’t so much homeless as homesick for their native India.

Now, the St. Joseph in Waconia parishioner and others are opening a home for pregnant women who really are homeless.

Enkrateia House of Hope will open Oct. 20 after a blessing from Arockiasamy’s pastor, Father Stan Mader. Serving the area southwest of Minneapolis, it will be a home for up to four women during their pregnancy and several months after giving birth.

“If we can take one mother off the street, that’s what we want to do,” said Arockiasamy, the home’s executive director and a Kerala, India, native. Teaching women skills to become confident parents and thriving, self-sufficient members of society can help save their families and benefit future generations, she said.

After their research identified a need for services and shelter for women in crisis pregnancies in western suburbs and the small towns beyond, Arockiasamy and a team of volunteers hope the home will reflect their desire to bring Christ’s love to women who may have been abandoned and help them move forward.

To protect the women, Arockiasamy isn’t revealing the home’s location. Though there have been several inquiries, no women have yet moved in.

Enkrateia is the Greek word for temperance, which reflects the home’s goal of helping women gain self-mastery, she said. Its mission is providing a caring, faith-centered home that stresses a healthy lifestyle.

After retiring from work as a biomedical scientist, Arockiasamy considered opening her home to pregnant women in crisis, but her husband suggested she open another home instead.

Arockiasamy analyzed the services offered by pregnancy centers, health care and counseling, especially southwest of Minneapolis, and discovered that most resources were closer to the centers of Minneapolis and St. Paul. There also was a lack of longer-term shelter for homeless, expectant mothers.

Seeing a need, Arockiasamy sought guidance from similar homes in Minnesota and around the country.

The lack of shelter should be addressed, said Patrick Kirsch, 56, a member of St. Joseph. “I think Christ is really calling us to give these new mothers, especially in crisis situations, hope for themselves and hope to bring this new baby into this world and not look at the other option,” he said. “If this house can help do that, I believe there’s no greater time than now.”

During summer 2020, Arockiasamy got support from Father Mader and her parish’s pro-life committee to make her idea a reality. She chose the name “Enkrateia,” the Greek word for “temperance,” because she believes the women can chart their own course.

After the home was incorporated, Arockiasamy approached Kirsch, co-owner of several businesses and a pro-life supporter, and he offered to find the house. Kirsch is now helping upgrade it and managing volunteers.

Marilyn Olson, 77, who directs fundraising, said Enkrateia is halfway to its goal of covering its first-year budget. A retired clinical laboratory scientist and a member of St. Therese in Deephaven, Olson has volunteered at pregnancy resource centers.

The home has gained support from beyond local Catholic parishes, including from members of a Lutheran church near the home, who are volunteering to help. Arockiasamy also is in contact with Wright County.

Enkrateia will accept women and only the child they are carrying for 18 months, or possibly longer if the woman is finishing school. Applicants will be carefully screened and asked to identify three life principles to pursue during their stay, Arockiasamy said.

Women must work or attend school daily. They will live with a resident house mother. They will spend regular quiet time, share the evening meal and follow a curfew, she said.

Arockiasamy said she hopes women will feel good about themselves and fully supported in the family setting. Another hope is that they recognize help is available for getting jobs, pursuing education and finding housing, Olson said.

The home’s main organizers are Catholic, but participants aren’t required to have religious affiliation. Arockiasamy, who said she has experienced the Holy Spirit’s guidance with the home, hopes women have some faith and hope.

The home will be a family environment of love, Kirsch said. “A family and home environment where you can eat meals together and have a family atmosphere, I think is what is needed,” he said. “I think we have to be the hands and feet of Christ the servant. That’s what we’re called to do.”

More information about the home can be found at enkrateiahouseofhope.org or at 612-508-0217.