Visitation House leader retiring

By Tanya Connor  | The Catholic Free Press

Evelyn “Eve” Lindquist, executive director of Visitation House in Worcester, is retiring Aug. 31. She was recently recognized for contributing to an award-winning television show.
A fundraiser in her honor has been started and her successor is being sought.
Visitation House, a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides a home for pregnant women in need, and their babies, announced Mrs. Lindquist’s plans and the search for her successor May 31 in a press release.
In an email sent to supporters the same day, the home also announced its “High Hopes Appeal” in honor of her 13-year legacy there.
When The Catholic Free Press spoke last week with Mrs. Lindquist and Christine Farmer, vice chairwoman of the board of directors, they excitedly shared news they’d just received: A television show featuring Visitation House won a Bronze Telly Award in the category Television: Religious/Spiritual.
There were more than 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, according to tellyawards.com.

WINNING EPISODE

The winning episode of The Gist, produced by the CatholicTV Network in Watertown, was “Civil Rights for the Unborn.” It featured Mrs. Lindquist, Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece Alveda King, and former Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director Abby Johnson. CatholicTV is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Boston.
Visitation House’s email to supporters also celebrated the home’s pro-life work. The home completed its 15th anniversary May 31.
“This is a remarkable milestone in our history, with over 600 moms and babies saved and empowered for a life filled with hope. …
“Back on May 31, 2005, our home was established by devoted friends and family in memory of an extraordinary, pro-life woman, Ruth V.K. Pakaluk. For 13+ years, another extraordinary woman, Eve Lindquist … devoted her life to lead and transform the Visitation House mission to a place where life is cherished and protected, a place where the hopeless are able to dream beyond today and make those dreams become a reality.”
“Eve’s vision and drive transformed Visitation House beyond the simplicity of a caring home into a dynamic learning center, expanding residential programming, life-skills and mentoring services while inspiring self-sufficiency” in the residents, the press release said.

High Hopes Appeal

To help that work continue, the High Hopes Appeal is to continue through Aug. 31.
“Our goal is to raise $130,000 to off-set losses from the pandemic and close out our fiscal year on target,” the email said.
People who were to host tables at Visitation House’s annual fundraising dinner, which was cancelled twice because of coronavirus restrictions, are trying to raise money from the guests they were inviting to the dinner this year and those they invited last year, Mrs. Lindquist said. Others wishing to donate can also go to the website, visitationhouse.org, where more information is available.
Last year the dinner raised, $100,000, Mrs. Lindquist said, adding, “that was our peak.”
And then we lost our baby bottle fundraisers,” which usually raise about $30,000 from about 30 churches, she said. During Advent, Lent, and between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, churches offer parishioners baby bottles to fill with donations for Visitation House, she said. But they could not do that when Masses were suspended from mid-March until late May because of the virus.
Mrs. Lindquist is handing on the work; she said she wants to spend more time with her family in retirement.
“I’m 75, but I’m a young 75,” she said.
But she’s not totally leaving her ministry of the past 13 years.
“I will always be a part of Visitation House,” she said. “There’s always going to be something they need me for. … I have an invisible umbilical cord” with the home. “I feel very fortunate to be in the circle of this pro-life community.”

– Editor’s note: To inquire about or submit candidate recommendations to the search committee, contact Christine Farmer, at christinefarmerconsulting@gmail.com. To learn more about supporting Visitation House, contact Deb LeDoux, marketing and communications, at dledoux55@gmail.com or www.visitationhouse.com.