The state of maternity leave in U.S. Catholic dioceses—two years after FemCatholic’s initial report.
Exactly one week before the birth of their third child, Rebecca Gutherman-Conte and Joe Conte received a letter from their employer informing Joe he was not eligible for paid parental leave.
Their employer—the Archdiocese of Philadelphia—is unusual in that its paid parental leave policy applies to even teachers in its diocesan schools. The archdiocese is one of at least 16 dioceses that have increased paid parental leave for employees since FemCatholic published the March 2022 report on paid parental leave in the Catholic Church.
Beginning on January 1, 2023, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia instituted a policy offering six weeks of fully paid parental leave to its employees. Gutherman-Conte and Conte, who both teach at the same diocesan high school, learned about this policy through an announcement to their teachers’ union. But they did not see the full, written policy.
The Contes hoped to each have six weeks off around the holidays to welcome their third child, as their baby was due the week before Christmas.
But a small clause prevented Conte from accessing his paternity leave. Gutherman-Conte had already applied for maternity leave, and, because they were married, they could not both take six weeks of paid leave. The leave policy indicated that if both spouses worked for the archdiocese, they would have to divide the six weeks between them.
What felt odd to Gutherman-Conte and her husband was that two unmarried employees could have a baby together and both receive their six weeks of leave. They felt as though they were being–ironically–penalized for following Church teaching. They also felt like they were being asked to choose between Rebecca’s motherhood and Joe’s fatherhood.
“This is baloney,” said Conte. “You don’t split the child in half.”
The current landscape of paid leave
At the national level, the landscape of paid parental leave has remained stagnant during the past two years. The United States remains one of seven countries that does not offer working women at least 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) still guarantees most workers in the United States the right to return to their jobs from 12 weeks of unpaid leave in order to care for a family member or bond with a newborn or adopted child. But, because at least 70% of the U.S. population is living paycheck to paycheck, according to Forbes, most families cannot afford to lose one spouse’s salary for three months. Unpaid leave effectively forces mothers to return to work–nearly one in four working mothers return to work within two weeks of giving birth.
Yet, in early 2024 there have been signs of renewed efforts to organize a paid parental leave plan at the national level. In January, a congressional working group tasked with creating a federal paid parental leave proposed a framework to the House of Representatives. On Monday, businesses across the country closed in support of a federal paid parental leave plan, in honor of Women’s History Month.
In addition, several Catholic dioceses have, over the past two years, updated their family leave policies to better support the women and families who work for them.
Out of the 176 Catholic dioceses in the United States, at least 16 have implemented an increase in paid leave for mothers and fathers welcoming a new child since March 2022. Some of these increases have been adding a week or two to an existing plan. But the majority of these plans are completely new plans, providing anywhere from two to 12 weeks of paid leave where, previously, parents were guaranteed zero.
In the summer of 2022, the Archdiocese of Denver became the fifth archdiocese to offer 12 weeks of fully paid leave, joining the Archdioceses of Chicago, New York, Raleigh, and the Diocese of Omaha.
And, on July 1, 2023, the Diocese of San Jose implemented a paid leave policy that provided 12 weeks of fully paid leave to new mothers, by supplementing the state’s partial paid leave insurance.
According to FemCatholic’s most recent count, there are now 51 dioceses that offer fully paid maternity leave policies, ranging in length from 5 days to 12 weeks. This number is growing, as at least three dioceses are in the process of creating a paid leave plan they hope to implement this year. 38 other dioceses provide some percentage of employee salaries through either short-term disability or state-wide paid leave laws. And at least 43 dioceses do not have a paid parental leave policy.
How–and why–change has happened
Dioceses have cited varying reasons for implementing paid parental leave. Some policies began when lay employees simply raised the question. Others have come about through political or theological concerns, such as the desire to demonstrate pro-life and pro-family values. Other dioceses have intentionally implemented paid parental leave plans through long-term discernment processes or after dialogue with employees about their unique needs.
Dialogue and Discernment
The Diocese of Des Moines has been discerning adding a paid parental leave to its employee compensation plans over the past several years. Their discernment process lasted from 2020 to 2022, according to Jason Kurth, Chancellor of the Diocese of Des Moines. In the fall of 2022, the diocese implemented six weeks of paid leave for employees.
“We thought it was an important thing to do organizationally: to be pro-family, pro-life,” said Kurth in a phone call with FemCatholic.
There are currently at least three other dioceses in the process of planning paid parental leave policies in committees or working groups. At the Diocese of Gary, in Indiana, Kelly Venegas, the Chief Human Resource Officer for the Diocese, is working with a commission of parish and school representatives to create a new parental leave policy. “The Diocese of Gary is committed to providing families with support during the birth of new life,” Venegas said in a written statement to FemCatholic. She said they hoped their policy would be ready to present in the near future.
Committing to a Consistent Life Ethic
The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022 put renewed pressure on the Catholic Church to embody a consistent ethic of life.
In response to the ruling, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement. “We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us,” they wrote. While the statement did not mention paid maternity leave, some bishops decided not to wait for federal or state action to make changes.
In the fall of 2022, the House legislature in West Virginia was in the process of passing House Bill 302, which banned abortion after eight weeks for adults and 14 weeks for women under 18.
When the bill passed, Mark Brennan, the Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, called the action: “An important step in fostering a sincere culture of life in the Mountain State.” Brennan is the leader of the only Catholic diocese in the state. He was appointed the bishop of Wheeling-Charleston in July 2019, less than one year after the rapid departure of the disgraced Bishop Michael Bransfield in September 2018.
In a press release, Brennan applauded the abortion ban but also called on the state to expand affordable childcare, promote paid maternity leave, and protect victims of domestic violence.
Soon after, Brennan’s diocese began the process of implementing a short-term disability policy for new mothers and fathers. Previously, the diocese did not have a paid parental leave plan. This new policy covers all its employees around the state of West Virginia—at the diocese’s 24 schools, 120 parishes, and at the chancery.
“Our Mountain State is already a leader in curtailing the practice of abortion, but we could also be a leader in supporting mothers, children and families that call West Virginia home,” Brennan wrote in a pastoral letter last October.
On January 22 of this year, which is known as the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, implemented a paid parental leave policy of eight weeks for diocesan employees. The policy was announced with the title “Forming the Family in Faith,” and emphasized its commitment to valuing the gift of life and fortifying families and the domestic church. “It is not just a physical health issue but a spiritual health issue as well,” Lois Locey, Chancellor for Administration and Chief Operating Officer in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, said in a statement to FemCatholic.
Women’s Advocacy
Some paid leave policies have come about because FemCatholic’s initial report on maternity leave inspired readers to act.
Laura Machado Browne was working as a teacher at a Catholic school in the Diocese of Orange, California when FemCatholic’s initial report came out. She was finishing up her first year of teaching there and was bothered by the lack of a fully paid maternity leave.
“I’m a big planner,” Browne said in a phone call with FemCatholic. “I knew I should get this in place if I wanted to have children.”
Machado Browne, 29, said FemCatholic’s report galvanized her to take action in her diocese. She compiled her own research and wrote letters to the superintendent of schools and the bishop. She also wrote to the three auxiliary bishops in the diocese. She asked for six months of fully paid leave after childbirth or adoption for both mothers and fathers. Eventually, she said, the bishops forwarded her messages to Kathleen Khoury, the Human Resources Director at the diocese. Khoury corresponded with Machado Browne frequently as the diocese planned a parental leave policy–eight weeks of full pay–and rolled it out in October 2022.
“If any organization should be doing this, it should be the Catholic organizations,” said Khoury in a phone call with FemCatholic. Although many dioceses may balk at an expensive benefit, Khoury felt that paid leave programs can ensure a diocese is spending its money in a way that “walked the talk.”
Continued Challenges
This change in the landscape of paid family leave policies in the Church shows that there is building momentum for advocates of paid parental leave. Yet, some women say that there are still structures in parental leave policies that seem inconsistent with the commitments of Catholic family life. Machado Browne had hoped that the discussions around maternity leave could lead to the formation of a committee of families and parents at the Diocese of Orange who could help advise the bishop and reform Church structures for families’ needs.
“The bishop told me he had never thought about a maternity leave policy before, so I thought ‘Maybe we should get a way to help you think about these things,’” Machado Browne said.
Short-term Disability
Machado Browne also remembered her original diocesan employee handbook’s language about pregnancy and parental leave sounded “punishing” to her—especially the language that described women as “disabled through pregnancy.” Although it struck a sour note, she didn’t find the language malicious–just careless.
“But not thinking about women and families is as hurtful as active disregard,” said Machado Browne.
Some argue that short-term disability policies, which still account for at least 23 diocesan policies, are not compatible with the Catholic commitment to being “open to life.”
“Trying to operate at 60% of a salary is very difficult,” said Jessica Kelso. Kelso, 42, an administrative assistant at her parish church in Atlanta, said her diocese offers a short-term disability policy for new mothers. Operating on a 60% salary, she pointed out, demands saving up to afford the weeks with a pay cut.
“As a Catholic family who is open to life, being committed to that dynamic makes it very difficult to save an enormous amount beforehand,” Kelso said in a phone call with FemCatholic. “You have to choose. You can be open to what happens or plan to the nth degree.”
“The Church's maternity leave policy reflected what I experienced at a secular company,” said Kelso. She and her husband converted to Catholicism in 2019, and they have had two more children since their conversion. “I was just a little bit shocked that there wasn't a more family-friendly approach," Kelso said.
Transparency
Some parents decry the lack of transparency around parental leave policies. Dioceses often do not publish their policies publicly—and they also frequently do not publish their policies internally. The lack of written policy means a lack of accountability and workplace equity. For example, one employee could privately ask for three weeks off, fully paid, and receive it at the birth of their child. Another employee might not ask, and so she would go back to work after using up any accrued paid time off.
“It feels as if this is a purposeful withholding of information,” Gutherman-Conte wrote to her diocese. Gutherman-Conte, the theology teacher in Philadelphia, said her request for the six weeks of paid leave was accepted “instantly.”
But her husband’s request for leave was left pending with no response—for nearly a week–until it was denied on December 11 of last year: one week before their third child was born.
Splitting Leave Between Spouses
Several dioceses with paid leave policies require married spouses who both work for the diocese to split this policy. One of those was the Archdiocese of Philadelphia—until Gutherman-Conte wrote a Facebook post.
When her husband’s request for leave was denied, Gutherman-Conte and her husband decided to take action. On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, Gutherman-Conte wrote a four-page letter to the bishop, the head of diocesan human resources and diocesan schools’ leadership.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for a woman like myself, who is not a religious sister or nun, who is a mother, teacher, and Master of Theology, to continue to defend this faith, which consistently leaves women out of conversations, decision making and administrative positions,” Conte wrote in her letter. “It is becoming increasingly difficult to love the Church that raised me when I do not feel as if the Church defends me and the Life that grows within me.”
That evening, Gutherman-Conte posted an unusual baby announcement: a Facebook post that was also a call to action. “Any woman knows that six weeks is not nearly enough to recover after any type of birth. Any father knows that six weeks is not nearly enough to feel bonded with their new baby.” she wrote. She shared her husband Joe's predicament with her followers. She said they felt sharing the six weeks of paid leave–earned through their service to the mission of the archdiocese—felt like “a complete disregard for that which families need at the birth of a new child.” Her message struck a chord.
Within an hour, Gutherman-Conte said 75 people had volunteered to write letters and make phone calls on their behalf to the archdiocese. One of her friends, a religious sister, promised that if the diocese didn’t act, she would ring up the nuncio–the pope’s representative in the United States.
After two days of letter-writing—from more than 100 different friends and family, Conte said—her husband finally received a response from the archdiocese on December 14. The letter not only granted Conte his six weeks of paternity leave but amended the policy so that married couples would no longer be required to share the six weeks of leave. In an email to FemCatholic, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia declined to comment on personnel matters.
When Guntherman-Conte got the news, she was teaching. She said she ran out of the classroom to celebrate with her co-worker and her class. “All the students started cheering,” she said.
The couple felt inspired that their campaign had not just resolved their personal situation but amended the policy for the next family. And yet Gutheman-Conte felt mixed emotions about the outcome. “We had to fight for six weeks. And six weeks is nothing,” she said. “We have had to work so much to achieve so little.”
Being a Church, Not Just Work
When FemCatholic first reported on this issue, one developing maternity leave policy was at the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania. Kate Wilson, the Director of the Office for Marriage and Family Life, was the second person at the diocese to pilot the paid leave program in 2021 before it became official the following year.
The policy came about with the reorganization of the Office of Faith Formation, which hired several young women around the fall of 2019. During their onboarding, the new employees asked for a paid maternity leave policy. Wilson, 36, credits the diocesan administrators for being willing to listen and continue the dialogue.
“It’s easy to underestimate the amount of healing and recovery needed after a baby,” Wilson said. “Until you’ve done it.” The physical needs babies place on families can be extreme, she said. Hospital stays, illnesses or just particular physical demands take a toll on both parents as caregivers, especially if there are other children to care for. Even if healthy and developing normally, a baby does not exit the womb with circadian rhythms primed for business hours. “You’re taking care of a small person who doesn’t know the difference between night and day,” Wilson said in a phone interview with FemCatholic.
Wilson has also felt the demands that parental leave places on coworkers. In their faith formation office at the Diocese of Erie–an office of seven employees–there were five births on the team in three years, she said.
“There is real work in covering for folks who are out on leave,” she said. It was hard, Wilson said, particularly when maternity leaves overlapped. Despite the stress of covering the work of two people who were gone, Wilson found embracing these challenges was an essential and rewarding part of their ministry.
“As a Church, it’s easy to think about this in terms of policies, but there’s something deeply theological about coming around families as they accept new life,” Wilson said. She compared the stretching of a woman’s body during pregnancy to the flexibility that an office needs to support a coworker: something she finds deeply incarnational. “Jesus didn’t shy away from the physical reality of who we are,” she said.
“I felt myself and my family were valued,” said Jillian Zaczyk, the Director for Young Adult and Youth Ministry, and Wilson’s co-worker at the Diocese of Erie.
Zaczyk, 33, said in a phone interview with FemCatholic that the arrival of her baby and her coworkers’ babies gave their office a firmer sense of community and a broader sense of what it meant to be Church together. “It was an invitation to join us in our joy,” she said.
Editor's Note, March 27, 2024: An earlier version of this story listed the number of dioceses who provided paid parental leave as 49, and the number of dioceses who have changed their policies since 2022 as 15. After the story's initial publication the Diocese of St. Cloud disclosed their paid parental leave policy to FCNews. Their policy has been effective since 2019. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City responded to FCNews after publication that they established a paid parental leave policy in May of 2023. The numbers in our story have been updated accordingly.
