Office of Life, Peace and Justice

“As a gift from God, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. The life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition. The right to life is the first and most fundamental principle of human rights that leads Catholics to actively work for a world of greater respect for human life and greater commitment to justice and peace.”

- Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities (USCCB)

The Office of Life, Peace and Justice’s primary mission is centered on Catholic Social Teaching’s recognition of human dignity of life for all persons from conception to natural death, welcoming immigrants, and caring for prisoners.  Our goal is to spread the Gospel through education, advocacy and pastoral support for the marginalized while assisting parishes and apostolates to develop social ministry programs.

Nursing Homes/Assisted Living Ministry 

The Office of Life, Peace, and Justice assists parishes with ensuring the creation and development of sacramental services and ministries to Catholics in all nursing homes and assisted living facilities located in all civil parishes in the Diocese of Baton Rouge.  It is the goal of our diocese that the people living in these facilities have regular opportunities to receive the sacraments, to receive Holy Communion, and to have people available to pray with them.  For this to be accomplished it requires not only our priests and deacons, but also volunteers to assist with the coordination of visits and services, to distribute Communion, and to lead individuals and groups in prayer.  


Hospital/Hospice Ministry

As with nursing home ministry, the Office of Life, Peace and Justice aims an ensuring that our Catholic brothers and sisters are ministered to when they are hospitalized or receiving hospice care.  This is accomplished by working with Church Parishes, hospitals, and hospice agencies to identify patients who would like to receive the Eucharist, who face a serious illness or surgery and would like to receive the Anointing of the Sick or who need to receive the “Last Rites” or Viaticum, in which the Church offers Holy Communion as food for their journey home.  Hospital / hospice ministry provides another opportunity for volunteers who are interested in helping to minister to the sick through distribution of Communion and opportunities to lead the sick in prayer.    

Contact Randall Waguespack at rwaguespack@diobr.org for more information or if you, or a loved one, are in need of Anointing of the Sick/Last Rites.
 
Prison Ministry

Prison ministry involves direct and indirect interaction with incarcerated men and women with the objective of providing spiritual and corporal assistance to those under the custody of a state or parish correctional facility.  While the service is directed toward the incarcerated, this ministry is miraculous in transforming and forming volunteers in their personal and communal faith journeys towards a life of holiness and in response to the directive to "spread the gospel to the ends of the earth." 

Learn more about Prision Ministry


Respect Life Ministry

The Office of Life, Peace and Justice provides education, advocacy, and pastoral support to all our brothers and sisters, regardless of their circumstance, in order to uphold their inherent and immeasurable worth and dignity as children of God.  This is done in a variety of ways.  First is by educating people regarding the Church’s teachings on abortion, physician assisted suicide/euthanasia, death penalty, end of life and bioethics.  The goal of this education is that people will take action by become involved in their communities to advocate for laws and services which maintain the dignity of all human life and that they become active in ministries which support these causes.  Another piece of the ministry involves ministering to people and their families that are dealing with sanctity of life issues.  This pastoral support includes education, spiritual support, and assistance with locating services when these challenges are being faced, including. but not limited to helping men and women facing unplanned pregnancies, ministering to men and women who are dealing with the trauma of choosing abortion, and supporting individuals and their families who are facing end of life issues and decisions.  Volunteers in this ministry are needed to coordinate education and distribute information regarding respect life issue in each Church parish, to coordinate prayer groups to pray for women and their children who are dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, to pray outside of the Delta Abortion Clinic and to serve as sidewalk advocates on days that they are performing abortions, and to assist with coordinating efforts to support the crisis pregnancy centers in our diocese. 

Learn more about Respect Life Ministry