Gratitude and joy at the incomparable dignity of man impel us to share this message with everyone: "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us" (1 Jn 1:3). We need to bring the Gospel of life to the heart of every man and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society.
This involves above all proclaiming the core of this Gospel. It is the proclamation of a living God who is close to us, who calls us to profound communion with himself and awakens in us the certain hope of eternal life.
Evangelium Vitae, 80-81
Did you know that up to 64% of all abortions in the U.S. are coerced? The mother feels pressured, often threatened, and believes she has no other choice. Part of the mission of the Church is to support there women during their time of need.
As we are confronted daily with the tragedy of abortion, the Diocese in partnership with Catholic Charities’, has established a support program sponsored by USCCB called Walking in Moms in Need. (An action guide is located here for even further information.) We are requesting that each church parish evaluate the feasibility of how they can contribute to this USCCB parish based program.
Please complete the below survey to help to know how to best serve you in being part of this initiative.
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 and to assist with coordinating efforts to support the crisis pregnancy centers in our diocese.