To call attention and activate our Parishioners in addressing pro-life issues.
Process
Form a committee who will organize, direct, and assist in implementing activities focusing on pro-life issues such as:
- Abortion
- Euthanasia
- Helping people to deal with family problems
- Visiting / caring for the elderly, infirmed, disabled people
- Helping unemployed people
- Assisting the impoverished
- Speaking out against capital punishment
- Or any situation that would threaten human life The Committee will initially focus its efforts on these issues and will coordinate with other parish groups to address the remaining areas.
Committee responsibilities to be organized as follows:
Education
- Reach different groups of our parish in sharing information on the various areas related to protecting life and moral issues pertinent to the issue being presented.
- Could utilize presentations by either a committee member or a visiting expert.
- Work with religious education director and youth minister to reach and involve the young people.
- Work with other parishes or other groups sharing the same desire to promote the protection of human life.
- Begin to build or re-build the collection of books etc. on pro-life issues.
Community Activation
- Responsible for gathering people for marches, prayerful witness at abortion facilities, liturgies, or other events.
- Organization of phone tree activation list
Liturgy
- Organize prayer liturgies or Para liturgical services, which would be focused on the sanctity of human life.
- Celebrating Eucharistic liturgies having pro-life themes.
Out Reach
- Organize projects such as:
- Adopt a baby
- Assist at a home for unwed mothers, battered women, shelters, group homes, nursing homes, soup kitchens, etc. and raising funds or soliciting donations for these organizations.
Community Relations
- To present our Parish’s pro-life viewpoint in public forums.
- Participate in Visit Your Legislators Day in Albany
Coordinate our efforts with other pro-life groups
- Outreach
- Projects to aid
- Pregnancy helps
- Good Counsel Homes
- Rosary Hill
- Calvary Hospital
- Covenant House
- A Home
- Midnight run
- Project Human Habitat
- Explore with Holy Innocents, St. Theresa’s, St. Francis, St. Patrick’s in Bedford and Yorktown starting Project Gabriel.
Action Plan
As mentioned above the Committee will initially focus on the educational, the liturgical, and the community activation areas. There may be opportunities to explore some related matters such as adoption, natural family planning, and chastity and post abortion syndrome. In doing so we pan the following:
- In January join in the Mass for the babies who were baptized the year before. Again there will be a focus given on the celebration of life, both physical and spiritual. Music, introductory prayers, and general intercessions will reflect this theme.
- Also in January have a campaign to encourage people to go to the march in Washington, DC. We have been asked not to contact the high school kids as it is exam week for them.
- In February there will be a holy hour for life.
- In March there will be a presentation on Humane Vitae, by Fr. Bonicci. Mgsr. McDonnell will arrange for Fr. Bonicci to visit with us. This will be directed to adults, the confirmation class and youth group members, at an evening gathering. The document’s contents and importance will be explored and show its impact on our society.
- On April 13th we will have a religious education assembly during normal class hours for the 6th, 7th and 8th graders. We plan on having Fr. Brian McSweeney speak to the children about aging, serious illness, and the questions surrounding euthanasia. We will send preview information home to parents about 2 weeks before the presentation and include instructional information to help the parents speak with their children concerning these topics.
- In May we will be distributing the spring / summer Newsletter.
- In June have a holy hour for life.
Links
- www.prolife.org
- www.abortionfacts.com
- www.usccb.org/prolife/
- www.aclife.org
- www.abortion-sucks.com
- www.nrlc.org
- www.lifenews.com
- www.nyscatholic.org
- www.cwnews.com
- www.worldnetdaily.com
- www.priestsforlife.org
Each month we will try to update the information in this site and present a synopsis of materials we found to be informative. We have supplied a number of links, which are pertinent to our mission. If you would like further information or research please contact Dennis Sheehan by email he will be happy to assist you in finding any information you might want.