| Pro-Life
Committee
| Mission:
|
St.
Patrick’s Pro-Life Committee is a very
dedicated group of people who promote and advocate
the sanctity of life.
The
group has a simple goal: to respect, protect,
love and serve life—every human life,
from the womb to natural death.
|
Here
at St. Patrick’s we especially focus on
unborn children and helping mothers to keep
their babies. To achieve our goals we have developed
and published an informative newsletter for
the Church bulletin. It is called, “A
Helping Hand” and appears three times
a year: in October (Respect Life month), in
January (Anniversary of Roe v Wade) and May
(Mother’s Day).
The
Committee is also involved in various other
activities such as gift and fund raisers for
the various women’s agencies. They are
responsible for the production and “birth”
of the Pro-Life Memorial Garden just outside
of the Parish Center. The group works hard to
achieve their goals through education using
the media, written word and prayer including
Sunday Mass intercessions and special homilies
to help make people more aware. |
Pro-Life
Memorial Garden
|
|
|
| Group
History : |
Current
Pro-Life Group Members
|
In
1973, shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision
Roe v Wade (making abortions legal in the U.S.), the
beginning of the Pro-Life group was initiated here in
Connecticut. Originally, it was known as the “Pro-Life
Group of Ct.” Regina Smith was the director who
organized the group. About a year later, five members
of this group started to form a committee here, at St.
Patrick’s. They became involved with slide presentations
showing the development of a baby in the womb and showing
what abortions are all about, attended marches, tried
to change legislation and promoted respect life education.
Since then, the Committee has grown and become involved
in more activities. |
|
| Membership
and Getting Involved: |
All
are welcome to join this growing Committee: age, faith or
background make no difference…just a strong commitment
to promote life is needed. We extend a warm welcome for
all to join us at our meetings which are held on the third
Wednesday of every month at 9:00 AM at the Parish Center.
Perfect attendance is NOT required! For further information,
contact: Michelle Larson at 860/267-6040.
GET INVOLVED:
Everyone has a talent or ability to contribute, if only
for one hour per week or per month. Here are some examples:
- Join your
parish Respect Life Committee.
- Don’t
walk away from discussions about abortion and euthanasia
at work or where acquaintances gather. Discuss these issues
with colleagues.
- Advance pro-life
issues in professional organizations to which you belong.
- Volunteer
to counsel women in a local pregnancy aid center; ask
the Diocesan Respect Life Office (860/887-9294 Mr. Joseph
Collison) how you might assist the diocese’s post
abortion ministry.
- Volunteer
for a respite care program that helps families caring
for seriously ill members at home; help the local hospice
program.
- Contact your
federal or state representatives on important pro-life
legislation, especially when asked to do so by your diocese
or parish---send that letter, make that phone call, sign
that postcard. These things make a difference.
- Pray. Pray
privately and take part in programs of prayer.
- Provide financial
assistance to the diocesan Respect Life Office, local
programs of pastoral care or People of Life, the pro-life
action campaign of the Bishop’s Secretariat for
Pro-Life Activities.
- Be well-informed---keep
up with the news and read basic documents.
|
| Recent
News : |
APRIL
BABY SHOWER:
The Annual Baby Shower for “A Better Choice” agency
was held in April. The Pro-Life Committee sponsored a “Baby
Shower” during the month of April. Parishioners chose
a written item off the “Umbrella” and donated
it to ABC. Barbara Kacich, the Committee member who ran the
Shower, reported that many parishioners were very generous
with their gifts.
MOTHER’S DAY PINS: Committee members
sold Mother’s Day Pins (in the form of a rose) at the
entrances to the Church, May 10th and 11th. The donations
amounted to approximately $345 with the monies going to benefit
Birthright. |
| Upcoming
Events : |
The
Truth Squad
will be coming to speak to the first and second year candidates
on Sunday, October 26th at 7:00 pm at the Parish Center. The
Truth Squad, sponsored by the Pro-Life Committee, includes
a lawyer, a doctor , a pharmacist and a woman who has had
an abortion experience. The Squad discusses the legality of
abortions, the medical impact of an abortion on a baby, and
the testimony of women who “listened to the false promises
of “choice”, then suffered the consequences of
extreme physical pain, mental anguish and spiritual emptiness.
OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH:
Look for “A Helping Hand” newsletter insert at
the October 4th and 5th Masses.
There will be a special Pro-Life homily given by Father Chuck
during the Masses on October 11th and 12th. |
| Where
to go for Help: |
Birthright of Greater Hartford: has 12 offices
throughout Conn. There is help available for as long as is
needed in categories such as: education, medical aid, financial
assistance, adoption, housing, employment, and counseling.
Birthright is an all-volunteer organization founded to help
any female distressed by her pregnancy regardless of marital
status. Call the following toll free number for the office
nearest you: 1-800-550-4900.
ST. AGNES FAMILY CENTER----860/521-6160
A BETTER CHOICE (ABC)----860/344-9292
PROJECT RACHEL----
Wendy: 203/723-7003
Linda: 860/745-8542 |
| Print
Resources: |
- The Gospel
of Life (EvangeliumVitae), Pope John Paul II, 1995.
- Pastoral Plan
for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign in Support of Life,
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001.
- Living Gospel
of Life, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
1998.
- Faithful for
Life: A Moral Reflection, United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, 1995.
These
are available from USCCB Publishing or the USCCB’S
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities; they can also be downloaded
from www.usccb.org/prolife.
Two newsletters—(abortion) and Life at Risk (euthanasia
and assisted suicide).
|
| Websites: |
| www.usccb.org/prolife |
prime
resource for bishop’s policy and teaching statements
on pro-life issues. |
| www.nchla.org |
organizational
and contact information about the National Committee
for a Human Life Amendment. |
| www.stemcellresearch.org |
site
of Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research
Ethics, providing background and current reports on
stem cell research. |
| www.secondlookproject.org |
ads
and background information designed to encourage those
who a “pro-choice” to take a second look
at their position on abortion. |
| www.hopeafterabortion.com |
information
about abortion’s aftermath and the Catholic Church’s
post-abortion ministry. |
| www.RU486facts.org |
factual
information about the drug RU-486. |
|
| Contact
Information: |
| |
|
|
