January Action Guide
Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
This USCCB provides a full January action guide: an introduction, "Simple Steps," a sample timeline, sample announcements, sample intercessions, homily helps, and a sample activity. Visit https://www.respectlife.org/action-guides
Catholic Schools + January Opportunities
Share this special Respect Life webpage with Catholic educators, https://bit.ly/january-virtual-2021. In addition to information on national virtual efforts, a resources sheet gives ideas for implementing USCCB Respect Life tools in the Catholic educational setting in January.
National Prayer Vigil for Life
Livestream January 28-29, 2021, from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC. Also televised by EWTN. https://www.usccb.org/prolife/national-prayer-vigil-life-schedule
Youth Rally and Mass for Life
Livestream from Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2021, begins at 8:30 a.m. Visit https://youthrallyandmassforlife.org.
March for Life
The annual March for Life on the National Mall in Washington, DC, will be livestreamed. The rally takes place from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m., with the pre-rally concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. To sign up for the livestream, visit https://p2a.co/BIa5nXt.
Bulletin Insert of January Events and Opportunities
The 25th anniversary year of Evangelium vitae gives us a wonderful opportunity to assess, expand, and communicate resources to pregnant moms and families in need. We are inviting parishes to join a nationwide effort entitled: “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service.”
Take the pledge.
Find Resources.
Bishop Brennan's Letter on Walking With Moms In Need: A Year of Service
Watch the Video: Walking with Moms in Need
Monthly Prayer Guide
Converging Roads Conference
Health Care and Human Dignity
Saturday, April 24, 2021, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus
PRESENTATION TOPICS
Ordinary, Extraordinary, and Futile:
What is the Difference and What Difference Does it Make?
Elliott Bedford, PhD
Medicine and Morals in Making Clinical Decisions
Greg Burke, MD, FACP
Rights of Physicians: How to Bring Your Faith and Ethics into Medicine
Ashley K. Fernandes, MD, PhD
Addiction and the Opioid Crisis: Treating the Whole Person
Cynthia Hunt, MD
The Catholic Healthcare Professional in a Secular Society
Thomas W. McGovern, MD
Accompanying Children in the Womb and at the End of Life
Robin Pierucci, MD, MA
Access to Health Care for the Poor
Claudia R. Sotomayor, MD, DBe
Continuing education credits for healthcare professionals will be offered. Presented by the St. John Paul II Foundation, Catholic Diocese of Columbus, The Catholic Medical Association of Central Ohio.
The Gospel of Life:
Evangelium Vitae 25 Years Later
Online resources are available to celebrate the 25th anniversary to help you build a culture of life.
Respect Life Month is October and Respect Life Sunday is October 4th. Live the Gospel of Life: to imitate Christ and follow in his footsteps is the theme of this year’s Respect Life Program. The USCCB Respect Life Program includes timely articles in the form of bulletin inserts, posters, and prayer and worship resources.
For resources to promote the dignity of human life, visit:
Need Help? Find Loving Support
Think you might be pregnant? Scared? Have questions? There's help. Option Line - Pregnancy Help Online. Visit www.optionline.org or call toll free 1-800-712-4357 or Text “HELPLINE” to 313131.
Had an abortion? Bethesda Healing Ministry is a Catholic Christian Ministry of hospitality and healing. Through a community of love and acceptance, all men and women suffering the effects of an abortion are invited and supported. Please call 614-309-0157 to speak confidentially with a caring and loving advocate. For more information visit https://www.bethesdahealing.org.
Additional Ways You Can Respect Life
40 Days for Life Faithful believers are praying that this effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in America. This peaceful prayer vigil will take place at an abortion facility in Columbus. Participants are asked to volunteer for one-hour shifts and sign a statement of peace. For details and to sign up for a time, visit www.gcrtl.org/40-days-for-life.html or call 614-445-8508.
Bottoms Up Diaper Drive This October, help your parishioners recognize that being pro-life is about caring. It’s about helping. It’s about charity. Hold a diaper drive for Bottoms Up Diaper Drive and they’ll make sure that the diapers that the parishioners collect get to those most in need. To get started, call, text, or email Jo Welsh at 740-808-6131 or email jo@bottomsup.life. FLYER
Support your local pregnancy help center. Visit Heartbeat International's Option Line locator for a pregnancy help center near you. https://optionline.org/center-locator.
Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Program Save lives by helping women choose life by giving them the opportunity to view their unborn children on ultrasound machines at pro-life pregnancy centers. This initiative is funded by Knights of Columbus state and local councils with matching grants from the Supreme Council’s Culture of Life Fund.
Mass of Inclusion for People with Special Needs. Fall Date To Be Announced. Open to all in the diocese, the Mass will celebrate the unique gifts of those with physical and mental disabilities as well as caretakers. Sponsored by S.P.I.C.E. (Special People in Catholic Education).
March is Developmental Disability Month For resources on how to build greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church and society, go to www.columbuscatholic.org/persons-with-disabilities.
Death Penalty Q & A USCCB has produced a new handout about Church teaching on the Death Penalty. Use this handout to build a culture of life, CLICK HERE.
The Feast of St. Francis Program addresses the threats to human ecology and natural ecology – integral ecology. The cry of the poor and the cry of the earth is all connected, visit www.catholicclimatecovenant.org/program/feast-st-francis.
End of life Issues. Learn about what the Church teaches about euthanasia and assisted suicide. Resources:
Catholic Conference of Ohio
National Catholic Bioethics Center
NCBC Catholic Guide to End of Life Decisions
Issues
Abortion
Post Abortion and Reconciliation and Healing
Infanticide
Bioethics and Reproductive Technologies
Human Cloning
Stem Cell Research
Human Trafficking
Racism
Sexual Integrity - Addressing Pornography Addiction
Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide
Death Penalty
Vaccines
For other issues related to the dignity of the human person, visit our other pages on the Office for Social Concerns website.
Resources about the above topics:
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities - USCCB
Catholic Conference of Ohio - Issues
Diocesan Respect Life Program
The Office for Social Concerns serves to implement components of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Respect Life Program. Office staff research, identify, and analyze life issues within the context of Catholic social teaching to determine the impact of issues and to formulate an effective response. Office staff also serve to initiate and develop programs that assist parishes, schools, and organizations in identifying their own respect life needs and aids to formulate an effective response. The Office for Social Concerns provides education, information, leadership training, and community building opportunities for parish leaders.
Respect Life Program Implementation
The Office for Social Concerns serves as a liaison to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Pro-life Activities.
The Respect Life Program: