Diocese of Austin
Office of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living
Bulletin Secretary Monthly Mailing
March 2014
Note:
Below are the bulletin announcements for your parish for the month of March 2014.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Mar.
2 Pro-Life Benefit Dinner – Msgr. Joseph Riley, founder of God’s Precious Infants will be our speaker.
God’s Precious Infants is what we use as a guideline for our sidewalk ministry. See
www.austindiocese.org/prolifegala for more information.
6 Offices closed for Staff Lenten Day of Prayer
15 Gabriel Angel Training at St. Catherine of Siena Parish from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. – download flier here or contact
Briana Feiler (512) 949-2488 for more details.
28 Project Rachel Retreat information can be found here.
Apr. MOTHER’S DAY CARNATION orders are due April 4 – please get with your pastors to find out if your parish will
order carnations this year. Prices and order forms are attached.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Pulpit Announcement for Gala
Sponsorships and tickets are available for the 2014 Pro-Life Benefit Gala! The Benefit Gala will take place on March
2 at the AT&T Conference Center and will feature Bishop Joe Vásquez and Msgr. Philip Reilly, founder of the Helper
of God’s Precious Infants. See the bulletin for more information.
Generation Life in Central Texas
The Office of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living is bringing Generation Life to the Austin Diocese. They will be
available for presentations from March 17-April 11. Scheduling across the diocese is now being planned. If your
parish or school would like to bring these dynamic young people to your area, please contact Marie Cehovin, Director
at [email protected]. Visit www.ThriveTexas.org for updates on our THRiVE! teen rallies with
Generation Life in Austin, Bryan and Waco.
BULLETIN INFORMATION:
Bulletin Briefs from the USCCB Word of Life Series can be found at http://usccb.org/prayer-andworship/resources-for-the-eucharist/word-of-life/.
For the Weekend of February 15 & 16
Pro-Life Benefit Gala sponsorships and tickets are available for the 2014 Pro-Life Benefit Gala! The Benefit Gala will take
place on March 2 at the AT&T Conference Center and will feature Bishop Joe Vásquez and Msgr. Philip Reilly, founder of the
Helper of God’s Precious Infants and the father of compassionate outreach at abortion facilities. Dinner and a beautiful
Catholic silent auction, with items donated from some of our own priests, are included! Donations to the silent auction are
still welcome! Your purchase or sponsorship will help to build a Culture of Life and a Civilization of Love in central Texas.
For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit www.austindiocese.org/prolifegala or call (512) 949-2486.
Generation Life in Central Texas
The Office of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living is bringing Generation Life to the Austin Diocese. They will be available
for presentations from March 17-April 11. Scheduling across the diocese is now being planned. Visit www.ThriveTexas.org
for updates on our THRiVE! teen rallies with Generation Life in Austin, Bryan and Waco.
Bulletin Announcements
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Project Rachel is a compassionate and confidential ministry that helps women and men suffering emotionally and spiritually
from the trauma of abortion. Project Rachel retreats are offered throughout the year at private locations. The next retreat is
scheduled for March 28-30. Confidential registration is available by contacting (877) 932-2732 or [email protected].
40 Days for Life, a community-based campaign that draws attention to the tragedy of abortion through the use of
prayer and fasting, constant vigil and community outreach. This national 2014 Spring campaign takes place from
Wednesday, March 5 through Sunday, April 13 (Ash Wednesday through Palm Sunday). For 40 Days for Life in the
Diocese of Austin, there will be five prayer vigil locations. Your parish can participate in 40 Days for Life by having
weekly, daily or one-time Holy Hours, rosaries and Masses. 40 Days for Life is not an official ministry of the Diocese
of Austin.
Austin, TX (4 locations) Director: Central Texas Coalition for Life – www.centraltexascoalition.com
Austin Women’s Health Center
Whole Women’s Health
1902 S IH 35 #A
8401 N IH 35
Austin, TX 78704
Austin, TX 78704
International Healthcare Solutions
9805 Anderson Mill Road
Austin, TX 78750
Planned Parenthood
201 E. Ben White Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
Waco, TX (1 location) Director: Pro-Life Waco http://www.prolifewaco.com or
John Pisciotta at (254) 644-0407 or [email protected]
Planned Parenthood
1121 Ross Avenue, Ste. A
Waco, TX 76706
Rachel’s Reflections
"Through the Divine Mercy of God I have been healed. The shame, embarrassment, and guilt are gone. Of course, this does
not mean I am not sorry; I will always be sorry, but, instead of being afraid and running from the fact, I know I am a sinner,
and while I always strive not to sin, I am also aware that anything I do right is only because of His grace in my life." - Theresa
Bonopartis, Founder of Lumina: Hope and Healing After Abortion.
If you or someone you know has experienced an abortion, we can help. Please contact Project Rachel at (877) WE CARE 2 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel. Our next retreat is scheduled for
March 28-30, 2014.
Por la Divina Misericordia de Dios me he sanado. La deshonra, la vergüenza y la culpa se han ido. Por supuesto, esto
no quiere decir que no lo siento; siempre me voy a arrepentir, pero, en lugar de tener miedo y escapar de lo hecho, yo
sé que soy una pecadora y mientras que siempre me esfuerzo por no pecar, también estoy consciente de que cualquier
cosa que haga bien es sólo por Su gracia en mi vida". - Teresa Bonopartis, fundadora de Lumina: Esperanza y Alivio
Después del Aborto.
Si usted o alguien que conozca ha experimentado un aborto, nosotros podemos ayudar. Por favor ponerse en contacto con Proyecto Raquel al
(877) WE CARE 2 o [email protected] para mas información. Nuestro próximo retiro está programado para el 28 a
30 de marzo, 2014.
For the Weekend of February 22 & 23
Pro-Life Benefit Gala sponsorships and tickets are available for the 2014 Pro-Life Benefit Gala! The Benefit Gala will take
place on March 2 at the AT&T Conference Center and will feature Bishop Joe Vásquez and Msgr. Philip Reilly, founder of the
Helper of God’s Precious Infants and the father of compassionate outreach at abortion facilities. Dinner and a beautiful
Catholic silent auction, with items donated from some of our own priests, are included! Donations to the silent auction are
still welcome! Your purchase or sponsorship will help to build a Culture of Life and a Civilization of Love in central Texas.
For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit www.austindiocese.org/prolifegala or call (512) 949-2486.
Team Anderson Mill
The St. Thomas More Respect Life Ministry will meet on the second and last Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. for Adoration
at St. Thomas More in Austin and then proceed from 10-11 a.m. to pray outside the abortion facility at 9805 Anderson Mill
Road, Austin, TX 78750. All are welcome to join.
Bulletin Announcements
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Gabriel Project Angels are trained volunteers who work with someone in need of emotional and spiritual support due to a
crisis pregnancy. The support of an angel can make a wonderful difference by providing a spirit of hope as the new expectant
mom works through each day. Support for someone as they await the birth of their child is a ministry from the heart. There is
a need for angels across the diocese. The next scheduled training will be March15, 2014, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Catherine of
Siena Parish in Austin. Please call (512) 949-2488 or e-mail [email protected] to register or for more
information. View flier here.
For the Weekend of March 1 & 2
Team Anderson Mill
The St. Thomas More Respect Life Ministry will meet on the second and last Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. for Adoration
at St. Thomas More in Austin and then proceed from 10-11 a.m. to pray outside the abortion facility at 9805 Anderson Mill
Road, Austin, TX 78750. All are welcome to join.
Gabriel Project Angels are trained volunteers who work with someone in need of emotional and spiritual support due to a
crisis pregnancy. The support of an angel can make a wonderful difference by providing a spirit of hope as the new expectant
mom works through each day. Support for someone as they await the birth of their child is a ministry from the heart. There is
a need for angels across the diocese. The next scheduled training will be March 15, 2014, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at St.
Catherine of Siena Parish in Austin. Please call (512) 949-2488 or e-mail [email protected] to register or for
more information, view here.
Help Line volunteers needed
The Help Line is available for women and men to access help from both Gabriel Project and Project Rachel. Volunteers are
needed to answer incoming calls, which are forwarded to a volunteer’s phone line for a shift each week. Free training and
materials are provided. If you are interested in this ministry, contact Briana Feiler at (512) 949-2488 or e-mail [email protected].
Rachel’s Reflections
"The prodigal son lost his inheritance because of his choices. But he remained his father's child. You, too, may have lost
family, friends, reputation, or material belongings because of your choices. But you have never stopped being your heavenly
Father's beloved child." - Excerpt from “After Abortion God Offers Forgiveness, Healing, and Hope,” published by the Word
Among Us.
If you or someone you know has experienced an abortion, we can help. Please contact Project Rachel at (877) WE CARE 2 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel. Our next retreat is scheduled for
March 28-30, 2014.
"El hijo pródigo perdió su herencia a causa de sus decisiones. Sin embargo, él seguía siendo el hijo de su padre. Usted
también puede haber perdido familiares, amigos, la reputación o los bienes materiales a causa de sus decisiones. Pero
usted nunca ha dejado de ser un niño amado de su Padre celestial". – Extraído de "Después del Aborto Dios ofrece el
perdón, la sanación y la esperanza". - publicado por la Palabra entre nosotros.
Si usted o alguien que conozca ha experimentado un aborto, nosotros podemos ayudar. Por favor ponerse en contacto con Proyecto Raquel al
(877) WE CARE 2 o [email protected] para mas información. Nuestro próximo retiro está programado para el 28 a
30 de marzo, 2014.
For the Weekend of March 8 & 9
Natural Family Planning (NFP) Seminars satisfy the diocesan requirement for marriage preparation. In this seminar,
couples will discover that NFP is about fertility awareness, is highly effective and scientifically supported, and is easy to use by
familiarizing couples with the four approved methods of NFP within the Diocese of Austin. A certificate of attendance will be
provided upon completion of this seminar. View class schedules for both marriage preparation classes and individual Method
classes at www.centraltexasprolife.org in the “Ministries” section or contact Claudia Meserole at (512) 949-2489 or [email protected] for more information.
Austin Prayer Vigil displays an outward sign of love for life. Prayer angels meet the third Saturday of the month to show
their respect for life. For more information view this flier in English and Spanish or contact Bob Christiansen at (512) 2558551. The next Prayer Vigil is scheduled for March 15 at St. Paul Parish in Austin.
Bulletin Announcements
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Rachel’s Reflections
"If you are a woman, or a man, who, in the aftermath of abortion, has struggled with guilt or shame. If you have a fear of
rejection and so have stayed away from the Church please understand this: God has never failed to love you and neither have
we. Despite the Church’s prophetic stand against abortion, we are just as adamant about mercy and forgiveness. It is the heart
of the Church’s ministry to celebrate God’s healing and forgiveness. It has been my privilege as a priest to reconcile many
women and men who have, at some point in the past, chosen abortion. God is rich in mercy and it is a great joy to announce,
celebrate and confer that mercy." - Msgr. Charles Pope, priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.
If you or someone you know has experienced an abortion, we can help. Please contact Project Rachel at (877) WE CARE 2 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel. Our next retreat is scheduled for
March 28-30, 2014.
"Si usted es una mujer o un hombre, quien, a raíz del aborto, ha luchado con la culpa o la vergüenza. Si usted tiene
miedo al rechazo y así se ha mantenido al margen de la Iglesia, por favor entienda esto: Dios nunca ha dejado de
amarle y tampoco nosotros. A pesar de la posición profética de la Iglesia contra el aborto, estamos firmes sobre la
misericordia y el perdón. Es el corazón del ministerio de la Iglesia para celebrar la curación y el perdón de Dios. Ha
sido mi privilegio como sacerdote poder conciliar muchas mujeres y hombres que tienen, en algún momento en el
pasado, el aborto elegido. Dios es rico en misericordia y es una gran alegría para anunciar, celebrar y otorgar la
misericordia". - Monseñor. Carlos Papa, sacerdote de la Arquidiócesis de Washington, DC.
Si usted o alguien que conozca ha experimentado un aborto, nosotros podemos ayudar. Por favor ponerse en contacto con Proyecto Raquel al
(877) WE CARE 2 o [email protected] para mas información. Nuestro próximo retiro está programado para el 28 a
30 de marzo, 2014.
For the Weekend of March 15 & 16
Killeen Prayer Vigil displays an outward sign of love for life. Prayer angels meet the fourth Saturday of the month to show
their respect for life. For more information view this flier in English and Spanish or contact Karen Hinze at (254) 931-3700.
The next Prayer Vigil is scheduled for March 22 at St. Joseph Parish in Killeen.
Team Anderson Mill
The St. Thomas More Respect Life Ministry will meet on the second and last Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. for Adoration
at St. Thomas More in Austin and then proceed from 10-11 a.m. to pray outside the abortion facility at 9805 Anderson Mill
Road, Austin, TX 78750. All are welcome to join.
Project Rachel is a compassionate and confidential ministry that helps women and men suffering emotionally and spiritually
from the trauma of abortion. Project Rachel retreats are offered throughout the year at private locations. The next retreat is
scheduled for March 28-30. Confidential registration is available by contacting (877) 932-2732 or [email protected].
Prayer is requested for the victims of violent crime and their families, as well as for those being executed and their families. We
pray that they may all find mercy, healing, forgiveness and peace. Ray Jasper, 33, is scheduled to be executed on March 19, for
the murder of a man. On the day of execution, a prayer vigil is held outside the Capitol building from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The
Rosary for Mercy, prayed for those being executed and their victims, can be found at www.CentralTexasProLife.org.
Rachel’s Reflections
"If God is love, then the perfect expression of that Love is Calvary. And what awaits us there is not condemnation but
salvation . . . For He is the one who bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." Fr. Peter
Cipriani from Sharing the Heart of Christ by Kevin Burke.
If you or someone you know has experienced an abortion, we can help. Please contact Project Rachel at (877) WE CARE 2 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel. Our next retreat is scheduled for
March 28-30, 2014.
"Si Dios es amor, entonces la expresión perfecta de ese Amor es el Calvario. Y lo que nos espera ahí no es
condenación sino la salvación... Porque él es el que todo lo sufre, todo lo cree, todo lo espera todas las cosas, y
soporta todas las cosas". P. Pedro Cipriani, Compartiendo el Corazón de Cristo por Kevin Burke.
Si usted o alguien que conozca ha experimentado un aborto, nosotros podemos ayudar. Por favor ponerse en contacto con Proyecto Raquel al
(877) WE CARE 2 o [email protected] para mas información. Nuestro próximo retiro está programado para el 28 a
30 de marzo, 2014.
Bulletin Announcements
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For the Weekend of March 22 & 23
Sarah’s Hope
Fertility and Recurrent Miscarriage Support is a free spiritual support program for couples struggling to conceive or with
pregnancy loss. Attend a monthly women’s support group on the first Wednesday of every month (rosary 6:45 p.m.,
discussion 7 p.m.), at the Vitae Clinic in Austin, located at 1600 W. 38th St., Suite 115. A quarterly men’s support group meets
in January, April, July and October, and couples’ retreats are held twice a year (April and October). Brochures are now
available upon request. E-mail [email protected] or call (512) 736-7334 for information.
“No One Dies Alone” (NODA) is a volunteer program that offers bedside companions for patients in the final stages of
life who have no one to be with them. The program was initiated in the Seton Family of Hospitals in April 2009 and is
looking to expand through additional volunteers. Please contact Liz Powell at (512) 324-7000, ext. 80041 or e-mail
[email protected].
Prayer is requested for the victims of violent crime and their families, as well as for those being executed and their families. We
pray that they may all find mercy, healing, forgiveness and peace. Anthony Doyle, 29, is scheduled to be executed on March
27, for the murder of a man. On the day of execution, a prayer vigil is held outside the Capitol building from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
The Rosary for Mercy, prayed for those being executed and their victims, can be found at www.CentralTexasProLife.org.
Rachel’s Reflections
"I will always feel sorrow for my abortion and I will always regret it. That will never go away and that’s OK. The difference
now is that I don’t feel the shame and despair of my abortion. My shame has been dissolved and it is with humility that I can
fully acknowledge that I’ve been forgiven. The inner peace I now have and my strong love for God are two of the greatest
gifts He has ever given me." - Anonymous Testimony of a Project Rachel Retreat Participant.
If you or someone you know has experienced an abortion, we can help. Please contact Project Rachel at (877) WE CARE 2 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel. Our next retreat is scheduled for
March 28-30, 2014.
"Siempre voy a sentir pena por mi aborto y siempre me voy a arrepentir. Eso nunca va a desaparecer y está bien. La
diferencia ahora es que no siento la vergüenza y la desesperación de mi aborto. Mi vergüenza se ha disuelto y es con
humildad que puedo totalmente reconocer que he sido perdonada. La paz interior que ahora tengo y mi gran amor
por Dios, son dos de los mayores dones que Él me ha dado". - Testimonio anónimo de una participante en el Retiro
del Proyecto Raquel.
Si usted o alguien que conozca ha experimentado un aborto, nosotros podemos ayudar. Por favor ponerse en contacto con Proyecto Raquel al
(877) WE CARE 2 o [email protected] para mas información. Nuestro próximo retiro está programado para el 28 a
30 de marzo, 2014.
Bulletin Announcements
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For the Weekend of March 29 & 30
Pure Fashion is coming to Austin again; 2014-15 High School Girls don't miss out! We invite you to become a model of
style and confidence, standing on solid ground. Apply online NOW for 2014-15 at www.purefashion.com under the Austin
link. For questions, e-mail [email protected] or call (512) 942-7685. Come give us a try! Together we will
change our culture one outfit at a time. Pure Fashion is sponsored by the Diocese of Austin. Pure Fashion: Where Values and
Virtue are always in Vogue!
Rachel’s Reflections
"Forgiveness, in all its forms, brings emotional and spiritual healing. Men who suffer from grief and guilt after abortion will
find healing as they receive forgiveness from God, give the gift of forgiveness to others and, finally, forgive themselves. With
healing comes the restoration of hope. Where there is hope, anything is possible." - Dr. Catherine Coyle, Author of Men and
Abortion: Finding Healing, Restoring Hope.
If you or someone you know has experienced an abortion, we can help. Please contact Project Rachel at (877) WE CARE 2 or [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.austindiocese.org/projectrachel. Our next retreat is scheduled for
March 28-30, 2014.
"El perdón, en todas sus formas, trae la sanación emocional y espiritual. Los hombres que sufren de dolor y culpa
después de un aborto encuentran la curación, ya que recibimos el perdón de Dios, el regalo del perdón a los demás y,
por último, perdonarse a sí mismos. Con la curación viene la restauración de la esperanza. Donde hay esperanza, todo
es posible". - Dra. Catherine Coyle, autora de Hombres y el aborto: Búsqueda de Curación, Restauración de la Esperanza.
Si usted o alguien que conozca ha experimentado un aborto, nosotros podemos ayudar. Por favor ponerse en contacto con Proyecto Raquel al
(877) WE CARE 2 o [email protected] para mas información. Nuestro próximo retiro está programado para el 28 a
30 de marzo, 2014.
Bulletin Announcements
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