St. Pius X Catholic Church
Respect Life Ministry
presents:
Created in His Image:
Building a Culture of Life
from the Start
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Opening Video:
“Unborn” by Caitlyn Jane with Nicolle Maurer from the
Album “Coming Season,”
I am unborn. I cannot speak when I am afraid, you can
feel a silent cry. My eyes have not yet seen the colors of
this world, but what you do to me shows me death or life.
For your choice is all I have. Your voice my only chance.
Please keep me.
I am alive, my heart is beating. Innocent life, small inside I hide. I need you all the time. Someday I'll grow up,
just because of you, who cared enough to love.
For your choice is all I have. Your voice my only chance.
Please keep me.
My life here is at your mercy, don't you see. I am
born, my entire life ahead of me. I am your baby.
un-
The world awaits my cry and breath, I long to be held in
your arms mommy. God's depth of love for you is
everlasting. In the dark, or in the light, He'll never leave.
Though I may be little, unnoticed, please don't let me stay
unnoticed for too long. God makes no mistakes. Both
you and I are wonderfully, fearfully made.
For your choice is all I have. Your voice my only chance.
Please keep me.
Beginning of Life Teachings of the
Catholic Church
Dr. Charles Rice
Dr. Rice, Professor Emeritus, Notre Dame Law
School – Dr. Rice’s areas of specialization are consititutional law and jurisprudence. He currently teaches “Law
and Morality” at Notre Dame. He is also very well published in many pro-life subjects.
I. Contraception
II. Relation between Contraception and the Sexual Revolution
III. The Teachings of “Humanae Vitae” an Encyclical by
Pope Paul VI,1968.
Ways to Live our Pro-Life Beliefs in a Secular World
Mrs. Lisa Everett
Mrs. Everett, Co-Director, Office of Family Life, Diocese
of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Mrs. Everett partners with
her husband, Fred, in Assisting Bishop Rhoades in his
pastoral care of marriage and the family and in his promotion of a culture of life from conception to natural death.
I. Public Information and Education
II. Pastoral Care
III. Public Policy
IV. Prayer and Penance
Pope Benedict has invited us on a journey of faith to open
our eyes to the grandeur and beauty of all human life and to
become courageous and effective defenders of every human
life….
How will you respond to this invitation?
May we take full advantage of this coming year, as individuals, parishes and organizations, in our prayer, reflection
and acts of reparation. As we enter the Year of Faith, may
the journey open our eyes to human life in all its grandeur
and beauty.”
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington, DC 20017-1194
(202) 541-3070 or (866) 582-0943
www.usccb.org/prolife
2012 USCCB RESPECT LIFE CAMPAIGN
Faith Opens Our Eyes To Human Life In
All It’s Grandeur and Beauty
Sending Forth Song: “Live What I Believe”
by Russ Lee from
the Album “Pictures On Mantles”
“In 2013 our country will observe a shameful anniversary,
marking forty years of a “culture of death” that began when
the U.S. Supreme Court, in Roe v. Wade, struck down all
state laws restricting abortion. Since the advent of
“legalized” abortion, over 53 million children have lost
their lives, and their parents and family members have been
forever, unalterably changed….
These are the days for the children of faith to stand up and
be counted. Now is the time for the light in us to shine on
whoever’s around it.
How do we strengthen our faith and resolve today, as our
country marks forty years in the wasteland of the culture of
death? Providentially, Pope Benedict XVI has declared a
worldwide Year of Faith, beginning on October 11, 2012
and concluding on November 24, 2013. In introducing the
Year of Faith, the Holy Father spoke of the grave difficulties of our time, and the need for the Church to lead people
out of the desert and clasp sinners to its bosom. He suggested a path of penance and renewal and called for authentic conversion and witness to charity so the Church might
be the visible community of God’s mercy….
The fortieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade lands squarely
within the Year of Faith. It is as if the Holy Father has
given the Church in the United States a focused time to acknowledge the great sin of abortion with all its manifold
consequences, and to embrace a time of penance and converstion. Above all, in this Year of Faith, may the Church
and all its members become living witnesses to God’s longing to forgive and to pour out his healing mercy upon all
those who have promoted or been wounded by the culture
of death….
One life can be the proof of the hope that is You.
I’m gonna live what I believe. I’m gonna walk that line. If
it costs me everything, I’m gonna stand for what is right.
So that everyone can see, it’s Jesus that they need. I’m
gonna live what I believe.
The world will see God’s grace when we work and we pray
and then love like we mean it. If there’s ever been a day to
give ourselves away, well, I think we’re in it.
One life can be the proof of the hope that is You. I’m
gonna live what I believe. I’m gonna walk that line. If it
costs me everything, I’m gonna stand for what is right. So
that everyone can see, it’s Jesus that they need. I’m gonna
live what I believe.
There’s a passion deep inside (I’m gonna live what I believe) For my life to testify.
Lord, let me be used as a witness for You; with faith and
conviction You’ve called me by Your name, and I will not
be ashamed.
I’m gonna live what I believe. I’m gonna walk that line. If
it costs me everything, I’m gonna stand for what is right.
So that everyone can see, it’s Jesus that they need.
I’m gonna live what I believe!
South Bend Area
Beginning of Life Partner Agencies
At your service ~ and ~ Needing your service!
40 Days for Life, South Bend - The primary elements are
40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of peaceful vigil, and
40 days of community outreach. You can participate by witnessing with us at the “Prayer Peninsula,” an area created
adjacent to the entranceway of the abortion clinic that enables participants to visibly witness to the community. The
prayer vigil is from 7am – 7pm throughout the 40 Days
campaign. A quiet, prayerful presence is maintained outside
the abortion clinic. An Adoration Chapel is being designed
in this same area. Details to come.
40 Days for Life – September 26 through November 4,
2012
Prayer Peninsula located next to
2010 Ironwood Circle
South Bend, IN 46635
www.40daysforlife.com/southbend/
Ways to Help
- Pray at home
- Pray the Rosary at the Prayer Peninsula with Msgr.
Schooler on Wednesday, Sept. 26th at 5:30pm
- Pray the Rosary at the Prayer Peninsula with Fr. Terry
Coonan on Wednesday, Oct. 3rd at 5:30pm
- Pray at the Prayer Peninsula individually (electronic signup may be found at the website, advance notice not required
to come out and pray)
- Offer a fast for 40 Days for Life
Additional area locations:
1635 N. Ironwood
South Bend, IN
234 Chapin Street, Suite B
South Bend, IN
607 Lincolnway West
Mishawaka, IN
229 W. Marion
Elkhart, IN
Ways to Help
- Prayer
- Occasional office help with mailings
- Answer the office phone for 2 – 3 hours
- Deliver donations from St. Pius to Notre Dame location
- Babysit during a one-hour parenting class
- Donate baby items in the collection bin outside the St.
Pius parish office throughout the year or bring them to the
main location on Notre Dame Avenue. Examples: diapers
(all sizes), baby wipes, baby bottles and nipples, baby bottle
brushes, sippy cups, baby lotion, baby shampoo, baby
wash, baby washcloths/towels, receiving blankets, regular
blankets, crib sheets, baby safety gates, car seats, cribs, crib
mattresses, umbrella strollers, standard strollers, high chairs
nursing pads, nipple butter, breastmilk storage bags, baby
thermometers, nasal aspirators, baby nail clippers, teethers,
small toys, bibs, baby socks, onesies, underwear, clothing
up to size 7, maternity clothes
- Donate baby items during the October Respect Life Baby
Shower at St. Pius by dropping off baby items in the crib in
the back of church
- Help stock items in the Crib Club store
- Volunteer as a cashier at crib club store
Women’s Care Center – it’s mission is simple, to help
pregnant young women have the opportunity to choose life
for their babies. To encourage them to have healthy babies,
become better parents, and take first steps to selfsufficiency. It was founded by a young professor from the
University of Notre Dame and has grown to become the
nation’s largest pregnancy resource center serving over
100,000 women since inception. There are 19 locations in
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In 2011 18,828
women utilized the services of the Women’s Care Centers
to receive the following services: free Pregnancy Testing,
Pregnancy Verification Form completion needed to receive
medical care and other social services, free Ultrasound to
confirm pregnancy, Counseling by professionally trained
social workers and counselors to help create a personalized
pregnancy plan and for support, and free Parenting Classes.
Some locations have a Crib Club/BABE program, which
provides cribs, diapers, clothing and other baby items under
an incentive system that rewards participation in parenting
classes, prenatal care and other valuable programs. Coupns
are provided which can be redeemed at the Crib Club
stores. There is a 24-Hour Hotline available to address concerns and answer questions
Women’s Care Center - Main Center
360 N. Notre Dame Avenue
South Bend, IN
(574) 234-0363
24-hour hotline: 877-908-2341
www.womenscarecenter.org
Catholic Charities – Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
offers a variety of services to fulfill its mission of Serving
those in need as Christ would have us do. There are two
services related to beginning of life. With adoption services
the birth mothers can receive free counseling for as long as
she needs or wants it. Prospective adopting families are
interviewed, which includes a home study to be sure they
are a suitable family for a child. However, if adoption is
not the right option for a birth mother, she is welcome to
enroll in the Education Creates Hope and Opportunity
(ECHO) program. The ECHO program is a one on one
case management program that helps pregnant and parenting teenage (and young adult) girls finish their education by
helping them to establish realistic and healthy goals for
themselves and their children. The program is free and voluntary. Generally the case manager will meet with the girl
at home or school. The role of the case manager is many.
She is an emotional support, she helps them to find community resources that are available to the client and her child,
and she is a mentor and a confidant. The target population
for enrollment into the program is between 14-18 years old,
but each case is individual and is treated as such. However,
after the age of 24, the mother is no longer eligible for the
program. In many cases the case manager is able to follow
the mother through her college career if she chooses to do
so.
Catholic Charities
1817 Miami St.
South Bend, IN 46613
(574) 234-3111
www.ccfwsb.org
Ways to Help:
- Prayer
- Donations of any kind for teen-aged mothers
The Christ Child Society of South Bend – Mission Statement –
The South Bend Chapter of the Christ Child Society is a not-forprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to the personal service
and clothing of all needy children and infants in the love and
spirit of the Christ Child.
The Christ Child Society is located on Scott Street and Western
Avenue in the St. Patrick’s School building in South Bend. For
the past 61 years, the primary project has been to provide new
winter clothing to economically disadvantaged children from
newborn through age twelve without consideration of religion or
ethnic factors. Volunteers are there to distribute new (and gently
used) clothing to clients from St. Joseph County on Wednesdays
from mid-August through January. Last year over 4,400 children
received clothing from The Christ Child Society as well as
books. During the other months inventory is evaluated, clothing
ordered, and preparation for the next season occurs. Activity
occurs year-round in three layette programs: A Layette of Hope
(a onesie and a pair of socks with a card from The Christ Child
Society that reads “Please accept this gift with love from The
Christ Child Society. We pray that you will have a healthy baby
and a safe delivery) is given to every woman who has a positive
pregnancy test at the Women’s Care Center. 5,000 Layettes of
Hope were given out in 2011. An Angel Layette (a gown, hat,
blanket, and a book) is given to those who lose a baby at birth
regardless of income level. A layette (crib blanket, two receiving
blankets, three nightgowns, three sleep and play pajamas, bath
towel, 4 pairs of socks,1 outfit to grow into within a few weeks, a
sweater, one “Good Night Moon” book, a stuffed bear, a card
with a Miraculous Medal, and an information packet with helpful
hints for new mothers with a card indicating this is a gift from
The Christ Child Society) is given to moms at the hospital who
are referred by the hospital’s Social Services Department. 500
layettes were given in 2011. The Christ Child Society of South
Bend also offers tutoring/mentoring at St. Adalbert’s.
St. Joseph County Right to Life
320 N. Lafayette Blvd
South Bend, IN 6601
(574) 232-5433
www.prolifemichiana.org
Ways to Help
- Prayer
- Attend the “Life is Precious” Dinner on Oct. 4th, $45 per
person, advance reservations required
- Attend the Prayer Chain on Sunday, Oct. 7th on Ironwood
Drive between Edison Road and State Road 23
- Help prepare flowers at St. Pius the Saturday before
Mother’s Day, 2013
- Answer the office phone for 2 – 3 hours
- Occasional office help for mailings
- Participate in the Middle School & High School Spring
Essay contest Spring, 2013
- Volunteer at the SJCRTL booth at the St. Joseph County 4
-H Fair summer, 2013
- Become a member
St. Joseph County Right to Life (SJCRTL) - is dedicated
to the social welfare by promoting life through education
and advocacy. It is the oldest, continuously active pro-life
organization in St. Joseph County, and is the central organization representing pro-life interests. Their goal is to protect all innocent human life – the unborn, the infirm or
handicapped, and the aged. SJCRTL supports and encourages all who are willing to help a woman with an unexpected pregnancy. It refers post-abortive women and men
to counseling to help heal the emotional scars caused by
abortion. SJCRTL visits schools and groups to educate the
public and members of government about abortion, embryonic stem cell and fetal tissue research, mercy killing, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. We provide books, tapes,
and DVDs/videos to the public. SJCRTL sponsors educational campaigns through the major media such as billboards, television, radio, and newspaper. They work to introduce and support legislation to protect the unborn and
their parents from abortion. This includes laws that would
completely and accurately inform mothers of the development of their unborn child and the risks of abortion. Their
ultimate goal is the ratification of the Human Life Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee the right to life of all human beings from the moment
of conception. SJCRTL monitors life issues in our community. They help make sure that abortion providers and others who are anti-life, do not overstep their legal bounds.
They encourage regulation of the abortion industry. They
contest the use of public funds for abortion or for promoting
the abortion industry. It informs the public about corporations and nonprofit organizations that directly or indirecty
support abortion rights and/or the abortion industry; and
encourages these entities to stop supporting abortion.
The Christ Child Society of South Bend
308 S. Scott Street
South Bend, IN 46601
(574) 288-6028
www.christchildsb.org
Ways to Help:
- Prayer
- Help at the Center any Wednesday for any length of time
between 8am & 11am.
- Tutor at St. Adalbert’s parish
-- Deliver donated items from St. Pius to Christ Child Society once a month
- Donate ANY used books for children OR adults in the
collection bin outside the St. Pius parish office throughout
the year or bring them to Christ Child Society on Wednesday mornings.
- Donate new clothes, especially hats, mittens, snow boots,
underwear (birth to age 12) in the collection bin outside the
St. Pius parish offices throughout the year or deliever to
Christ Child Society on Wednesday mornings.
- Knit or crochet baby items or hats, scarves, and mittens
for the children (birth to age 12), may be brought to Christ
Child Society on Wednesday mornings or can be placed in
the collection bin outside the St. Pius parish offices
throughout the year.
- Attend the Fall Luncheon, Thursday, Oct. 25th (advance
reservation required)
-Attend the annual Day of Prayer and Reflection, Feb,
2013
- Attend the Spring Tea, Spring, 2013
- Attend the Annual “Let Love Shine Dinner Sept., 2013
- Donate a silent auction item for the “Let Love Shine Dinner”
- Become a member
Elizabeth Ministries – St. Pius X Catholic Church has three areas within Elizabeth Ministries that fall under the Respect Life
umbrella: Infertility Support Group, Ministries for Children with
Special Needs, and Natural Family Planning.
The Infertility Support Group is headed by Suzy Younger, FertilityCare Practitioner & Manager at the Saint Joseph FertilityCare
Center. Couples find fellowship and information on the FertilityCare Center, which assists couples desiring a highly-effective,
scientific system of Natural Family Planning. It also assists
women in finding real solutions to real problems such as infertility, recurrent miscarriage, endometriosis, irregular periods, pelvic
pain, PMS, post-partum depression, perimenopausal symptoms,
ovarian cysts, and Polycystic Ovarian Disease. Their work is
100% pro-life and is morally acceptable to people of all faiths.
Saint Joseph FertilityCare Center
611 E. Douglas Road – Suite 408
Mishawaka, IN 46545
(574) 335-6472
Ministries for Children with Special Needs include a support
group headed by Marissa Grover. The St. Angela Merici program is designed to meet the religious education and faith formation needs of children and adults with disabilities and other special needs. Using a hands-on approach to learning, the program
is dedicated to providing the students access to the fullness of the
faith in all its richness. The class content is custom-tailored to
the needs and abilities of each child, and the catechist/aide to student ratio is nearly one-to-one to facilitate better learning. There
are three levels of the program: Level I – Sacramental Preparation; Level II – “Liturgical Year and Life in the Church”; and
Level III – Confirmation Preparation. The program also offers
an adult faith formation class, geared to meet the needs of our
adults with disabilities and other special needs.
Project Rachel of Fort Wayne-South Bend – is the
Catholic Church’s healing ministry to those who have been
involved in abortion. It operates as a network of healing
composed of specially-trained caregivers which may include priests, deacons, sisters, lay staff and volunteers,
mental health professionals, spiritual directors, mentors,
chaplains and others, such as medical personnel. These individuals, often working as a team, provide direct care to
women, men and adolescents who have been touched by an
abortion loss, enabling them to grieve, receive forgiveness,
and find peace. In addition to individualized counseling,
some programs in the United States include support groups
and retreats.
Project Rachel of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Confidential Hotline: (574) 386-8295
Ways to Help
- Prayer
Respect Life Ministries Prayer Team – is there a desire
for parishioners to gather to pray for a culture of life? For
Respect of ALL people from conception through natural
death?
Ways to Help
- Pray at home
- Pray as a group in the Chapel at a specified time each
week
- Pray during Friday Eucharistic Adoration
Knights of Columbus – The Indiana State Council of the
Knights of Columbus advocates many pro-life initiatives.
They include 40 Days for Life, Baby bottle boomerang,
Gabriel Project, The Baby in Mary’s Womb, One Rose for
One Life, Prayer on the Square, Presents for Baby Jesus,
selling of Pro-Life Crosses, Pro-Life Rosary in Your
Church, Pro-Life Visions to Action, Spiritual Adoption, and
March for Life. Council 4263 based at St. Pius X has raised
money to purchase ultrasounds for the Women’s Care Center. The Council also sponsors 2 representatives to join the
Indiana State Knights of Columbus bus trip to Washington,
D.C. for the Annual March for Life.
Indiana State Council - Knights of Columbus
www.indianakofc.org
Knights of Columbus, Council 4263
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Ways to Help
- Prayer
- Attend the Indiana Knights of Columbus March for Life
bus trip Wednesday evening, January 23, 2013 to Saturday
evening, January 26, 2013.
Cost of the trip is $275 which includes: Round-trip on touring bus, Motel for 2 nights, double-occupancy, 2 breakfasts,
box lunch, Friday night dinner & celebration, and an unbelievable feeling of euphoria having participated in this
event!
St. Angela Merici Program - St. Pius X Catholic Church
(574) 277-5760
www.stpius.net
Natural Family Planning (NFP) allows a couple to prayerfully
discern on a periodic basis whether or not God is calling them to
conceive a child and then to use their understanding of the wife’s
fertility cycle to either achieve or avoid a pregnancy. It regards
fertility as a gift which should not be suppressed or destroyed,
but rather appreciated and respected. Natural Family Planning is
a scientifically based, morally acceptable method of regulating
conception based on daily observation and interpretation of the
natural signs of fertility and infertility which occur in a woman’s
body. Using this knowledge, a couple can identify the days on
which conception is possible should they desire to either achieve
or to avoid a pregnancy. It provides a healthy, highly effective
method of family planning for a very low cost and with no harmful side effects. Many couples also find that the mutual respect,
regular communication, shared responsibility and self-restraint
which the practice of NFP requires enriches their relationship and
strengthens their marriage.
http://www.diocesefwsb.org/diocesan-offices/family-life-office/
family-planning/
Ways to help
- Prayer
- Join the Infertility Support Group
- Join the Children with Special Needs family support group
- Volunteer as an aide in the St. Angela Merici program on Mondays from 5:15pm – 5:45pm
- Volunteer as an aide in the St. Angela Merici program on
Wednesdays from 5:15pm – 5:45pm
- Attend the next Diocesan Natural Family Planning course in
South Bend at Christ the King Catholic Church on October 24th,
November 14th, and December 19th
Hannah’s House – Believing in the sanctity of life and the
innate value of each person, Hannah’s House is a maternity
home that provides shelter, programming, and staff support
for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of pregnant young women. Hannah’s House serves Jesus Christ by
providing a home for teens, women, and their unborn/
newborn children where:
They are safe and secure
There is a multi-faceted program that challenges them to
reach their highest potential
Healthy lifestyles and family values are encouraged, modeled, and practiced
Development of self-esteem will empower them to make
positive choices
New mothers receive support that enables them to sustain a
new life
The community is enlisted to embrace and enhance this
ministry with an abundance of resources
Hannah’s House
518 W. 4th Street
Mishawaka, IN 46546
(574) 254-7271
www.maternityhomewithaheart.org
Ways to help
- Prayer
- Bake goodies for birthdays and other events at the house
- Host a baby shower for the new moms
- Donate a supper dish for one of the Moms Support Group
the last Tuesday of every month (approx.. 50 – 60 people
attend)
- Babysit during one of the Moms Support Group the last
Tuesday of every month.
- Deliver donations from St. Pius to Hannah’s House once a
month
- Donate items from their home wish list in the collection
bin outside the St. Pius parish office throughout the year or
bring them to Hannah’s House directly. Examples include:
paper towels, toilet paper, kleenex, trash bags, paper plates,
laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies.
- Donate new apartment items for moms when they move
from Hannah’s House. Donations may be placed in the collection bin outside the St. Pius parish office throughout the
year or bring them to Hannah’s House directly.
Examples: pots, pans, plates, silverware, toaster, cleaning
supplies, and towels.
- Donate new or gently used baby items in the collection
bin outside the St. Pius parish office throughout the year or
bring them to Hannah’s House directly. Examples: diapers
(all sizes), baby wipes, baby bottles and nipples, baby bottle
brushes, sippy cups, baby lotion, baby shampoo, baby
wash, baby washcloths/towels, receiving blankets, regular
blankets, crib sheets, baby safety gates, crib mattresses, umbrella strollers, standard strollers, high chairs nursing pads,
breastmilk storage bags, baby thermometers, nasal aspirators, baby nail clippers, teethers, small toys, bibs, baby
socks, onesies. Only NEW car seats and NEW cribs can be
accepted due to changing safety standards.
- Donate baby items during the October Respect Life Baby
Shower at St. Pius by dropping off baby items in the crib in
the back of church
- Answer the phone for 2 – 3 hours
- Maintenance/small repair work for the house