Parishes 'Respect Life' Year Round

By Eva Matacia, Special To The Bulletin

ATLANTA - During the month of January, issues surrounding pro-life, in particular abortion, often grab the headlines as attention is focused on the anniversaries of the Supreme Court decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Metrowide the Archdiocese of Atlanta celebrates a Pro-Life Mass and participates in the silent memorial walk at the Georgia State Capitol. But pro-life issues are not a once or twice a month occurrence in the archdiocese. The church's pro-life ministry continually addresses many issues regarding the value of human life: abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia and stem-cell research, to name a few. Some parishes, with more active ministries than others, are able to focus on multiple issues; while others, with smaller, but nevertheless enthusiastic committees, choose to devote their energies to one single concern, usually abortion. The challenge for leaders in these ministries is to keep parishioners aware of the ongoing struggle to recognize the value of every life, and help those considering abortion to find life-affirming alternatives and healing in the process. The following represents a sampling of those efforts.

A Prayer Confirmed: St. Oliver Plunkett

Sybil Lancour co-chairs the Respect Life ministry along with Sheila Palazzo at St. Oliver Plunkett in Snellville. The parish is able to address pro-life issues through a monthly newsletter that keeps parishioners apprised of policies and news on a national level as well as within the Catholic Church. Among the many activities the committee sponsors, their most recent project is the "Spiritual Adoption for the Unborn Child."' In December, Lancour's committee asked parishioners to pray for the unborn child for nine months. "About 380 people signed up to pray for a specific but unknown baby," she said. "We gave each person a prayer card, which we will collect at the end of nine months, along with donated baby items for the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett." The parishioners chose to pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe to intercede on behalf of the unborn, she said. Although the project is only a few months old, Lancour is encouraged. "When I was asked to help put a committee together for this ministry, I said this is a confirmation of a prayer to God about what I can do about the disrespect of life."

The Power Of One: Our Lady of The Assumption

Katherine Baldwin, pro-life leader at Our Lady of the Assumption in Atlanta, is also sharing in the joy of the birth of the parish's "Spiritual Baby Adoption." One weekend last April she spoke at all the Masses, asking for nine months of prayer. Cards were left in the pews so that participating parishioners could name the baby in their mind. Over 300 cards were returned, and the baby names were printed on the church bulletin board in pink and blue. Every month the church bulletin contained a short story about the development of the fetus, such as how big it was getting, its weight, and when the mother first felt movement. A "baby shower" was held Jan. 26 and 27, so that parishioners could leave baby gifts in a wicker cradle at the entrance to the church. All money collected was sent to various organizations including Birthright, Priests for Life and the Hapeville Pregnancy Crisis Center. The baby gifts were distributed to various organizations. "Several people said their children signed up to name a spiritual child and were fascinated to read about its development month after month," Baldwin noted. "One adoptive mother told me since she had not had the pregnancy experience, she was able to experience the physical aspects of it through the monthly stories in the bulletin." Baldwin's biggest challenge remains to get others on board. Her ministry has only one member-herself-and she continues to look for other members who share her "passion about abortion."

The Holy Spirit At Work: All Saints

The pro-life ministry at All Saints in Dunwoody is less than two years old but the enthusiasm for the issues is contagious. With a mission to educate parishioners in church teachings and the gospel of life, pro-life committee chairman Mark Moeller said, "We want to move people off indifference. Some people are solidly pro-life in the way they pray. Others are pro-choice, but the majority are indifferent." With that goal in mind, Moeller searched for ways to "involve people on the fringes ... to get them to stand up and be recognized for pro-life issues." His year-round plan to raise awareness included Masses for the unborn, presentations from Catholic Social Services to prospective adoptive parents, nights of prayer and rosary, fund-raisers on Mother's Day, and meetings with Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult groups. With a committee of 20 active members, Moeller said currently the ministry focuses on abortion, but attention will be turned to other pro-life issues as projects are set in place. "The response from our parish has been quite positive. Parishioners were encouraged by the visibility of our ministry and inspired to participate in activities," he said. He credits his success to a higher being. "At one of the daily Masses, the homily was about how some people have convictions about some things but lack the courage to act and some people have the courage, but lack direction. You have to have the courage to act on a conviction that good things will happen. After that I realized that I could get involved. I became chairman of the ministry, and am now doing the work of the Holy Spirit, which keeps me motivated in times of doubt."

A Labor Of Love: Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity's Respect Life ministry in Peachtree City is led by Suzanne Rice. With more than 10 active members, her committee's goal is to respond to information sent out by the archdiocese's pro-life office and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D. C. "We want to implement whatever the bishops send down to us as part of the new pastoral plan for pro-life issues," she said. Although her committee offers ongoing activities throughout the year that include education, prayer and the addressing of public policy, she said one of the biggest responses they received was to the Blanket of Love display last October. The hand-embroidered quilt is made of squares in memory of children who were aborted or stillborn. "A lot of people were really touched by the display," she said. "One square was in memory of a woman who had lost six children and we found that the quilt helped to begin the healing process."

It's Not Just For Adults: St. Ann's

"Our ministry's main focus is education," said Sharon Lewis, who co-chairs St. Ann's pro-life ministry in Marietta with Ellen Hoover. To that end, throughout the year they submit news every month for the Sunday bulletin, post notices of pro-life activities on the bulletin board outside the church, and work with other groups within the parish on issues surrounding abortion. The project of which they are most proud, however, involves the parish School of Religion classes to educate teens about pro-life issues. During October, Respect Life month, Lewis' committee provided teachers with materials that illustrated the different stages of gestation so youngsters could better understand the development of life in the womb. In conjunction with the Life Teen programs, the ministry provided speakers after the Life Teen mass who addressed life-affirmation, abortion, places that provide help (for those who wish to remain anonymous) and other resources. "This program was well-attended with over 200 teens in the audience," Lewis said. She added that it is important to start the education process early and the success of these programs shows that youngsters want to know more about pro-life issues.