RESPECT LIFE OVERVIEW

The Respect Life Office serves the Church of Worcester by striving to build a culture of life, and upholding and promoting the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. We work to implement the guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, in which we are called upon as Church, with our resources, our people, our services and institutions, to pursue the cause of life with renewed energy and commitment. Through prayer, education, pastoral care, and public policy advocacy, we work to proclaim the Gospel of Life in our midst throughout all ages and stages of life. By working together diligently, prayerfully, and courageously in the Lord’s service, the culture of death that surrounds us today will one day be replaced with a culture of life.

Your voice could help save millions of lives! The Hyde Amendment has protected Americans from funding abortion for 45 years. It’s credited with saving the lives of over 2.4 million children to date.
 
Now, powerful members of Congress want to take away this law that both Democrats and Republicans have supported for nearly half a century. Without it, billions of taxpayer dollars could go to abortion. That means abortions would be cheaper, easier, and funded with our taxpayer dollars.
 
It is critically important for Catholics to send a strong message before Congress moves forward to impose taxpayer-funded abortion. Because of the incredibly high stakes Congress needs to hear from a massive number of people.  Please join our diocesan response to this nationwide effort by the USCCB, set for the first week of June. The primary goal is for millions of Catholics to sign the petition on NoTaxpayerAbortion.com.
 
The USCCB has created easy, ready-to-use tools that can be found at respectlife.org/no-taxpayer-abortion. These include a sample announcement (below), graphics, flyer, and infographic, making the message easy to convey through parish bulletins, websites, email notices, social media, etc.
 

Stop your tax dollars from
going to abortion.
 
www.NoTaxpayerAbortion.com

Read the article in the April 30th edition of The Catholic Free Press about our recent study series on Evangelium Vitae.


Respect Life Office’s series honored landmark encyclical, encourages local parishioners

All of the articles and other resources are available in English and Spanish and are accessible in multiple formats.  CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RESPECT LIFE PROGRAM.

Here are some ideas for celebrating Respect Life Sunday and highlighting God's gift of Life in October and all year long:

• Display the theme poster on a parish bulletin board or other suitable place.
• Duplicate the theme reflection flyer and insert in the parish bulletin.
• Utilize the articles on various life issues topics at different times throughout the year - as a monthly educational bulletin insert, as a tool for discussion in classrooms or study groups, as an informational handout for catechists or other parish leaders, or for personal enrichment and reflection.
• Utilize the beautiful graphics which illustrate this year's theme in parish bulletins, on websites, or in your social media posts. Be sure to link to www.respectlife.org when you post!
• Pray for a renewed respect for human life all year long with the many prayer resources available.

• Leaders' Tool Kits with helpful resources for specific ministries: Priests and Deacons, Catholic Education, Faith Formation, and Youth Ministry.

_________________________________________________________________________________________
"Working for a culture of life and love, we know that we can rely on the help of God,
for whom nothing is impossible."

~ St. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, n. 100
________________________________________________________________________________________