Respect Life
To activate and cultivate respect for the sanctity of human life in the parish and surrounding community through prayer, education, advocacy for protection of life, and corporal and spiritual works of mercy for women in crisis pregnancies and their babies. The primary focus is upon abortion. However, it also addresses euthanasia, assisted suicide, and other direct threats to human life, including embryonic stem cell research and human cloning.
The Respect Life Committee meets on the 3nd Wednesday of each month, except June and July. Our meetings are held in the parish library and start at 1:00 p.m., except for January and August, which start at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome.
The St. Thomas Respect Life Prayer Teams now meets in front of Planned Parenthood on
At last January's End Abortion summit at Christ the King parish, Al Kresta inspired several members of our committee to work toward establishing a Gabriel Project at St. Thomas. The goal of such a project is to defeat abortion on one-to-one basis - that is, by meeting the needs of pregnant women in our community so that they do not choose abortion but instead make the choice for life.
The first Gabriel Project we know of has been established as an outreach of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. You can read about its organization and structure in the pdf located at http://www.diogh.org/
http://www.diogh.org/
On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Dr. Marcella Colbert - the director of the Galveston-Houston Gabriel Project - will be at St. Thomas to train parishioners, particularly seasoned mothers, in ministering to women with these needs. Please rsvp to me and also forward this to anyone in our area that you think should be interested.
Please direct to our committee any questions you may have. If you would like to observe a functioning Gabriel Project in the month between now and training, there exists an open invitation to attend the Monday night meetings at St. Gerald, Farmington: 3/22 and 4/12.
God bless,
Paul Schultz
(734) 646-0430
www.impact73.org
A PRO-LIFE LITANY (adapted from a prayer by Priests for Life)
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father, Creator of the world,
Response: Have mercy on us!
For every sin against life,
For the bloodshed throughout our land,
For the silence of your people,
For the co-operation of your people in this tragedy,
For our pre-born brothers and sisters killed by abortion,
Response: Lord, hear our prayer.
For our pre-born brothers and sisters threatened by abortion,
For mothers who have had abortions,
For mothers tempted to have abortions,
For fathers of aborted babies,
For abortionists,
For all who assist and cooperate in abortions,
For doctors and nurses, that they may nurture life,
For the clergy, that they may speak up for life,
For the pro-life movement,
For courage and perseverance in pro-life work,
For legal professionals, courts and judges, educators, media professionals,
For the protection of all human life from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death,
In thanksgiving for the babies saved from abortion,
In thanksgiving for the mothers saved and healed from abortion,
In thanksgiving for all those who take a stand against abortion,
In thanksgiving for the call to be part of the pro-life movement,
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Let us Pray
Almighty and ever-living God, You have created all things through your Son Jesus Christ. He trampled the power of death by His Paschal Mystery. May all who acknowledge you promote the sacredness of life and always serve you faithfully, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.