Respect Life Ministry

“We are not some casual or meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God.  Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.”
- Pope Benedict XVI

• Raise awareness of the life issues—including abortion, post-abortion healing, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and Catholic teaching on marriage and family (chastity, reproductive technology)—recognizing that without the right to life from conception to natural death, all other rights are “false and illusory” (JPII)

• Provide information to help inform parishioners and others about Church teaching and about current scientific knowledge

• Encourage fellow parishioners in our shared responsibility to live our faith in the public arena

• Speak the truth with a voice of love, hope, and compassion in order to fulfill our call from God to be the “light of the world” and the “leaven” to lift up society

To that end, we maintain a bulletin board in the vestibule, provide informational materials on the bookcase in the vestibule for people to use and share, bring issues to parishioners' attention in the bulletin, organize pro-life rosaries after Mass on appropriate days/feasts, raise money and collect goods to support Visitation House and Problem Pregnancy, contact legislators about pending legislation, sponsor a pro-life program on Westborough cable TV, support the chastity curriculum for the high school faith formation program, and provide peaceful and prayerful witness outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Worcester.

If you are interested in joining this ministry or would like more information,Julie Basque, pastoral associate at 508-366-8509, ext 4 or via email at [email protected] 

St. Luke’s participates in the international 40 Days for Life prayer campaign.  40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion and peaceful vigil outside abortion facilities.  The campaigns are run twice each year, once during Lent and once in the fall. Babies have been saved and mothers spared the pain of abortion…right here at the Planned Parenthood in Worcester!

For more infomation, please see http://www.40daysforlife.com/worcester or call Lee at 508-887-1064. 

The Teachings of the Catholic Church on Life Issues:

• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Pope John Paul II's encyclical Evangelium vitae
• Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae vitae
• Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

• Project Rachel - 508-791-HOPE - a safe and confidential outreach ministry of the Catholic Church to women and men who are hurting from a past abortion.
• Silent No More - post-abortion outreach to make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women, men, and their families

• Pure Love Club - a great website for teens and parents

• Problem Pregnancy - a crisis pregnancy center that provides counseling and support to women in difficult circumstances
• ClearWay Clinic - a crisis pregnancy center in Worcester that provides counseling and support to women in difficult circumstances
• Visitation House - a Catholic home in Worcester for pregnant women who don't have housing

• Witness for Life - a Worcester based group that aims to educate parishioners about end-of-life issues. 
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• Abortion Procedures – non-graphic animation that explains the different procedures
• American Life League - daily pro-life news briefs
• Center for Medical Progress –undercover reporting on PP’s sale of baby body parts
• Feminists for Life - pro-woman, pro-life perspective
• Human Life Alliance – great pro-life brochures and outreach materials
• Human Life International - international news
• Live Action –video investigations of Planned Parenthood; effective social media outreach
• Live Action News– more great content from Live Action
• Massachusetts Citizens for Life - local and national information
• Massachusetts Family Institute - state news & legislation
• Population Research Institute - reports on forced population control
• Priests for Life - many good resources on this site