Welcome to St. Joseph's Pro-Life Ministry
What is St. Joseph's Pro-Life Ministry?
Breifly, St. Joseph Pro-Life Ministry works as a liaison to the Archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry as required by Archbishop Daniel Buechlein and the USCCB.In fulfilling this task St. Joseph Pro-Life Ministry, focuses on the following four objectives; Public Information and Education, Pastoral Care, Public Policy, Prayer and Worship. These objectives are explained in more detail below.
The Pro-Life Ministry at St Joseph's has the full support of Fr. Glenn and works under the guidance of Sr. Diane Carollo, S.G.L. the Director for the Archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry who has been appointed by the archbishop.
The Pro-Life Office has been formed to assist the archbishop of Indianapolis in his evangelical task of imparting the fundamental truth that every human life is a sacred gift from God deserving of respect and legal protection, from the moment of conception to natural death.
The Pro-Life Ministry Coordinator is the communication link between the parish and the Archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry. The effectiveness of the Church’s pro-life program depends to a great extent upon its ability to communicate with each parish that has agreed to accept responsibility to promote the Church’s pro-life agenda.
The Pro-Life Ministry Coordinator is responsible for organizing and implementing the efforts of the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities at his/her local parish in consultation with the pastor of the parish. The plan specifically focuses on the issues of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and capital punishment.
Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
Rededication to the Cause of Life
In this Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign in Support of Life we renew our call for individual Catholics and the many institutions and organizations of the Church to unite in an unprecedented effort to restore respect and legal protection for every human life—to be what the Holy Father asks us to be: a people of life and a people for life (The Gospel of Life, no. 78). It is our hope and expectation that in focusing on the need to respect and protect the lives of the innocent unborn and those who are disabled, ill, or dying, we will help to deepen respect for the life of every human being.
The Program
This pastoral plan calls upon all the resources of the Church—its people, services, and institutions—to pursue this effort with renewed energy and commitment in four major areas.
I - Public Information and Education to deepen understanding of the sanctity of human life and the humanity of unborn children, the moral evil of intentionally killing innocent human beings—whether at the beginning of life or at its end—and the mission of the Church to witness to and serve all human life.
At St. Joseph's this is achieved by making educational articles, pamphlets and brochures available in the parish and on the website. Each year the USCCB publishes Respect Life materials which are made available in the parish.
In addition parishioners are encouraged to attend the following:
Treasuring Womanhood Conference
Lions Breathing Fire Catholic Men's Conference
Proclaiming Christ to Every Generation Conference
Investigate and or read the following:
Abba, Father Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith
Contraception, Why Not? Part 1 (audio)
Contraception, Why Not? Part 2 (audio)
Contraception, Why Not? (text)
II - Pastoral Care for women with problems related to pregnancy; for all who have been involved in abortion; for those who are disabled, sick, and dying, and their families and caregivers; for those who have lost loved ones to violent crime; and for those in prison sentenced to death.
Women with unplanned or crisis pregnancies are given emotional and spiritual support through the Gabriel Project Ministry. Material items are offered through the Birthline Ministry.
Through the weekend Rachel's Vineyard Retreats or the one-day Entering Canaan Retreats, post-abortive women and men are immersed in a spiritual experience. The retreats address the spiritual wounds of abortion that run deep in men and women. Participants experience their sadness and grief in the company of others who share their pain. Both retreats focus on God's unconditional love and forgiveness in a confidential and environment.
To learn more about Rachel's Vineyard Retreats and Entering Canaan Retreats,
contact Sister Diane at 317-236-1521 or 800-382-9836, ext 1521.
III - Public Policy efforts directed to restoring legal protection to the lives of unborn children and those vulnerable to pressures to end their lives by assisted suicide, and to providing morally acceptable alternatives to abortion and assisted suicide or euthanasia.
With the guidance of the Archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry, St. Joseph's Pro-Life Ministry makes available the current public policy information from the USCCB Pro-Life Activities, the National Campaign for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA) and the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC). The Office for Pro-Life Ministry publishes a bi-monthly newsletter called News Notes alerting parishioners within the archdiocese of public policy issues and bills before congress. Forming a Catholic conscience with regard to voting responsibilities is an essential part of restoring legal protection to the lives of unborn children and those vulnerable to the Culture of Death.
Encouraged activities:
Participation in the Local Solemn Observance of Roe-v-Wade or the Annual March for Life in Washington D.C.
Central Indiana Life Chain
Archdiocesan Sanctity of Life Dinner will be held on March 8, 2012. For more information, contact the Pro-Life Office at 317-236-1569
IV - Prayer and Worship directed to participation in the sacramental life of the Church and in programs of communal and individual prayer, that the culture of death that surrounds us today will be replaced by a culture of life and love.
The spiritual remedy for the Culture of Death of course, is conversion, repentance and healing through Christ.
It is essential for Catholics to get down on our knees and offer prayer and sacrifice for the conversion of our family members, friends, neighbors and country. Only though prayer and sacrifice will our nation return to the values of "life and liberty" it once held dear.
Parishioners are encourage to participate in the following.
Ministry of Prayer in the Parish
Monthly Pro-Life Mass (3rd Saturday of each month)
Respect Life Sunday - the first Sunday of October
Divine Mercy Sunday - the first Sunday following Easter
Parish Penance Services - Lent and Advent
Prayers
Day of the Unborn - Novena for the Feast of the Annunciation
Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Spiritual Adoption Prayer - Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very
much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted, who is in danger of abortion.
Pro-Life Monthly Intersessions
See also Respect Life 2010-2011
