Respect Life Committee |
Purpose
Through
prayer, education, example and action, the Saint Jude Respect Life
Committee dedicates itself to promote the dignity of all human life
according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The Respect
Life Committee coordinates St. Jude's parish support of similar
activities with parish, city, state & national promotions. We
are eager for any and all parishioners to join our committee or help
with our efforts at any time. Committee
Activities
Information and Education
·
The Committee provides
timely periodicals and advisory bulletins near the main entrance of the
church to educate parishioners on issues related to Respect for Life. ·
Periodically the
Respect Life committee hosts adult education opportunities with themes
such as End-of-Life
Decisions. · Members of the committee are encouraged to attend various training, educational, and spiritual opportunities as well as activism throughout the community and report back to the committee. Meetings are used to plan parish and local activities as well as to provide a clearinghouse of pro-life opportunities throughout the community such as the Legislative · Forum in February and talks and seminars by various prolife speakers throughout the year. Thursday Morning Rosary Recitation
A prayer
presence is held near the Fort Wayne abortion facility on Inwood Drive
every Thursday morning from approximately 7:15 AM to Noon. Following the
8:15 AM Mass at St. Jude, parishioners travel to Inwood Drive to join in
a Rosary that is begun at 9:30 AM. St. Jude's parishioner support for
this citywide effort is recommended and coordinated by the Respect for
Life committee. Fort
Wayne
"March for Life" Demonstration
Each year
on the third Sunday of January a public demonstration march is made in
downtown Fort Wayne. More than a thousand march participants with signs
and slogans attract considerable media attention to the abortion problem
in Fort Wayne. The path of the march though police blocked streets wends
its way past a former downtown abortion facility to the Federal
Building. A rally is held for the participants of the march and other
interested attendees just prior to the march. Several effective,
impassioned speakers, including favorable candidates for office are
usually adding their support to the demonstration. St. Jude's Respect
for Life Committee is proud to recommend and support this program. Mother's Day Flowers
Carnations
are available before and after Mass on Mother's Day to bring awareness
of the gift of life. A donation is made from the parish to the
Allen County Right to Life organization. Friends
for
Life Camp
High school
students from St. Jude Parish are invited to participate with the
Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry to equip students to win the debate
for life and how to answer the most difficult objects to the pro-life
position today. This camp is held every June.
Essay
and Poster Contest
Every fall
in late September/early October, the committee sponsors an annual
essay and poster contest for the students in our parish school and in
our religious education programs. A different theme is offered
each year to promote respect for life among our children. Prizes
are awarded and entries are posted in the church and school. 40
Days for Life
Every fall
from late September to early November, as part of a nationwide campaign,
for 40 consecutive days, a presence is held near the Fort Wayne abortion
facility. Church groups of many faiths from Fort Wayne and the
surrounding counties participate. St. Jude's parishioner support
for this effort is recommended and coordinated by the Respect for Life
committee. Prayer Service for Innocent Victims of Abortion
A few years
ago the discarded remains of several fetuses were found in Fort Wayne
and identified as having been aborted. They were buried in the Catholic
Cemetery with an appropriate ceremony. Each year in October a prayer
service is held at the gravesite. The Respect for Life committee
supports and recommends this reverent supplication to all of St. Jude's
parishioners. Allen
County "Banquet
for Life"
Once per
year in October the Allen County Right to Life organization holds a
large fund raising banquet that features a nationally known speaker in
the Pro-Life field. This banquet is recommended to the parishioners and
supported by St. Jude's Respect for Life committee. Catholic
Voter's Guides
During
election years, the committee will review Catholic Voter's Guides and
make our recommendation to parish staff for distribution to
parishioners.
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