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Showing posts with label respect life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label respect life. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
March - Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Friday, December 6, 2013
Respect Life events coming up!
Respect Life news!
There is a lot happening in the coming weeks. Please take a moment to read this and renew your commitment to protecting innocent human life from conception to natural death! We deeply encourage your participation in these events.
· March for Life – Hotel deadline is December 13, please make your reservations on time in order to get the low rate
o Guest Speaker - Reverend William Scott Daniels, O.P.
o Bus reservation deadline is January 4, 2014 (indicate bus# and pick up location)
o Youth Groups – view our website for waivers, permission forms http://www.buffalodiocese.org/
· Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – 11:00 am Mass celebrated by Bishop Malone @ St. Anthony Parish, 306 Ingham Ave., Lackawanna
· National Night of Prayer – Various parishes will participate in this endeavor from 9:00 pm on December 8th to 1:00 am December 9th (with the exceptions noted by *.) View our website for the list of parisheshttp://www.buffalodiocese.org/
· 40 Days for Life - will be hosting a one hour peaceful and prayerful vigil in front of Buffalo Women services, 2500 Main Street, Buffalo, N.Y. 14214 from 10:00am-11:00am on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013. All are invited to attend as we pray to end abortion and encourage adoption! Peter Adornetto, Director 2013
· Special Blessing of the Child in the Womb - at Masses Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22 - St. Christopher Parish, 2660 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda, NY. The Gospel reading for Sunday, December 22 is of the Annunciation of Jesus' impending birth foretold by Gabriel to Mary, so it is very appropriate for us to bless all unborn children that day. We invite all who are pregnant, parishioner or not, to join us that day along with their families for this very special blessing! For more information contact the parish at (716) 692-2660.
· Roe v Wade Observance Mass – Saturday, January 18, 2014 @ 4:30 pm – Blessed John Paul II Parish, 2052 Lakeview Road, Lake View, NY 14085
· Save the Date – St. Gianna Banquet – Wednesday, February 12, 2014 @ Classics V – 6:00 pm
Please continue to regularly check our website for updated Alerts, Events & Newshttp://www.buffalodiocese.org/
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Affordable Care Act - health plans that exclude abortion coverage
October 25, 2013
MEMORANDUM
To: Diocesan Pro-Life Coordinators
State Catholic Conference Directors
From: Associate Director, USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities
Re: Finding a health plan on the state exchanges that excludes abortion coverage
The USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities has received a number of requests from concerned Catholics who are anxious to know how they can find a health plan without elective abortion coverage on the state exchanges authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I imagine some of you have received these requests as well.
At the outset, it is important to note that this memorandum is dealing with deliberately induced abortions performed after implantation – that is, the procedures recognized as abortions by state and federal laws, whether performed by surgery or by drugs such as RU-486. We continue to seek recourse from the HHS “preventive services” rule requiring almost all health plans to cover drugs and devices approved by the FDA as contraceptives, including some that may act as abortifacients very early in pregnancy; but that threat to conscience is a distinct problem legally and is not addressed here.
The potential pool of Americans interested in the abortion coverage question is quite large. When we polled Americans on issues relating to health care reform in 2009, 56% of respondents opposed (and only 32% supported) measures that would require people to pay for abortion coverage in their premiums. An even larger majority of 68% said that if the choice was theirs, they would not want abortion covered in their own insurance policy (including 69% of women, and 62% of those who supported health care reform efforts). Yet the reality in the new exchanges is complex, and it can be very difficult to find out whether a given plan covers elective abortions.
There are three ways we can help Catholics and other pro-life Americans find a health plan that does not violate their conscience on abortion.
First, we can help find out which health plans have chosen to exclude or restrict abortion coverage, and share that information with others. Generally (with the notable exceptions listed below), each insurer on the exchanges is free to decide under what circumstances, if any, it will cover abortion (42 U.S.C. § 18023(b)(1)(A)).
Second, we can support federal legislation to make it easier for people to find out which plans include or exclude abortion. Currently the Affordable Care Act forbids plans to reveal their policy on abortion coverage except as part of the “summary of benefits and coverage explanation, at the time of enrollment” when people are already signing up for a plan; it also forbids them to tell enrollees how much of their premium payment will go into a separate account to pay for abortions (42 U.S.C. § 18023(b)(3)). Recently Rep. Chris Smith introduced an “Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act” (HR 3279) to reverse these policies and require transparency on abortion coverage; we should urge all members of Congress to support this bill.
Third, we can help inform people about the abortion exclusions created by state or federal laws. Some states have acted to exclude most abortions from all health plans on their exchanges; and in other states, the ACA itself requires at least one “multi-state plan” to exclude most abortions. These are explained below. This information is provided as general background, and is not intended to take the place of more specific advice from your own diocesan counsel.
A. State Abortion Opt-Outs
In 23 states, most abortions are excluded from all plans on the exchange by state law. The states’ authority to enact such “abortion opt-outs,” without preemption by the federal ACA, is recognized in the ACA itself (42 U.S.C. § 18023(a) & (c)). This exclusion governs the exchange regardless of whether the state established its own exchange, or left that task to the federal government. The 23 states are:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas*
Florida
Idaho
Indiana*
Kansas*
Kentucky*
Louisiana*
Mississippi
Missouri*
Nebraska
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma*
Pennsylvania*
South Carolina*
South Dakota
Tennessee*
Utah
Virginia*
Wisconsin*
The 12 states with an asterisk (*) also have at least one multi-state plan that should exclude abortions except for cases of danger to the mother’s life or rape/incest. That issue is discussed below.
Some of these states exclude abortion from all health plans sold in the state (not only plans on the exchange), usually allowing abortion coverage to be purchased only as an optional rider funded by those who choose the coverage. Some also exclude abortion from health coverage for state employees. And the states differ in the exceptions they make for limited circumstances, in which insurers may cover abortions as part of an overall health plan (which is not to say that they must offer such limited coverage). This is how the 23 states fare on exceptions: No exception, 2 states; life of the mother only, 6 states; life/rape/incest, 10 states; life and serious, long-lasting physical health damage (or equivalent words), 2 states; similar life and health exception, plus cases of rape and incest, 2 states; life/rape/incest/serious physical health/fetal defect, 1 state. To see how your state handles these variables, see this chart from the National Right to Life Committee:
www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/
B. Federally Approved “Multi-State Plans”
ACA requires the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to approve at least two “multi-state” health plans. These plans are offered by private insurers, but screened and approved by the federal government to be offered across state lines and ultimately (by the fourth year that a given insurer contracts with OPM) in every one of the 50 states. So far OPM has approved only one such multi-state plan, offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS), which will be available in at least 30 states in 2014 (see OPM link provided below) and in all 50 states beginning in 2017. The ACA (42 U.S.C. § 18054(a)(6)) provides:
“In entering into contracts under this subsection [dealing with oversight by OPM], the Director [of OPM] shall ensure that with respect to multi-State qualified health plans offered in an Exchange, there is at least one such plan that does not provide coverage of services described in section 18023(b)(1)(B)(i)…” [that is, abortions ineligible for federal funding under the current Hyde amendment].
So in each of these 30 states, we believe there should be a multi-state plan that excludes abortion coverage except for cases of danger to the mother’s life, rape or incest. Whether this is actually taking place in each state remains to be proved.
As noted above, 12 of these 30 states have their own law excluding most abortions from all plans on the exchange; the multi-state plan must obey that law if one exists. But regardless of whether a given state has such a law or not, the multi-state plan must not cover abortions except for cases of life endangerment or rape/incest (with the caveat that even life endangerment and rape/incest abortions must be excluded in a particular state if that state’s law requires the exclusion). In 18 states and the District of Columbia there is no state law limiting abortion coverage, so the only current legal requirement for a relatively abortion-free plan of which we are aware is that state’s multi-state plan (which should be BC/BS, as that is the only multi-state plan approved so far), though other plans may exclude abortion if the insurer chooses. Those 18 states are:
Alaska
California
Colorado
Delaware
Georgia
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
Texas
Washington
West Virginia
More details on the multi-state plans are available here:
www.opm.gov/healthcare-
A glance at this web site reveals one source of possible confusion: Across the 30 states, OPM says it has approved a grand total of 154 “plan options” (ranging from two options in a number of states, to 36 in Alaska). These seem to be variations by regional provider network, and/or by premium amount and deductible (e.g., “bronze” vs. “silver” or “gold” plans). We believe that all these options should be treated as part of just one Blue Cross/Blue Shield multi-state plan, therefore excluding elective abortion under all options. However, it is not yet clear whether that is the way OPM interprets its obligation to ensure that “at least one” plan in each state excludes elective abortions, so further research on this point is needed. We will be researching this issue further at the federal level, and would greatly appreciate any information you can obtain about the way abortion is being treated by multi-state plans in your state.
Finally, some state exchanges may also have a Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan that is not part of the multi-state plan program, and therefore may not be covered by the federal abortion exclusion. Only plans marked as a BC/BS “multi-state plan” or “MSP” will qualify.
C. Other States
This leaves 9 states where it appears, from the information available to us, that neither state nor federal law currently guarantees the availability of even one relatively abortion-free plan (though insurers are free to offer such a plan if they choose):
Connecticut
Hawaii
Iowa
Minnesota
New Jersey
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wyoming
These states could change their situation either by passing a state “abortion opt-out” law, or by encouraging a carrier like Blue Cross/Blue Shield to extend its multi-state plan to that state.
We hope this information is helpful, and we would welcome hearing about any further clarification you learn about in your own state.
MEMORANDUM
To: Diocesan Pro-Life Coordinators
State Catholic Conference Directors
From: Associate Director, USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities
Re: Finding a health plan on the state exchanges that excludes abortion coverage
The USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities has received a number of requests from concerned Catholics who are anxious to know how they can find a health plan without elective abortion coverage on the state exchanges authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I imagine some of you have received these requests as well.
At the outset, it is important to note that this memorandum is dealing with deliberately induced abortions performed after implantation – that is, the procedures recognized as abortions by state and federal laws, whether performed by surgery or by drugs such as RU-486. We continue to seek recourse from the HHS “preventive services” rule requiring almost all health plans to cover drugs and devices approved by the FDA as contraceptives, including some that may act as abortifacients very early in pregnancy; but that threat to conscience is a distinct problem legally and is not addressed here.
The potential pool of Americans interested in the abortion coverage question is quite large. When we polled Americans on issues relating to health care reform in 2009, 56% of respondents opposed (and only 32% supported) measures that would require people to pay for abortion coverage in their premiums. An even larger majority of 68% said that if the choice was theirs, they would not want abortion covered in their own insurance policy (including 69% of women, and 62% of those who supported health care reform efforts). Yet the reality in the new exchanges is complex, and it can be very difficult to find out whether a given plan covers elective abortions.
There are three ways we can help Catholics and other pro-life Americans find a health plan that does not violate their conscience on abortion.
First, we can help find out which health plans have chosen to exclude or restrict abortion coverage, and share that information with others. Generally (with the notable exceptions listed below), each insurer on the exchanges is free to decide under what circumstances, if any, it will cover abortion (42 U.S.C. § 18023(b)(1)(A)).
Second, we can support federal legislation to make it easier for people to find out which plans include or exclude abortion. Currently the Affordable Care Act forbids plans to reveal their policy on abortion coverage except as part of the “summary of benefits and coverage explanation, at the time of enrollment” when people are already signing up for a plan; it also forbids them to tell enrollees how much of their premium payment will go into a separate account to pay for abortions (42 U.S.C. § 18023(b)(3)). Recently Rep. Chris Smith introduced an “Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act” (HR 3279) to reverse these policies and require transparency on abortion coverage; we should urge all members of Congress to support this bill.
Third, we can help inform people about the abortion exclusions created by state or federal laws. Some states have acted to exclude most abortions from all health plans on their exchanges; and in other states, the ACA itself requires at least one “multi-state plan” to exclude most abortions. These are explained below. This information is provided as general background, and is not intended to take the place of more specific advice from your own diocesan counsel.
A. State Abortion Opt-Outs
In 23 states, most abortions are excluded from all plans on the exchange by state law. The states’ authority to enact such “abortion opt-outs,” without preemption by the federal ACA, is recognized in the ACA itself (42 U.S.C. § 18023(a) & (c)). This exclusion governs the exchange regardless of whether the state established its own exchange, or left that task to the federal government. The 23 states are:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas*
Florida
Idaho
Indiana*
Kansas*
Kentucky*
Louisiana*
Mississippi
Missouri*
Nebraska
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma*
Pennsylvania*
South Carolina*
South Dakota
Tennessee*
Utah
Virginia*
Wisconsin*
The 12 states with an asterisk (*) also have at least one multi-state plan that should exclude abortions except for cases of danger to the mother’s life or rape/incest. That issue is discussed below.
Some of these states exclude abortion from all health plans sold in the state (not only plans on the exchange), usually allowing abortion coverage to be purchased only as an optional rider funded by those who choose the coverage. Some also exclude abortion from health coverage for state employees. And the states differ in the exceptions they make for limited circumstances, in which insurers may cover abortions as part of an overall health plan (which is not to say that they must offer such limited coverage). This is how the 23 states fare on exceptions: No exception, 2 states; life of the mother only, 6 states; life/rape/incest, 10 states; life and serious, long-lasting physical health damage (or equivalent words), 2 states; similar life and health exception, plus cases of rape and incest, 2 states; life/rape/incest/serious physical health/fetal defect, 1 state. To see how your state handles these variables, see this chart from the National Right to Life Committee:
www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/
B. Federally Approved “Multi-State Plans”
ACA requires the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to approve at least two “multi-state” health plans. These plans are offered by private insurers, but screened and approved by the federal government to be offered across state lines and ultimately (by the fourth year that a given insurer contracts with OPM) in every one of the 50 states. So far OPM has approved only one such multi-state plan, offered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS), which will be available in at least 30 states in 2014 (see OPM link provided below) and in all 50 states beginning in 2017. The ACA (42 U.S.C. § 18054(a)(6)) provides:
“In entering into contracts under this subsection [dealing with oversight by OPM], the Director [of OPM] shall ensure that with respect to multi-State qualified health plans offered in an Exchange, there is at least one such plan that does not provide coverage of services described in section 18023(b)(1)(B)(i)…” [that is, abortions ineligible for federal funding under the current Hyde amendment].
So in each of these 30 states, we believe there should be a multi-state plan that excludes abortion coverage except for cases of danger to the mother’s life, rape or incest. Whether this is actually taking place in each state remains to be proved.
As noted above, 12 of these 30 states have their own law excluding most abortions from all plans on the exchange; the multi-state plan must obey that law if one exists. But regardless of whether a given state has such a law or not, the multi-state plan must not cover abortions except for cases of life endangerment or rape/incest (with the caveat that even life endangerment and rape/incest abortions must be excluded in a particular state if that state’s law requires the exclusion). In 18 states and the District of Columbia there is no state law limiting abortion coverage, so the only current legal requirement for a relatively abortion-free plan of which we are aware is that state’s multi-state plan (which should be BC/BS, as that is the only multi-state plan approved so far), though other plans may exclude abortion if the insurer chooses. Those 18 states are:
Alaska
California
Colorado
Delaware
Georgia
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
Texas
Washington
West Virginia
More details on the multi-state plans are available here:
www.opm.gov/healthcare-
A glance at this web site reveals one source of possible confusion: Across the 30 states, OPM says it has approved a grand total of 154 “plan options” (ranging from two options in a number of states, to 36 in Alaska). These seem to be variations by regional provider network, and/or by premium amount and deductible (e.g., “bronze” vs. “silver” or “gold” plans). We believe that all these options should be treated as part of just one Blue Cross/Blue Shield multi-state plan, therefore excluding elective abortion under all options. However, it is not yet clear whether that is the way OPM interprets its obligation to ensure that “at least one” plan in each state excludes elective abortions, so further research on this point is needed. We will be researching this issue further at the federal level, and would greatly appreciate any information you can obtain about the way abortion is being treated by multi-state plans in your state.
Finally, some state exchanges may also have a Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan that is not part of the multi-state plan program, and therefore may not be covered by the federal abortion exclusion. Only plans marked as a BC/BS “multi-state plan” or “MSP” will qualify.
C. Other States
This leaves 9 states where it appears, from the information available to us, that neither state nor federal law currently guarantees the availability of even one relatively abortion-free plan (though insurers are free to offer such a plan if they choose):
Connecticut
Hawaii
Iowa
Minnesota
New Jersey
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wyoming
These states could change their situation either by passing a state “abortion opt-out” law, or by encouraging a carrier like Blue Cross/Blue Shield to extend its multi-state plan to that state.
We hope this information is helpful, and we would welcome hearing about any further clarification you learn about in your own state.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Life Chain 2013 - October 6 from 2 to 3pm
Life Chain
Once again, the Respect Life Ministry are asking the people of St. Benedict's Church to give up one hour of their time on Sunday, October 6th from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. to hold signs that state "Abortion Kills Children" along Niagara Falls Boulevard near Robinson Road in front of Tops Market.
This is to remind people driving by what is transpiring in our society and hoping that they also will take action to stop this terrible holocaust.
We will meeting in the Westfield parking lot at 1 p.m. to get the signs and drive to Tops.
Stand up for human life!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
October - Respect Life Month 2013
"Open your hearts to life" has been a favorite theme of Pope Francis and one that has particular urgency today. This year’s theme for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Respect Life Program fills us with encouragement and hope and calls us to love, defend and celebrate all human life. It calls us to joyfully follow the example of Christ, to love without limits, and further, to act on that sense of true Christian charity.
We know that we live in a world full of threats to the sanctity and dignity of human life. However we also know that through prayer, education, responsible citizenship and pastoral care of all human life, especially the most vulnerable and in need of our love, we transform our society into a culture of life; we know that all things are possible in Christ. We can protect the unborn, serve those faced with disabilities, care for the sick and dying, and stand against violence, and we can do so with compassion, charity and justice.
We celebrate October as Respect Life Month, but we are reminded all year round of the sacredness of life and the joy of love. Our Office of Pro-Life Activities and the St. Gianna Pregnancy Outreach Center, along with our pastors and parish Respect Life Coordinators, stand ready to implement this program and partner with each of you in defending and celebrating human life. Together we commit ourselves to the sanctity and dignity of all human life.
Through prayer and through the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments, we can know and love God better and open our hearts to all human life. In the Year of Faith, the focus on the New Evangelization is not only on learning doctrines; it is about learning to live our Christian life fully and bringing Christ’s love alive within us to all we meet.
I invite each of you to join me on Respect Life Sunday, October 6, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral as we celebrate the Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. It will be signed for the hearing impaired and I look forward to the opportunity to bless babies, expectant mothers and families immediately after Mass. This will be followed by a small socialwith light refreshments.
Be assured of my prayerful and grateful best wishes as together we work to promote all life through love.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Richard J. Malone
Bishop of Buffalo
Friday, June 7, 2013
Gov. Cuomo - expanding abortion in NYS
June 8-9, 2013
My dear diocesan family,
In New York State,
where one in every three pregnancies ends in abortion, it’s clear that we, as a
state, have lost sight of these most vulnerable babies.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
has introduced a Women’s Rights Bill. The
Catholic Church supports nine out of ten points in this bill. However, one of
the points contains language that would
ease restrictions in state law on late-term abortion and runs the risk of
broadly expanding abortion access at all stages of pregnancy, including any child who is not “viable “as viability
is defined by the abortionist. It also allows the State Health Department to
decide who may perform abortions, which does not limit it to health care
professionals.
This legislation would
add a broad and undefined “health” exception for late-term abortion. It would repeal the portion of the penal law
that governs abortion policy such as the criminal prosecution of a person who
tries to directly cause the death of an unborn child, as found in cases of
domestic violence against pregnant women. This lack of clarity also means that medical
and non- medical institutions, such as Catholic Schools and charities, could be
compelled by state regulators to counsel or refer people for abortion, or risk
losing state contracts and licenses that are necessary for them to continue to
operate.
The position of the
Catholic Church through every age is clear:
Life is sacred. Our focus is to enhance and promote the life and dignity
of all human beings from the moment of conception to the moment of natural
death.
Please join me and all
the bishops of New York in fully opposing this radical measure. Let’s stand
together with the leaders in Albany who share our conviction that we have no
need for such a bill to become law. We
must defeat this serious attempt to expand abortion. We need to respect women
and protect the child in the womb.
New Yorkers need to
stand together with the leadership in Albany who share our conviction. We cannot stand idle. We must protect our children. We must act now!
Please contact the
Governor and your state legislators today, and tell them not to expand abortion
in New York. You can send your message
through the Catholic Action Network website:
N Y S Catholic dot org
Thank you.
Yours
sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Richard J. Malone
Bishop
of Buffalo
RJM:mh
Friday, February 1, 2013
Cuomo Abortion Expansion Bill
Stop the Cuomo Abortion Expansion Bill
Take action against an anti-life bill with far-reaching implications
In his State of the State Message, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared his intention to push an extreme abortion expansion plan. Let the Governor and your state lawmakers know that no matter how it is packaged, you oppose more abortions in New York, the abortion capital of the nation.
You can contact the Governor and members of the Senate and Assembly through the New York State Catholic Conference website: http://bit.ly/Ypimsa
or
you can send the letter below to the Governor and your Senator and Assembly member.
you can send the letter below to the Governor and your Senator and Assembly member.
Send a message to them now!
For your convenience, cut on the dotted line below, sign, and mail to Governor Cuomo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Re: Stop the Cuomo Abortion Expansion Bill
Dear Governor Cuomo:
I am strongly opposed to the abortion expansion bill. Whether it is a stand-alone bill (like S.438, Stewart-Cousins), or re-packaged in a so-called women's rights agenda, it is a bill to increase and expand abortion in a state that currently leads the nation in abortions. The proposal is no simple update to New York's abortion laws, as proponents claim. It is a radical bill that would allow nonphysicians to perform abortions, permit more late-term abortions, and could be used to compel all medical facilities, including religious hospitals, to allow abortions.
This proposal is unnecessary and dangerous. Women will not reach new heights of equality through more abortion. Abortion is already widely available in New York. We need to work together to reduce abortion, not expand it. I strongly urge you to oppose any expansion of abortion in New York State.
Sincerely,
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
We need baby stuff!! 28/29 July
St. Gianna Molla Diaper & Donation Drive Information
UPDATE 2 August 2012 -
from the St. Gianna Molla Pregnancy Center, a "sincere thank you" to all who contributed to the success of the diaper and donation drive held on July 28-29, 2012. Items collected included 408 diapers, 500 wipes, an assortment of baby clothing, receiving blankets, infant formula and a free will donation of $698.00. If anyone has additional items that you wish to donate please call Gene & Arlene Mendrysa at 634-8997.
*****
We sure could use your help on this important project!
Items needed are essentials, such as, newborn diapers, wipes, lotions, onesies, pajamas, receiving blankets, etc, and free will donations. Please bring what you can to Mass with you July 28/29.
Items to avoid are those which are subject to safety codes like bassinettes, strollers, car seats, etc.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR HELPING THE NEWLY BORN!
St. Gianna, pray for us, new parents and new babies everywhere.
Friday, November 18, 2011
MUSIC NOTES FOR OCTOBER 23
Today’s Exodus reading is a stern reminder to a world grappling with immigration law, the plight of refugees, the challenges of diversity, and paralysis of government when it comes to moving beyond mere law enforcement to legislating justice. The obvious question is, who are the aliens? (or the alienated.) And then: “Remember when you were aliens.” Here is yet another exhortation to see the world and humanity as the One who created them does. Though borders are often delineated by geography, such as rivers or mountains, they are still human inventions, accidents of history, which may not respect the reality of what’s on the ground. Remember Robert Frost’s poem. “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know/ What I was walling in or walling out,/ And to whom I was like to give offense./ Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,/ That wants it down.” Presumably walls will have to fall as we learn to love our neighbor as ourselves, and by that means to love God with our all-in-all.
The Thessalonians’ vibrant faith was to move Christianity beyond its borders to neighboring Mediterranean peoples. The gospel’s offer of life to the full (John 10:10) on this Respect Life Sunday is expressed in the hymn “Abundant Life,” with text by Ruth Duck, a prominent contemporary hymnist. Her text echoes the Exodus warnings about the plight of aliens, widows, orphans, and the poor. These same concerns are found in “The Cry of the Poor,” which is a setting of Psalm 34. The gospel call to love of God and neighbor is carried out in two hymns from Iona Abbey, “I’ll Love the Lord” (in dialogue form) and “The Love of God Comes Close,” a call to move beyond walls and barriers to reach those who are alienated. At 10:00 the choir will sing “Shelter,” recorded by the praise band Jars of Clay, with its chant, “In the shelter of each other, we will live, we will live.” The 11:30 choir will sing Dave Brubeck’s setting of today’s Psalm 18, “All My Hope.”
Friday, May 27, 2011
Respect Life - Walking the walk!
“We are called to act with justice; we are called to love tenderly; we are called to serve one another: To walk humbly with God”
This song was ringing in my ears the whole way over to church. I was attending an 8am Mass for Respect Life and I was going to meet a woman who was scheduled to have an abortion but because of the wonderful ministry of the “sidewalk pray group” she changed her mind and was due with a baby boy in two weeks. Why was I meeting her? I crochet baby blankets on behalf of the Respect Life Committee here at St. Benedict Church and was going to give her my latest blankets.
I was nervous but excited all at the same time. I just wanted to hug this woman and I indeed did just that. I never met her before. She was in the pew with her other two children – both daughters. I introduced myself and told her I was a mother of four boys. She smiled. I held her hand and said that I made this blanket with love in hopes to keep her son warm. Tears naturally filled my eyes and we just looked at each other and I gave her a hug and told her “I love you”. She said “I love you too”…and then, the Mass was about to start so I grabbed her hand one more time.
I most likely will never see her again or her baby. I did give her my phone number and address in case she ever needed anything – babysitting, clothes, money or just a friend. It was the right thing to do. During the Mass, I prayed for her to continue to have strength. Some long days and nights are ahead of her. She deserves a chance to be successful. After the baby is born, she needs to find employment, then child care perhaps, etc…. her journey will continue. I will keep praying for her. I will never forget her face.
If you don’t think you have time to make a difference in Respect Life, think again. There are so many ways to get involved in building the Kingdom of God. I found a way to help and all it involves is a little extra time at home. It’s something small but I know God values the small things we do. If were not “serving” someone daily, then were missing an opportunity to grow in our Faith. Consider how you can serve Respect Life.
Sincerely ~Maura MacDonald
*****
For more information on St.Benedict's Respect Life ministry - http://bit.ly/fhTvw3
This song was ringing in my ears the whole way over to church. I was attending an 8am Mass for Respect Life and I was going to meet a woman who was scheduled to have an abortion but because of the wonderful ministry of the “sidewalk pray group” she changed her mind and was due with a baby boy in two weeks. Why was I meeting her? I crochet baby blankets on behalf of the Respect Life Committee here at St. Benedict Church and was going to give her my latest blankets.
I was nervous but excited all at the same time. I just wanted to hug this woman and I indeed did just that. I never met her before. She was in the pew with her other two children – both daughters. I introduced myself and told her I was a mother of four boys. She smiled. I held her hand and said that I made this blanket with love in hopes to keep her son warm. Tears naturally filled my eyes and we just looked at each other and I gave her a hug and told her “I love you”. She said “I love you too”…and then, the Mass was about to start so I grabbed her hand one more time.
I most likely will never see her again or her baby. I did give her my phone number and address in case she ever needed anything – babysitting, clothes, money or just a friend. It was the right thing to do. During the Mass, I prayed for her to continue to have strength. Some long days and nights are ahead of her. She deserves a chance to be successful. After the baby is born, she needs to find employment, then child care perhaps, etc…. her journey will continue. I will keep praying for her. I will never forget her face.
If you don’t think you have time to make a difference in Respect Life, think again. There are so many ways to get involved in building the Kingdom of God. I found a way to help and all it involves is a little extra time at home. It’s something small but I know God values the small things we do. If were not “serving” someone daily, then were missing an opportunity to grow in our Faith. Consider how you can serve Respect Life.
Sincerely ~Maura MacDonald
*****
For more information on St.Benedict's Respect Life ministry - http://bit.ly/fhTvw3
Friday, May 13, 2011
Respect Life news
Spring is finally here and the Respect Life Ministry is planning on holding our Annual Flower Voucher Sale. Last year's sale was so successful that we will once again be selling Gift Certificates to Badding Bros. Nursery. Last year the Respect Life Ministry was able to fund raise over $500 - which we used toward:
- sponsoring a local high school student's attendance at Camp Esther for Pro-Life Leadership Training ($100)
- purchased and distributed Respect Life information in our parish on topics such as Abortion, Euthanasia, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Chastity and Natural Family Planning ($150)
- cosponsored a lectured series on Life Issue with area parishes. St. Benedict's had Dr. Rose Hershenov speak on Embryonic Stem Cell Research ($100)
- most recently, purchased a yearly parish subscription to Celebrate Life magazine (will be available for free at church side doors starting this month) ($70)
- sponsored a parishioner to attend the March for Life in Washington D.C. ($80)
-bought and distributed cd "Why Contraception Matters" to all St. Benedict's PreCana couples ($70)
-recently bought 3 copies of unPlanned by Abby Johnson for parish circulation (available in main foyer of the church). This is the dramatic true stroy of a former Planned Parenthood leader's eye opening journey across the life line! ($50)
We hope to have just as much success this year so that we can keep up the good work!
Flower Sale Vouchers will be available at the rectory in $10 and $20 denominations until Father's Day. Happy Spring Planting!!
Warmly,
Janelle Horn, Respect Life Coordinator
*****
For information about our Respect Life Ministry - http://bit.ly/fhTvw3
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Respect Life Ministry - St. Benedict's
RESPECT LIFE MINISTRY:
The Respect Life Ministry endeavors to increase the Culture of Life through our participation in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In order to do this, we focus on prayer, education, community outreach and civic participation on a range of life issues including, but not limited to:
•ethical stem cell research
•abortion
•euthanasia
•capital punishment
•disability rights awareness
•Natural Family Planning vs. contraception
Information on life topics may be found in the bulletin and parish newsletter. More literature is available in the main foyer on the Respect Life bulletin board and pamphlet rack.
Meetings
Regular meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. All are welcome, but attendance is not mandatory. We welcome your participation on a variety of different levels and are looking for new ideas and opportunities in which to expand this ministry.
Parish Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Currently, St. Benedict's offers participation in a parish-wide devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of Life. Each month a new family takes our parish image of Our Lady of Guadalupe into their home and strives to pray as family each day for all life issues.
Holy Hour on the Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade - on or around 22 January. See the bulletin/parish facebook/twitter for exact schedule as the date nears.
We also encourage parishioners and interested visitors to participate in the National March of Life on or around 22 January every year. See the bulletin/parish facebook/twitter for exact schedule as the date nears.
October Baby Item Collection
Each October, the Respect Life Ministry sponsors a month long baby item collection. Many thanks go out to all who contribute. We were also able to donate many items and diapers to St. Luke's Mission of Mercy for local mothers in need.
For information call the Rectory at 834-1041 or email Rectory@saintbenedicts.com.
*****
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The Respect Life Ministry endeavors to increase the Culture of Life through our participation in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In order to do this, we focus on prayer, education, community outreach and civic participation on a range of life issues including, but not limited to:
•ethical stem cell research
•abortion
•euthanasia
•capital punishment
•disability rights awareness
•Natural Family Planning vs. contraception
Information on life topics may be found in the bulletin and parish newsletter. More literature is available in the main foyer on the Respect Life bulletin board and pamphlet rack.
Meetings
Regular meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. All are welcome, but attendance is not mandatory. We welcome your participation on a variety of different levels and are looking for new ideas and opportunities in which to expand this ministry.
Parish Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Currently, St. Benedict's offers participation in a parish-wide devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of Life. Each month a new family takes our parish image of Our Lady of Guadalupe into their home and strives to pray as family each day for all life issues.
Holy Hour on the Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade - on or around 22 January. See the bulletin/parish facebook/twitter for exact schedule as the date nears.
We also encourage parishioners and interested visitors to participate in the National March of Life on or around 22 January every year. See the bulletin/parish facebook/twitter for exact schedule as the date nears.
October Baby Item Collection
Each October, the Respect Life Ministry sponsors a month long baby item collection. Many thanks go out to all who contribute. We were also able to donate many items and diapers to St. Luke's Mission of Mercy for local mothers in need.
For information call the Rectory at 834-1041 or email Rectory@saintbenedicts.com.
*****
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