April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
IN FOCUS
Respect life ministry growing in Diocese
Respect life ministry growing in Diocese
"I was inspired by the happy youth and young adults at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. They comprised at least half of the march, and they beamed with purpose and joy," she said, referring to the annual January event that gathers pro-lifers from across the country. This year's march drew hundreds of thousands of people.
"Their enthusiasm and leadership have convinced me they are, indeed, the pro-life generation," Ms. Morgiewicz said of the young Catholics. "They will be moving legislation in the future."
As Respect Life Month approaches in October, she is confident that respect life ministry is growing the Diocese, "especially as more parish and school respect life representatives and liaisons are appointed by their pastors."
Fertilizing that growth, she explained, are the many arms in the Diocese that focus on the issue, including her own office and the parish- and school-based respect life representatives.
Top down
"They promote the Church's teachings on the dignity of human life," she noted, and follow the guidelines outlined in both "The Gospel of Life" and the U.S. bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities.
"The Gospel of Life" is a 1995 encyclical by St. John Paul II. The pope states, "The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as 'Good News' to the people of every age and culture."
Underpinning diocesan pro-life efforts, Ms. Morgiewicz continued, are "prayer, education, legislation and pastoral care. The [respect life] representatives also respond locally to the needs of their parish and area. We collaborate and are increasingly spreading the news of parish respect life events online and through social media."
Online
She suggested Catholics check out the new diocesan Respect Life page on Facebook for events and news. To become more involved with respect life opportunities locally, she continued, people can "contact their local parish respect life representative."
Some of those representatives are sharing information on the page mentioned above and a diocesan "Get Involved" webpage. To keep information flowing and up-to-date, Ms. Morgiewicz said that "when a parish notifies me of a respect life event, I will help them to promote it."
She also mentioned "many other plans and goals for the future," from the Oct. 7 Respect Life Month Mass and commissioning ceremony at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany to "the Gabriel Project, Project Rachel, holy hours for life and prayer events."
The Gabriel Project (see sidebar) assists women through their pregnancies; Project Rachel retreats promote healing for women who have had an abortion.
In addition, educational talks around the Diocese cover such topics as physician-assisted suicide, chastity and the Theology of the Body.
Mass coming
The upcoming Respect Life Mass and commissioning is a special service for Respect Life Month, inviting "Catholics across the Diocese to join at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany to witness to the inherent equality and transcendent value of every human being," Ms. Morgiewicz said.
At the liturgy, participants will "give thanks to God for the gift of human life and pray for His guidance and blessings on our efforts to defend the most vulnerable members of the human family," she added.
Parish respect life representatives will be commissioned during the Mass "to promote the Church's teachings on the dignity of human life by focusing on prayer, education, legislation and pastoral care."
Ms. Morgiewicz is proud of the work the parish and school respect life representatives are doing. What especially pleases her, she added, is "witnessing many people who previously had a passing interest [in the pro-life cause] and are now actively involved in respect life ministry and encouraging others to be more involved."
Bishop's perspective
Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger told The Evangelist that the Diocese puts special emphasis on life issues for a reason. "At its core, the Gospel, or the Good News of Jesus Christ, is a profoundly inclusive affirmation of human life -- everyone's life in all its stages, from the moment of conception, when it begins, up to and even beyond natural death, where God calls us to eternal life," he said.
Respect life ministry involves everyone, he noted: "It is the mission of every baptized person to proclaim this Good News in word and action. This includes not only personal prayer and Gospel living, but also permeating social norms, laws and public policy in every generation.
"In our Diocese, we see respect life ministry as a primary duty of every evangelizing Christian, not just the function of an office or of professional spokespersons, educators or lobbyists," Bishop Scharfenberger concluded. "Young people get this and are proud to run with the torch of life, bearing it with great love and compassion."[[In-content Ad]]
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