St.Francis of Assisi Parish |
"The first right of the human person is his life... [It
is] the
condition of all the others. Hence it must be
protected
above all others. It does not belong to
society, nor does it
belong to public authority in
any form to recognize this
right for some and not for
others. It is not recognition
by another that
constitutes this right. This right is
antecedent to
its recognition; it demands
recognition and it is
strictly unjust to refuse it."
~ Declaration on
Procured Abortion, Sacred Congregation
of the
Doctrine of the Faith, 1974, n. 11 |
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Respect Life Office
Diocese of
Worcester, MA
Visit our Website
Respect Life News &
Updates
March 2023
IN THIS ISSUE
• New
Study Series!
• Upcoming Events
• Feature Article
• Ongoing Resources
• Diocesan Prayer for Eucharistic
Revival
"Into Life" launches March 15!
Register today for our new study series that begins
March 15!
“Into Life: Love Changes Everything”
is a study series produced by the Sisters of Life that
invites participants to reflect on a vision for pro-life
ministry that focuses on the gift of the human person
and offers knowledge and skills to pastorally accompany
those most vulnerable through life’s challenges.
The sessions will include video content, prayer,
reflection, and discussion, and will take place via zoom
meeting at 12:30 p.m. on six consecutive Wednesdays from
March 15 through April 19.
There is no cost to
attend and you can even bring your lunch!
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
BY MARCH 13
TO RECEIVE CONTENT AND LINKS
To register send an email to
[email protected] with “Into Life
Registration” in the subject line and include your name,
email address and parish.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FLYER
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Mass for Life - Friday, March 24, 2023
The annual Mass for Life will be celebrated by
Bishop Robert J. McManus on Friday, March 24, at 10:00
a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul. All are invited to
join students from our Catholic schools who will be our
special guests. The Diocese of Worcester’s annual
Pro-Life Awards will also be presented at this Mass. All
are welcome to attend!
40 Days for Life
Spring Campaign continues through Apr. 2
Volunteers are needed and welcome to participate in
prayerful, peaceful vigil for an end to abortion during
the 40 Days for Life Spring Campaign which continues
through April 2.
Join Bishop McManus and the
students from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in praying
the rosary at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 17 at 470
Pleasant St., Worcester.
Your prayers make a
difference and save lives! For more information visit
www.40daysforlife.com/worcester or contact Lee at
508-887-1064.
FEATURE ARTICLE
"He Made
His Dwelling Among Us"
On the Solemnity of the
Annunciation of the Lord (March 25) we recall Mary's
great "Yes" to God and the Incarnation of Christ the
Lord. St. John Paul II issued his great encyclical
Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life) on this feast
day in 1995. This article is a beautiful reflection on
the intimate connection of Incarnation and the Gospel of
Life.
CLICK HERE to download the pdf
This one-pager
can be used as a bulletin insert, a tool for small group
discussion, and shared with friends. For more
information on suggested uses and to view other articles
in our monthly series,
click here.
ONGOING RESOURCES
Annual
Respect Life Program Materials:
"Called to Serve Moms
in Need"
CLICK HERE
Bioethics on Air Podcast:
"Pro-Life Advocacy Post-Dobbs"
CLICK HERE
Interested in starting a Respect
Life Ministry in your parish?
The Diocesan Respect
Life Office offers training programs, resources and
support. Contact us at
[email protected] to learn more!
Diocesan Prayer for Eucharistic Revival
Lord
Jesus Christ, who by the gift of your Body and Blood,
are really present in our lives, hear the prayers of the
Church in Worcester.
Give us the faith of your
Church, confident in your presence in our Masses, our
tabernacles and our lives.
Give us the faith to
offer our lives to you, joined with the perfect
sacrifice, which you offered on the altar of the Cross.
Good and loving Shepherd, teach us how to lead
your children home, that we might long together to
glorify your name at the Supper of the Lord. For you are
Lord, forever and ever. Amen.
© 2022, Diocese of
Worcester. All Rights Reserved.
Respect Life
Office - Diocese of Worcester |
www.worcesterdiocese.org/respect-life
|
March Prayer Guide
Pray
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be
Reflect
In a world in which waiting lists to
adopt a child are long and many pregnant women believe
abortion is their only option, adoption may seem like an
obvious solution. While adoption is a loving, generous
way for a child to be welcomed into a family, it can
also be a complex reality for those involved—including
parents placing their child for adoption, couples
waiting to be matched with a child, children who are
waiting to be or have already been adopted, and many
others.
For example, a pregnant woman in crisis
often sees adoption as worse than either raising or
aborting her unexpected baby, and “studies suggest that
in pitting adoption against abortion, adoption will be
the hands-down loser.” Placing a child for adoption
tends to be “perceived as a kind of double death” by the
mother—what she perceives as a “death” of self by
carrying the baby to term and the “death” of her child
through what she perceives as abandonment.
A
pregnant woman contemplating abortion generally needs to
first believe that she can carry her baby to term before
she is able to consider the different options of whether
to raise or place her child for adoption. So, it is
important for those who want to support her in choosing
life to first remind her of “her own goodness and
capacity for love” and to encourage her that she can
carry her baby to term.
Helpful tips for
supporting a woman who is considering adoption can be
found at
respectlife.org/mothers-considering-adoption.
Act (Choose one.)
•
Sign up to pray the St. Joseph Adoption Novena from
March 11–19 for all whose life stories include adoption.
• Reflect more deeply on the uniqueness of each
person’s adoption experience. Read the stories of a
mother who placed her child for adoption and a
married couple who adopted their son.
• Offer
some other sacrifice or prayer that you feel called to
do for this month’s intention.
One Step
Further
Learn more about the complex reality
of adoption in the video,
Maternity is Forever: Adoption by the Sisters of
Life. Discover why the decision to place a child for
adoption should be the result of a personal discernment,
initiated by the mother herself.
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The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on a
resolution that could impose abortion-on-demand
nationwide without any limits, require taxpayer funding
of abortion, put women’s opportunities and spaces at
risk of being opened to men (such as in sports, locker
rooms, prisons, and shelters), and undermine the
religious freedom of people and organizations of faith
to carry out their important missions – potentially even
requiring Catholic hospitals and health workers to
perform abortions and gender procedures on children. On
top of these harms, the Senate’s process for this
proposal – which attempts to declare that the misnamed
“Equal Rights Amendment” (ERA) is a ratified part of the
U.S. Constitution – is unconstitutional. Catholic
teaching speaks very clearly and strongly about the
equality of men and women, but the far-reaching
consequences of the ERA would cause serious harm to
women, preborn life, and the common good. Please contact
your U.S. Senators now and tell them to oppose the
resolution to unconstitutionally revive the misnamed
“Equal Rights Amendment.”
More information from
the USCCB on the ERA can be found
here.
Please note that some congressional
offices may have word limits requiring you to make
changes to the sample message provided here. In
addition, messages in your own words can be more
effective. Please consider customizing with your own
story.
Stop the Senate from eliminating Pro-Life protections
and harming women and religious freedom!
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A Prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Almighty
ever-living God, who made Pope Benedict XVI a wise
teacher of your people, a gentle shepherd of your flock,
and a faithful pastor of your Church, grant in your
kindness that your humble servant, who in this life
believed in you and loved you, may now receive your
mercy and rejoice in your presence for ever in the glory
of the Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Copyright © 2022, United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.
DIOCESAN MASS FOR POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI
On
Thursday, Jan. 5 Bishop McManus will celebrate the 12:10
Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester for Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI and invites everyone to join him
in prayer at that time. All are welcome!
Read
more about Pope Benedict XVI:
Bishop's Statement on the Death of Pope Emeritus
Benedict XVI
The Catholic Free Press: Local People Reflect on
Benedict's Life
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The Word of Life intercessions for the month of
March
Word
of Life for March
Word of Life for
April
annunciation_bulletin insert_usccb.pdf
Bridges of Mercy
Statement by Archbishop William E. Lori
Serving Mom's in Need
Hope for Married Couples
Life Matters
An Adoption Story
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The House of Representatives is considering whether
to bring the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R.
7) to a vote, and your representative needs to hear from
you to help make it happen! For decades, Americans of
both parties have agreed that it is wrong to force
taxpayers to pay for elective abortions. Policies like
the Hyde Amendment not only protect taxpayers from this
but have saved over two million preborn lives. But these
protections are now at risk every year. The time has
come for a permanent, across-the-board law to prevent
Americans from having to contribute to violence against
our most vulnerable, and for Congress to work on real
solutions for women and children in need. Please tell
your member of Congress to support the No Taxpayer
Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7) and to help bring it
up for a vote in the House of Representatives. To read
the letter from Bishop Burbidge, chair of the U.S.
Bishops’ Pro-Life Committee, in support of this
important bill,
click here.
Messages in your own words can be
more effective. Please consider customizing with your
own story.
Take Action Now
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Photo's of St. Joesph & St.Thomas Becket courtesy of
https://statues.vanderkrogt.net
Church of
St.Thomas-a-Becket and St. Joseph Chapel Are Wheelchair
Accessible
Diocese of Worcester ©Copyright St.Francis
of Assisi Parish 2013-2023. All rights reserved.
398
Vernon Ave., P.O. Box 186 South Barre, MA 01074
fax
(978) 355-0042 • Office phone
(978) 355-2228 |
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