The mission of the Respect Life Ministry is to educate the IHM parish about the First Principle of Catholic Social Teaching: The Life and Dignity of the Human Person.
This past fall, we mounted an exhibit called The Cemetery of the Innocents, a display of 4,200 crosses that represent and honor the number of infants lost to elective abortion every DAY in the U.S. With participation from ministries throughout the parish, we cloaked the lovely green campus of IHM for two weeks, from October 24 to November 7, in a striking veil of tiny,white crosses. With the help of parish families, we witnessed to our love for babies and to the vastness of the daily losses.Our banners offered immediate help for crisis pregnancies, and our healing and welcome for those who have suffered a loss. The display will be presented again, during Lent of 2011, with a March 5 installation and March 18 removal.
On January 21, the eve of the Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision to legalize abortions, the Respect Life and Elizabeth Ministries co-hosted a tender and beautiful candle-lit healing Mass for Those Who Have Lost an Infant. Father Tom Kriedler presided, assisted by Father Robert Hadden and Deacon Dave Shaffer. Father Tom delivered a riveting and touching homily, extending God's grace to anyone who suffered infant loss under any circumstances. Music Director Dave Auxier filled the church with heavenly strains of music, while many parishioners joined in prayer for the lost children and the bereaved parents, families, and grandparents. Youth Director, Patrick Reis, and Deacon-Candidate Russ Feldkamp, brought the entire Youth Group to worship with us as their send-off before boarding the overnight bus to take part in the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Literature was available for those seeking opportunities to participate in events like the Rachel retreat, offered by the Archdiocese to provide comfort and ongoing healing.
On Mothers' Day weekend, we will be co-hosting with Social Ministries, a Baby Shower, collecting items needed by mothers experiencing a problem pregnancy. This tradition has been carried on for years by Jayne Runk, and this is Respect Life's first year of helping. We hope to gather disposable diapers, baby clothes, formula, layette and baby blankets to distribute to our local crisis pregnancy centers. Among those who will recieve this help are Birthright, Healthy Moms and Babes, A Caring Place, Pregnancy Center East, and St. Charles Borromeo. Any donations are most welcome. Gently used items, as well as new, can always find a home.
Respect Life Ministry warmly welcomes all to particiapate in our ongoing IHM activities. There are many possible levels of involvement, and we appreciate any help that is offered. Looking forward to the next school year, we hope to initiate IHM's involvement in Parishes for Life. Joining with other parishes in the Catholic Social Ministry Collaborative, we will implement a new design to extend our support particularly to women experiencing crisis pregnancies. We hope to foster connections to the crisis pregnancy centers, with offers of ongoing donations and parishioner help with counseling mothers at risk of abortion.
For those who wish to join the ministry, you can email me and be added to our list-serve.
May the Lord of Life bless you and keep you and yours, and may the joy of His Resurrection transform your heart in His image!
Respect Life Coordinator, Jane Elfers
elfersj@yahoo.com
