Dear Parishioners:
On Friday thousands of people marched through Washington, DC for the Annual March for Life. This annual event draws people from all across the nation who stand up in defense of the innocent unborn. Abortion on demand has been legal in the United States since the Roe v. Wade Decision in 1973. It is estimated that over 50 million abortions have taken place since this tragic decision of 45 years ago. That number is simply staggering, shocking and sad!!
The U.S. Bishops teach us in their statement, Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics: “Among important issues involving the dignity of human life with which the Church is concerned, abortion necessarily plays a central role. Abortion, the direct killing of an innocent human being, is always gravely immoral (The Gospel of Life, no. 57); its victims are the most vulnerable and defenseless members of the human family. It is imperative that those who are called to serve the least among us give urgent attention and priority to this issue of justice.”
This week the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Decision falls on Monday. It has been designated as a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. I invite you to join us for Mass on Monday at 7:30am as we offer the Mass and our prayers for this intention. Also I invite to join us on Monday night at 7:00pm as we offer a Holy Hour for Life. Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, a young Dominican Friar and the Associate Pastor at St. Pius Church in Providence is to offer a reflection on the Sanctity of Human Life.
This time of prayer and reflection includes Eucharistic Adoration, recitation of the rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. We are called to pray, act and advocate for an increase of respect for life. We can certainly all find time to pray for the unborn and for an end to abortion in our nation. We can certainly act in defense of life by supporting the Pro-Life activities of the Diocese of Providence and RI Right to Life Services. And we most certainly can advocate for life with our elected officials.
This year Planned Parenthood and their allies are mounting a vigorous campaign to expand abortion rights in Rhode Island. It includes deregulating abortion mills in our state and mandating taxpayer funding of abortions in RI. They are very organized and very committed to their extreme agenda of abortion.
There are many of our elected officials in support of this extremist agenda. Sadly they include some RI State Senators and Representatives who identify as Catholic! Please pray for them and for their conversion of heart. As the US Bishops have consistently taught: “Public officials are privileged in a special way to apply their moral convictions to the policy arena. We hold in high esteem those who, through such positions and authority, promote respect for all human life. Catholic civil leaders who reject or ignore the Church's teaching on the sanctity of human life do so at risk to their own spiritual well-being.”
I wish to publicly commend our local RI State Representative Anthony Giarusso for his strong commitment to protecting the unborn. He stands by the courage of his convictions and allows his Catholic Faith to guide his moral decisions. Please let him know we support his courageous pro-life position!
The Annual Pro-Life Rally at the RI Statehouse is this Wednesday, January 24th at 3:00pm. The pro-life community united with many of our pro-life elected officials stand together for the unborn at the rally. They give voice of the voiceless unborn in the corridors of the statehouse and remind the agents of the culture of death that we won’t be silenced by their extremist campaign.
We kickoff Catholic Schools Week next week. The wonderful students from OLM School are to speak at all Masses. An Alumni Mass for OLM School is also next Sunday at 9:00am. An open house at OLM School follows the Mass. Come by and see the great things going on at OLM School and help celebrate Catholic Schools!
We said goodbye to Fr. Connors on Sunday night and we thank him for his time with us. He returns to be with us during Holy Week. As he resumes his studies in Rome, please be sure to pray for him.
Do good. Be well. God Bless! Go Pats!!!