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Respect Life

Respect Life Ministry – Time for a New Vision

Respect Life Ministry – Time for a New Vision

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade/ Dobins, one of the major objectives of the Respect Life Ministry (RLM) was achieved—at least at a national level. Now the attention turns to the Commonwealth of Virginia and its policies about abortion and assisted suicide. But there is also space and energy to address the full scope of what it means to truly be Pro-Life. The US Catholic Bishops list the following as central pro-life issues: Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to...

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Pro-Life: a just economy

Pro-Life: a just economy

When we speak of being Pro-Life there are any number of topics that quickly come to mind: abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, and more. What does not come immediately to mind is economic policy and striving for a just economy. The Catholic bishops of the United States believe building a just economy that works for all and encompasses a wide range of issues, including food security and hunger, the federal budget and tax policy, social safety net programs, social security, work and...

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Novena of the Gospel of Life

Novena of the Gospel of Life

The Knights of Columbus as part of Respect Life Month is encouraging every parishioner to pray the Novena of the Gospel of Life starting Monday October 23rd at the 8:45 AM mass and continuing through Tuesday October 31st. Novena prayer cards will be distributed at all masses on the weekend of October 13 and 14. If you are unable to attend weekday morning Mass we encourage praying the novena at home as a family. The intentions for each day as listed in the graphic below (note: the graphics...

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End of Life Care

End of Life Care

It’s natural to be a little hesitant to talk about the end of life. No one wants to talk about death, not our own or that of a loved one. We are doing all we can to promote life to its full length. We want our loved ones to have full and happy lives; but faced with the inevitable end, a prolonged illness or the sudden onset of circumstances that will end life sooner than we hoped, what then? Then you accompany your loved one through illness and death. It can be a singular, unique experience of...

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Assisted Death

Assisted Death

Known by many names - Physician-Assisted Death/Suicide, Euthanasia, Dignity with Death - by whatever name, it is the planned termination of a life with the assistance (direct or indirect) of a doctor. It is not a question of end-of-life-care, decisions to stop medical treatment, or decisions to let nature take its course. It is question of state-legalized suicide and the moral assessment of such actions. A campaign to legalize assisted suicide moves forward in most state legislatures. The...

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Faithful Citizens: Pro Life

Faithful Citizens: Pro Life

The 2021 Virginia elections are quickly approaching. You still have time to register - October 12th deadline for the November 2nd election! Thanks to the parish VOICE ministry for their recent voter registration drive. The U.S. Catholic bishops have updated their “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”, a teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. This statement represents guidance for Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our...

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Abortion as Health Care?

Abortion as Health Care?

As Catholics we are rightly opposed to abortion for the simple reason that it takes a life. Life, which St. John Paul II called “the most fundamental of human rights.” We celebrate life with the birth of a child; we mourn the loss of life and in that moment we celebrate and recall all the moments that made up the life. We understand all life comes to its own natural end, that death is inevitable. We don’t understand the end of life needlessly caused by human accident, carelessness or...

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From Conception to Natural Death

From Conception to Natural Death

Every October, we in the Catholic Church consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death. Why it’s Important One of the most fundamental truths that we proclaim is that human life is a precious gift from God; that each person who receives this gift has responsibilities toward God, self and others; and that society, through its laws and social institutions, must protect and nurture human life at...

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