Respect Life meetings are on the 3rd Tues. of each month except for August when we will take “vacation.”
Mission
Dedicated to preserving life from conception to the time of natural death. Members are involved in prayer, political action, education and support of life affirming ministries.
Spiritual Adoption Program
What is the Spiritual Adoption Program?
The Spiritual Adoption Program is a program for the entire parish community to prayerfully support unborn babies at risk for being aborted and their distressed parents.Individuals and/or families spiritually adopt one unborn baby and make a commitment for nine months to pray daily that this baby will be carried to term and experience the fullness of God’s gift of life.
Why do we need a Spiritual Adoption Program?
Since abortion was legalized in 1973, almost 50 million abortions are reported to have taken place in the U.S. Now, increased access to and use of non-surgical abortion methods (RU-486) intensifies the threat to life for the unborn.
This quiet assault on the youngest and most vulnerable human beings is robust in our own communities. In New York State, in 2007
- About 1 in 3 pregnancies ended by abortion.
- More than 50% of abortions were performed on women who had had a previous abortion.
- About 90% of abortions were performed on babies who were alive in their mothers’ wombs less than 12 weeks.
How do I get involved?
You can spiritually adopt an unborn child by completing a pledge card for the Spiritual Adoption Program. Pledge cards will be available the weekend of September 12th and 13th. Respect Life volunteers will collect these after all Masses. If you make a pledge later, you can leave the cards in the Respect Life mailbox. You can also do Spiritual Adoption on your own anytime during the year by making a solemn commitment to prayer for nine months for an unborn baby.
What is my responsibility?
Your responsibility in the Spiritual Adoption Program is to recite a short prayer daily for your adopted unborn child and the parents. The prayer is on the pledge card portion that you keep. Although not required, you may also offer additional prayers or sacrifices for the intent of the baby and parents.
What if I forget to pray?
If you forget to pray for a short period, resume daily prayer and extend the nine month period by the number of days missed. If your commitment is interrupted for a long time (e.g. a month), then you should renew your pledge by beginning a new nine month commitment and try to keep it.
Can I spiritually adopt more than one child?
One child should be spiritually adopted at a time. Additional children may be adopted, one at a time, when the current commitment is completed.
Statistics from National Right to Life, The Guttmacher Institute and New YorkState Department of Health.