Respect Life Ministry

Our Respect Life Ministry sponsors the Cemetary of the Innocents at our parish.

Purpose:  The Respect Life Ministry, under the guidance of Father Bill Wagner, and the pastoral from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, seeks to inform, engage and evangelize our parishioners on the church’s teachings on matters of life ranging from conception to a natural death. We do this by hosting Respect Life events throughout the year and actively engaging our parishioners of all ages. Also we continually seek out programs in the area which address life issues and advertise these via the church bulletin. Below is a list of this years planned events and activities along with the link for the Archdiocese Respect Life website which addresses all Respect Life issues.

Respect Life Booth at July Fest provides a wide array of information addressing topics of life issues. The brochures, respect life rosaries, pencils, suckers, etc. are all from the Archdiocese and the local Right to Life office.

Cemetery of the Innocent is a mock cemetery made up of small white crosses with each cross representing an aborted baby. This ministry crosses all denominational lines and stands in silent witness to the horrific tragedy of legalized abortion. The cemetery is erected for 2 weeks during Lent and again during the 40 Days for Life outreach. A sign explaining the event is also on site.

40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program: Prayer & Fasting, Constant Vigil, and Community Outreach. Of the 40 Days, St. Thomas More will adopt one day for our parishioners to stand in unity at the abortion mill on Auburn in protest against the travesty of abortion.

Cookie Ministry for a Kairos Weekend - The Kairos prison ministry sprang from the Cursillo movement and is supported by Christian volunteers from all denominations. The experience starts with a 2-day Christian renewal weekend. Each night, the prisoners take several dozen home-baked cookies back to their cell block and are permitted to share the cookies and their Kairos experiences with their fellow inmates. 10,000-12,000 dozen cookies are needed for each weekend. After the weekend experience the attendees continue their faith walk in their own churches and go to periodic reunions.

March for Life is the collective effort of grassroots prolife Americans to assure that our state and federal laws shall protect the right to life of each human in existence at fertilization. The March is held every January in Washington DC on the anniversary of Roe V Wade. We hope to have a bus for our youth to attend the rally next January. We also seek to get some of our parishioners to the March, and to host a Mass for those who can’t attend.

Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life individuals standing for 90 minutes praying for our nation and for an end to abortion. It provides a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children and that the Church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death.

For more information, visit the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Web Site for Respect Life.

“Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination. Christ is with you: be not afraid” --Pope John Paul II

Contacts:  Anyone with Respect Life questions or wishing to join the ministry can contact one of our members listed below.