St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church- Respect Life Ministry

Mission: To keep the parish informed and up to date as to what is happening in the parish, the diocese and the government on life issues.

What we do: Celebrate monthly mass for "the unborn"; be a "witness for life" every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at abortion mills in Cranston and Providence; host a "Respect Life" weekend; hold a "Rose Sale" to benefit homes for unwed mothers; collect items for The Mother of Life Center in Providence; and keep the parish informed by including information in the bulletin, the parish bulletin board and on the Web site.

At March for Life, Thousands of Teens and Women Condemn Abortion

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- More than 100,000 pro-life advocates showed up on Monday in the nation's capital to sing, pray or silently share their views against abortion as they walked to the Supreme Court. The March for Life represented a variety of ages, backgrounds and political views, and teens and women were well represented.

The marchers included numerous college student groups, and featured three busloads of students from Notre Dame, and a group of students from Princeton, an Ivy League school where they say they rely on reason and logic to defend the pro-life position.

Prior to the March for Life, tens of thousands of pro-life advocates gathered near Congress to hear a slate of speakers from various pro-life groups and pro-life members of Congress.

One woman told of her pain of having an abortion: "I have had three abortions and now I can't have any more children."

Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican and leading pro-life member of Congress, hailed the courageous women who have had abortions who came to the march to share their stories.

Numerous women lined up on and around the main podium from the Silent No More Awareness campaign with signs saying, "I Regret My Abortion."

"They are proof that there is reconciliation and there is hope," he said. "We are so glad to have the women of Silent No More here with us on the stage. Their testimony gives witness to the lie that the other side puts forth, that abortion is pro-woman."

Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo, who was euthanized by her husband last year, also addressed the large crowd.

President Bush called and spoke with marchers shortly before they left a pre-march rally to line the streets on the way to the Supreme Court.

"We're sending a clear message to any woman facing a crisis pregnancy: We love you, we love your child, and we're here to help you," Bush said.

The president touted numerous pieces of pro-life legislation he's signed and renewed his call for a ban on human cloning and for Congress to pass a measure respecting parental involvement laws.

"Because human life is a gift from our Creator and should never be used as a means to an end, we will not sanction the creation of life only to destroy it," he said.

Pro-abortion groups also held their own rally supporting abortion -- with a small candlelight vigil outside the Supreme Court on Sunday night.

Before the March for Life began, more than 22,000 youth and young adults packed the MCI Center to capacity for a pre-march rally. The crowd was so large officials began preventing people from entering the building.

Susan Gibes, a spokeswoman for the Washington archdiocese, which helped sponsor the Catholic-oriented event, called the turnout "pretty exciting."

Meanwhile, other rallies were held across the country, often with thousands of pro-life advocates participating.

In San Francisco, California more than 15,000 pro-life advocates walked in a peaceful march on some of the city's popular waterside streets. And in St. Paul, Minnesota, more than 6,000 pro-life advocates braved the cold weather to listen to a speech by Go. Tim Pawlenty.

"This year is special for me because I am a mother out of wedlock," Katie Whitte, 20, whose daughter is 5 months old, told AP. "I wanted to get the message out that life is important. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are."

Over 1,000 people attended a South Carolina rally in Columbia, and 400 turned out for a Boise, Idaho rally.

Without a Doubt

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin

By any measure, however, the results of a recent Rhode Island poll on attitudes about abortion are very discouraging. According to a Providence Journal report, 63 percent of Rhode Islanders identified themselves as "pro-choice." Just 32 percent identified themselves as "pro-life." And this in the State often identified as having the highest percentage of Catholics in the nation. "Judged exclusively on those numbers, Rhode Island stands well into the abortion-rights corner" concludes the newspaper article. Embarrassing, isn't it?

The results suggest that as a Catholic community in Rhode Island, we need to return to some basic teachings about the evil of abortion. Political and sociological arguments aside, we need to affirm again, in the clearest possible language, that abortion is wrong, evil and sinful. Even the most difficult circumstances of a pregnancy don't alter the outcome of an abortion. When an abortion takes place, a baby dies. A Catholic doesn't have the option of being "pro-choice" if that choice leads to the death of a child.

The Second Vatican Council: "God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to women and men the noble mission of safeguarding life and they must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes." (Gaudium et Spes, #51)

The "Catechism of the Catholic Church": "Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law." (#2271)

Pope John Paul II: "The deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of his life is always morally evil and can never be licit as an end in itself or as a means to a good end.... Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable." (Evangelium Vitae, #57-58)

The Bishops of the United States: "Human life is a gift from God, sacred and inviolable. Because every human person is created in the image and likeness of God, we have a duty to defend human life from conception until natural death and in every condition.... Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable." (Faithful Citizenship, 2003, p. 17)

And for those who prefer a less hierarchical, but just as compelling view on abortion, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: "Life is a gift that God has given us. That life is present even in the unborn. A human hand should never end a life. I am convinced that the screams of the children whose lives have been terminated before their birth reach God's ears."

Now, even as I write this I know some will object saying, "What about the other issues related to human life? What about war, capital punishment, violence, poverty and abuse?" Well it's certainly true that these issues are important and legitimate pro-life concerns. "War is always a defeat for humanity" said Pope John Paul. Capital punishment cannot be justified in our country, the Bishops of the U.S. have stated. And violence, poverty and abuse are terrible evils that cause untold suffering for many individuals and families, especially women and children, around the world, in our country and in our own local community.

But there can be legitimate debates about these issues. There is, at least in Christian theory, a "just war." Likewise, a government may impose the death penalty if certain conditions exist. And while no Christian worthy of the name can ignore the dire consequences of violence, poverty and abuse, there are various opinions about the most effective ways of responding to these issues.

Abortion is different. It is always intrinsically evil. There are no circumstances that justify abortion. Its victims are innocent and defenseless, and number in the millions. Without a doubt, abortion is the fallacious foundation upon which the culture of death builds its ugly edifice.

Being passionately committed to other human life issues does not excuse an individual from personally and publicly opposing the grave sin of abortion.

Nonetheless, I wonder if it's possible for us to reach a consensus about the pro-life agenda. What would happen if those who oppose abortion as the primary issue became more active in responding to other human life concerns? And what if those who are sincerely concerned about the other issues become more vocal in opposing abortion?

Perhaps, just perhaps, we'd make a lot of progress in promoting the culture of life, defeating the culture of death and changing the outcome of the next poll taken in Catholic Rhode Island.

Bishop seeks members for Human Life Guild

PROVIDENCE - Rhode Islanders are being given a new opportunity to express their commitment to the sanctity of all human life.

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has announced the forming of the Diocese of Providence's Human Life Guild, an organization which will be comprised of those who "are willing to promote and defend human life, at every stage, in every condition, through thought, word, deed and prayer."

The Human Life Guild is patterned after the very successful one Bishop Tobin founded in the diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, in 1999, shortly after Pope John Paul II visited St. Louis, Mo., and extended an invitation for everyone to be "people of life." The guild is also an organization for which Bishop Tobin expressed great fondness prior to coming to Providence nearly five months ago, and one he feels will have equal success here.

"This is a fairly low-key, uncomplicated organization, which will provide a (means) for the church to stay in touch with those involved in the issue, educating them and providing them with information," Bishop Tobin said. He added that there will be no set meetings nor by-laws or dues, but there is one rule: Those who join must commit to promoting and defending all human life, from conception through natural death, "through thought, word, deed and prayer." The bishop will appoint a spiritual director and will form a steering committee from those who accept his invitation to join.

"This is a way for people to grow in their commitment to life and to express their commitment to life," Bishop Tobin said. "My feeling is that there is unspoken support for this issue in Rhode Island and this is a modest attempt to identify that support and galvanize and energize coordinated support for human life by initiating new activities and encouraging more participation in those already in place."

As part of the program, the diocese will maintain a mailing list and will, periodically, send information and invite participation in pro-life activities, programs and liturgies, though there is no obligation to attend.

Melinda Knight, director of the Pro-life, Marriage and Family Ministry in the Diocese of Youngstown, said the people in the Diocese of Providence are being given a wonderful opportunity to belong to the best organization possible - one with no meetings or dues. "Those who join are asked to state, publicly or privately, that they agree to uphold the Catholic Church's view of the sanctity of life; life as a gift of God from the first moment to the last, each life deserving total respect."

She said that since Bishop Tobin founded the guild in Youngstown, membership has grown to more than 1,200. After an initial informational campaign, the guild is now at a point where new members ask to join.

By allowing members to make a public or private pledge to the upholding of the sanctity of all human life, the guild conveys ownership of the issue to each member, something sorely needed as human life is constantly being threatened by society today, she said.

Knight wished the people of the Diocese of Providence well as they begin this "wonderful, exciting venture." She said that those who choose to sign on "will be quite amazed at the remarkable effect" this will have on their own lives.

About the Human Life Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Providence
"The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life: who will proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life in every situation."
John Paul II, St. Louis, 1999

PURPOSE:
The HUMAN LIFE GUILD of the Diocese of Providence is an organization whose members are willing to accept the invitation to be "People of Life," to have an unconditional commitment to human life. Members of the Guild have no obligation, other than to Promote and Defend Human Life at every stage, in every condition, through Thought, Word, Deed and Prayer.

The Human Life Guild is placed under the protection of Our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Life.

ACTIVITIES:
The Diocese of Providence will maintain a mailing list of those who have joined the HUMAN LIFE GUILD and will, from time to time, share information with them and invite their participation in various pro-life activities, programs and liturgies.

STRUCTURE:
The HUMAN LIFE GUILD will have open membership with a steering committee and spiritual director appointed by the Bishop. No dues or membership fees will be collected.

Fightin' Denver Bishop Defends Church and Unborn

This week he faced off with a hostile crowd who peppered him with the usual sophomoric accusations Catholics have learned to expect from their ideologically motivated opponents. In the latest round, the Archbishop spoke to a crowd of Denver civic and business leaders at the City Club of Denver on "Church, State and Politics."

One woman asked, "Why do (religions) feel they have to impose their views on us?" Without pause, the Chaput replied, "If we don't - you'll impose your views on us."

"I run 50 Catholic schools that keep you from paying more taxes - is that worth it to you?" Chaput shot back.

In his address Chaput pointed out that the work he has done on behalf of the poor and homeless and against the death penalty has been nearly ignored by the press. "As a Church, more than 80 percent of our time, resources, ministry personnel and lobbying efforts go to issues that have nothing to do with abortion. But youll never see that on anybody's front-page either, because it isn't news." He pointed out that the normal life of the Catholic Church is to defend the poor and helpless. In fact, he said, "It's so normal that nobody pays attention ... until they disagree."

In the inevitable attack on the Church's prohibition of abortion the Archbishop showed that his feelings, not just his mind, were engaged. He said, "That dear baby who gets aborted is who I'm protecting. Somebody doesn't just get hurt with abortion - they get killed."

"I'll take any child that's unwanted and find them a home and take care of the mother," he said. "You have my personal pledge on that."

Domenico Bettinelli, an editor of Catholic World News said, "This is a bishop with backbone - the very fact that he was willing to move beyond the comfort of the chancery to engage a sometimes hostile crowd on the most controversial issues of the day, sets Archbishop Chaput apart from the rest of the crowd."

Catholic Priest to Pro-Lifers: Don't Be Silent in Election Year

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Speaking to a crowd of hundreds at the National Right to Life Committee's convention prayer breakfast, Father Frank Pavone, the national director of Priests for Life, told pro-life advocates that they should not be silent in an election year.

Referring to the upcoming presidential elections, Pavone said, "I'm not going to hesitate between now and the elections to be far more vocal that I have been in the past. If the church can't speak in a moment like this, the church becomes completely irrelevant to society."

Pavone told pro-life advocates that they shouldn't settle for candidates who are less than pro-life.

"Any candidate for public office who declares support for Roe v. Wade is declaring support for differing kind of government than our founders established," Pavone said.

Pavone read from a court transcript of a case involving Ohio abortion practitioner Martin Haskell, who developed the partial-birth abortion procedure.

During the case, Haskell told the court about the dismemberment abortion procedure and the problems of leaving bone fragments inside the woman's uterus and the health dangers that result.

"My question for public officials who are pro-choice or candidates who campaign in favor of abortion is, when you say the word abortion are you talking about the same thing? Are you talking about the same procedure that has been described in courtrooms across the country," Pavone asked.

Father Pavone told the audience to consider the hypothetical case of a candidate who supported the terrorist actions on September 11.

"Would you even ask what their position was on other issues," Pavone wondered. He told the audience the same idea must apply to candidates who support abortion.

Though candidates who back abortion may have good positions on other issues, Pavone said it didn't matter if they back taking the lives of unborn children.

"There is something wrong when our loyalty to a political party is greater than our loyalty to God and moral principles," Pavone told the crowd.

Father Pavone also spoke about Terri Schiavo - the disabled woman whose husband is attempting to remove her feeding tube and end her life.

"The whole controversy that has been surrounding Teri -- let no one think that this is about the right to die because they are suffering too much," Pavone explained. "It is about the right to kill because they are too much of an inconvenience."

"Any law that would deprive a person of the right to food and nourishment is not a bad law - it is no law at all," Father Pavone added.

When politicians or candidates for public office support abortion or condemning someone like Terri to death, "can it be clearer that they have departed from the most democratic principles on which our country was founded," Pavone said.

Web Site of Interest: LifeDynamics.com

Baby Malachi, A History

This little baby boy was found frozen in a jar with three other little children at an abortion mill in Dallas, Texas, in February 1993. We were stunned when we found him. There were jars upon jars of frozen children in that abortion mill. Rhonda Mackey, our executive secretary, brought this one jar out and asked me what we should do with it. I had no idea, but I instinctively knew we could not leave it there. We brought the jar to Dr. McCarty, a wonderful ObGyn in Dallas, who put the pieces of this baby and the others back together.

The entire process was put on video as Dr. McCarty, and all who were present, wept at the reconstruction of these precious children. The life that was once there was now gone forever. It became apparent to all of us that God had given us these children, one in particular, to show to the entire world the horror of abortion. One picture can speak louder than a truckload of words.

We prayed, and asked God to allow this little boy to speak to our nation. We remembered the scripture in Hebrews 11:4: "...he still speaks, even though he is dead." It was upon a very specific revelation from our Lord that we had the picture of one baby blown up to poster size. Rhonda asked me if she might have the privilege of naming this little baby boy. She prayed, and God gave her the name that this child would become known by all over the world - Malachi!

This name strikes terror in the hearts of those who kill children, for they know that this child, more than anything else, reveals the incredible horror of what abortion really is.

Yes, he has done that and so much more! Though he is dead, yet he still speaks! Thousands upon thousands of children have been saved because of his precious little life. It lasted only 21 weeks, yet fathers are now joining the battle to defend the defenseless.

We buried Malachi at the Cemetery of the Innocents in Dallas, Texas, in the summer of 1993. The funeral was held at the mammoth front portico of the Dallas City Hall. Hundreds gathered to pay their last respects to Malachi. We loved him deeply though we knew him not. When those in City Hall realized that we were having a funeral for a real child they demanded that the Dallas Police put a stop to the whole funeral. Captain Kowalski, the head of SWAT in Dallas, told his superiors that he would in no way violate this funeral. This man, who had arrested us on several occasions, now joined with us in honoring the life of this one small (so very small) child. He stood for Jesus. HE STOOD!

When he relayed to me that he would not interfere with the memorial service, nor would he allow anyone else to interfere, I wept. I wept because I knew that Captain Kowalski was now taking his stand and all his officers knew it - all City Hall knew it! I wept because I knew that Malachi was beginning his missionary journey and that he was already fulfilling the purpose, for his short life.

Listen to these words, you mothers and fathers who have aborted your children. Listen to these words you, who have failed so miserably and found there is no way to undo the wrong you have done. Hear the word God and your child are speaking to you: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20.

If you know the mother and father of Baby Malachi, would you please tell them that God is using him powerfully to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves? Will you please let them know, that though they intended him harm, God is using it for good? Will you please tell them that God loves them and that the guilt that has driven them so far from Him can be overcome in one divine moment? Please let them know that it is time to come home to Jesus.

Malachi means My Messenger. Malachi's message is that the killing of innocent babies must stop!

A Lutheran pastor wrote the following regarding his experience with the Nazis. It can make us think whether we are too afraid to speak up for the unborn.

"Hi! I'd like to begin this letter by thanking you for last week's homily. I was deeply moved and so was my younger brother, Paul. Although, we are both young, I'm 17 and he's 12, we've been taught about how precious life is. But we did not fully understand what goes on in abortion, till your homily... We both would like to get on the mailing lists of pro-life organizations, if possible... See you at the next Mass Father Frank!!"

St. Paul summed it up well. "Proclaim the word. Be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching" (2 Tim. 4:2). The sanctity of life and the truth about abortion are certainly aspects of the "Word" that the priest is to preach. Some say, "Abortion has no place in Church." Then what does? Are people who worship God supposed to be blind to injustice? Are believers supposed to be unconcerned about what goes on in the world? Abortion kills 1.6 million babies in America every year. In Church we say we believe in "the Lord, the Giver of Life." Church is the place to talk about things that concern God, and God cares about the destruction of 1.6 million babies a year! The Bible says that those who worship God but do not act to correct injustices are not pleasing God at all (see Amos 5:21-27, and Isaiah 1:10-17).

Suppose for a moment that a clinic were set up in your neighborhood at which eight year old boys and girls were routinely killed every day. What would you do? What would you expect the Church to do? Morally speaking, every abortion takes the life of one who is as much of a person and has as much of a right to life as an 8 year old or any other human being! So many in our society who know this are wondering why we priests don't talk more about it and take more action to get our parishioners involved in the effort to save these babies and give their mothers life-giving alternatives. Many priests do, but far too many still do not.

"The greatest lies are told in silence." To be silent on abortion is not to be silent; it is, rather, to shout the message, "Don't be all that concerned about this!" And to the women in the congregation who have had abortions, the silence says, "Your pain doesn't matter, and what you did is no big deal."

St. Paul asks, "If the trumpet sounds an uncertain call, who will get ready for battle?' (1 Cor. 14:8) In the battle for life, it is not a matter of "We win" or "They win." If pro-life doesn't win, nobody wins! It is time for all priests to take courage and to lead the way to victory for the pro-life movement! It is time for all parishioners to encourage their priests more than ever to speak the truth about abortion clearly and without compromise!

As some pro-lifers have pointed out, unless we speak out fearlessly and act decisively against abortion, one could very well put up this sign at our local abortion mills: "Babies Killed Here with the Gracious Permission of the Local Christian Community."

The First Amendment protects our ability to challenge the Culture of Death and its spokespersons. The law cannot forbid our speech just because others may find it disagreeable, offensive, or upsetting. Let's use this tool without fear as we carry out the Pope's words, "Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known."

Abuse victims often use the phrase "Silent No More" to indicate their response to being victimized. It may be surprising to some in our society, therefore, that as our nation reaches the 30-year mark of the abortion decisions Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton, that women from coast to coast are uniting under the banner of "Silent No More" because they have had abortions.

Not illegal ones in "back alleys" -- which is more propaganda than reality -- but legal ones in federally protected "clinics."

These women do not consider themselves freed, empowered, or ennobled because of their abortion. Rather, they testify that they were enslaved, weakened, and wounded. They were, in short, given a false promise, which is the essence of all temptation. They were told that this "procedure" would solve their problems. Instead, it brought more problems than they care to think about, namely, the whole range of physical and psychological wounds often described by the term "post-abortion syndrome."

What are these women doing this year that is different from what they have done over the past 30 years?

In our nation's Capitol and in cities across the country, they will gather publicly at rallies and prayer events and hold signs that say, "I Regret My Abortion." The Washington, DC gathering will, in fact, be at the steps of the Supreme Court, on the very date, January 22, that abortion was legalized 30 years ago.

This campaign is being sponsored by NOEL (the National Organization of Episcopalians for Life) and Priests for Life.

But why do this? If abortion is so painful, some will ask, why make a public display out of one's experience?

The answer is understood only if one knows how shameful and painful the silence of abortion is. The grief that follows abortion is, in the words of Dr. Theresa Burke, a "forbidden grief." The grief is not acknowledged; it is not validated. People don't send sympathy cards or talk about it openly. In fact, those who grieve their child killed by abortion are often made to feel silly for feeling sad. After all, they are told by society that they exercised a choice that solved a problem. Why grieve over that?

Such questions, of course, reveal a complete blindness to the fact that killing one's child hurts, and leaves a wound that Mom does not ever forget.

These women are tired of having pro-choice advocates pretend to speak for them. They want to tell the world, in their own words, that what is too easily celebrated as a "choice" and a "right" is in fact a painful burden.

Not every post-abortive woman has found enough healing to be able to participate in these public rallies or hold these signs. But the participants in Silent No More pray that their presence will assist their sisters on the road to healing, and give them some measure of comfort to know that their grief is no longer forbidden.

Priests for Life Brochures

Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. 888-PFL-3448, (718) 980-4400
Fax 718-980-6515
Email mail@priestsforlife.org
Web: www.priestsforlife.org

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Keep up on what is happening in the Respect Life Ministry.

Do it for your family.

PRO-LIFE:

Any woman who is pregnant and in need can turn for help to the pro-life movement. She never has to feel that abortion is the only option. Help is available from anywhere in the country, anytime of the day or night:

"There is something dark and threatening under the smooth exterior of our seemingly well organized and efficient machinery, something that is destroying our nation at its core...that is the monster of 'Choice' that is feeding on the body and soul of this nation," writes Wanda Franz, Ph.D., president of National Right to Life Committee.

Prayer: That the unborn may again be invited to share in the banquet of protected life, we pray...

Project Rachel: Anyone hurting from an abortion experience is encouraged to contact Project Rachel at 401-861-9395.

You are not alone! And you do not have to carry the burden of guilt, grief and alienation any longer.