Our Lady of Guadalupe Pro-Life Group

Purpose:
We proclaim 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 every stage of its existence.

Strategies:
Our pastor, Monsignor V. Paul Fitzmaurice has helped us develop a four-part plan:
(1) Education – in the Catholic community and in the public square.
(2) Care and Services – for women with problems related to pregnancy, donations and volunteer time given, and for those who have been involved in abortion.
(3) Advocacy – for public policies that protect the lives of unborn children and those vulnerable to pressure to end their own lives.
(4) Prayer – that the culture of death will be replaced by a culture of life and love.  Please consider spiritually adopting an unborn baby and pray for that baby every day for nine months.  Download and print our Prayer for Unborn Human Life and hang it where you will see it every day.

Meeting Times:
The St. Agnes Our Lady of Guadalupe Pro-Life Group meets on the third Saturday of each month, usually 9 – 11 AM in Room 306 in Resurrection Hall.

How to Join:
All are welcome to join one of our monthly meetings at any time.  There is no need to register in advance.  One can add their name to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Flocknote group if one desires to receive information regarding meetings, notices and events sent directly to them.  Our meetings always begin with prayer and saying the Rosary. Questions about the group can be directed to Audrey at 412 554-2454.

Read our latest Newsletter on pages 5-6 in the 30-Jan-2022 Saint Agnes Bulletin.  

PRAYERS & INSPIRATION

The following prayer for our children and grandchildren was shared by one of our members 1/16/2021:

Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lions den. He knew David could handle Goliath. He knew Esther could handle Haman. He knew Peter could handle persecution. He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it! Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters! God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!

For more information on the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her appearance to Mexican peasant Juan Diego in 1531 please watch the videos here produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and Bishop Robert Barron’s Catholicism Series.

Our Pro-Life group echoes the sentiment of Human Life International with this statement:

The choice of Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness of our apostolate was obvious. Of all the many manifestations of Mary’s loving presence among us throughout the centuries, in this apparition alone does she appear to us as clearly the Patroness of the Unborn, in the manner of a pregnant mother. She holds within her the unborn Christ, proclaiming the sanctity and blessedness of life within the womb. Her reverence and tenderness communicate to us the joy and awe with which we must approach each nascent life. In contemplating her simplicity we find the strength to emulate her faith, and proceed with confidence in the knowledge that God will overcome the seemingly insurmountable barriers looming all around us in the world today.

ACTIVITIES

In addition to regular meetings, our ministry participates in the following pro-life activities organized locally and nationally. Announcements are made through parish communications when an activity draws near.  All are welcome to participate; there is no membership requirement.

40 Days for Life is a Pittsburgh pro-life campaign which takes place twice a year, once in the spring and fall.  It is a pro-life effort that consists of: 40 days of prayer and fasting; 40 days of peaceful vigil held from 7am – 7pm in front of Planned Parenthood, 933 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh; and 40 days of community outreach.  All from the parish are welcome to join.  See photos of the procession of participants in the 40 Days for Life Spring 2022 Campaign kick-off Mass which processed from Epiphany Church to the Planned Parenthood site Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh.

Irwin Life Chain organizes peaceful prayer for the unborn. Started over 30 years ago, 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 is 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. This prayerful event usually takes place on the first Sunday in October.

The March for Life takes place in January in Washington DC.  It began as a small demonstration in direct response to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Taking place every year since 1974, the March for Life rapidly grew to be the largest pro-life event in the world. This peaceful gathering of hundreds of thousands is a powerful witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time, legalized abortion on demand.

Pennsylvania March for Life – The national March for Life organization partnered with the Pennsylvania Family Institute and hosted the first ever official Pennsylvania March for Life on Monday, September 27, 2021 in Harrisburg, PA and Saint Agnes delegates attended with others from the Diocese of Greensburg. The event took place on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives first day back in session when marchers rallied at the front steps of the state capitol to call on legislators to protect unborn children. It featured a compelling lineup of renowned national and local pro-life leaders.  “Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court abortion decision, well over two million unborn babies have lost their lives to abortion in Pennsylvania alone,” said Michael Geer, president of Pennsylvania Family Institute. “Every day in our commonwealth, the lives of over 80 unborn babies are taken through abortion. And that’s why we march. It’s time for this to end.”

Each May for many years our Saint Agnes Men’s Club has erected over 400 crosses on the Saint Agnes lawn representing victims of abortion.  Beginning in 2022, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Pro-Life Group Divine Mercy banner has joined them.

Divine Mercy banner among crosses representing abortion victims
The image of Divine Mercy stands amidst our field of white crosses reminding us all of the true purpose of the Pro-Life movement. Our Lady of Guadalupe Pro-Life Group is sponsoring the image as an expression of our parish Pro-Life Consecration and our Divine Mercy Enthronement in October 2021. On the news, we see the authentic conviction of those on both sides of the issues of life. Holy Spirit rush upon us with Your Truth and Love. Lord, give us the courage to come to Your mercy and to bring others with us through our words, actions, prayers and penance. Bless our efforts to end the desperate act of abortion and to embrace the gift of the moment by moment. We invite you to come close to this sacred image of our Lord Jesus and be moved. Experience His invitation of merciful love and offer a prayer for the protection of all life.

Hear a personal testimony on healing after having an abortion.

“I will hear all their weeping, their complaints, and heal all their sorrows, hardships, and sufferings.” – Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego in 1531

PRO-LIFE SITES

Alternatives. Yes Pregnancy Support Center –  Connellsville – Is a non-profit charitable organization that has been serving the community since 1987. They provide FREE and CONFIDENTIAL services to women and men experiencing a pregnancy or caring for an infant. Their trained client advocates and staff provide information to help someone make an informed choice about their pregnancy. Offers free pregnancy testing, pregnancy/parenting classes, material assistance, referrals, and many other programs. Location: 6 Frank Gallo Lane, Connellsville, PA 15425. Phone: 724 628-5555

Catholic Charities – Greensburg  offers a wide variety of opportunities for volunteers to get involved in the work and mission of the agency, including donating baby items and the need for baby clothing to be sorted appropriately.  If you are 18 years of age or older, and want to dedicate your time to helping meet the needs of others, please contact Donna Hagan, supervisor of information and referral services, at 724-837-1840 ext. 1661.

Life-Way Pregnancy Center is a pregnancy care center in Latrobe and Indiana. Life-Way Pregnancy Center shares the promise of hope by helping young women and men with life affirming choices.  For 30 years it has offered the unconditional love of Jesus along with practical assistance. They help through pregnancy, after childbirth and through the parenting years.  They are here for you… whatever it is you need, they will do their best to assist, educate and refer to appropriate resources. The Latrobe and Indiana locations have trained staff ready to help with a pregnancy test, pregnancy education, adoption options, or parenting skills. Their intake and individual sessions are offered in-person and remotely. Lessons are individualized for you and are always free of charge and confidential.  They are there for you… whatever it is you need they will do their best to assist, educate, and refer to appropriate resources. They have a wide range of services and programs. At their easy access Latrobe and Indiana locations their trained staff is ready and waiting to help with a pregnancy test, pregnancy support, adoption options, or parenting skills. Their one-on-one sessions are individualized to fit your situation, free of charge, and completely confidential. Locations: 1516 Ligonier St., Latrobe  15650;  Phone: 724 539-2002 and  31 S 3rd Street Indiana, PA  15701; Phone: (724) 349-5307

Live Action: This right to life movement reaches 4.7 million people with the largest online presence in the Pro-Life movement reaching millions of people each month with eye-opening and life-saving content.  Look to Pro-Life Replies from Live Action for answers to the most common pro-choice arguments you encounter every day.

National Hotline for Abortion Recovery: 866-482-LIFE (866-482-5433)

Rachel’s Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild, and redeem hearts broken by abortion. 877 HOPE 4 ME (877-467-3463)

  

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