Culture of Life Director - Eric Maroyka
Here are a handful of activities to help support life:
Prayer and Fasting:
March for Life Events:
Advocacy:
Pro-Life News and Resources:
Prayer and Fasting:
- Adoration: Pray for life in front of the Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. All-day Adoration is in the Parish Center Chapel from 7:00am until 7:00pm and on First Friday, all-night Adoration from 7:00pm is available in the church every First Friday with Saturday devotions on the First Saturdays of the month. First Friday is on March 6th. First Saturday Devotions will be after 9:15am Mass on Saturday.
- Pray a novena for life and invite someone to join you. https://www.usccb.org/respect-life-novena
- Pray in small groups with others. See the USCCB website for suggested prayers and activities. https://www.usccb.org/prolife
- Observe and celebrate the National Sanctity of Human Life Day, Observed annually on or around January 22nd in the United States to honor the value of every human life, particularly focusing on protecting the unborn, often marking the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
- Silver Rose: Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a rosary-centered occasion for Knights, parishioners and community members to pray for respect for life. https://www.kofc.org/what-we-do/programs/life/silver-rose/
- Respect Life Month: https://www.respectlife.org/respect-life-month
- Fast and offer to God the sacrifice and discomfort.
- Contribute your time or finances to a crisis-pregnancy/assistance organization, for example:
- The MaRiH Center: https://marih.org/
- A Best Choice Mobile Ultrasound & Pregnancy Resource Center: https://abestchoice.us/
- The Paul Stefan Home: https://www.paulstefanhome.org/
- Assist Pregnancy Center: https://assistpartners.org/
- House of Mercy: https://houseofmercyva.org/
- Gabriel Project: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/family-life/find-support/pregnancy-assistance/
- Mary’s Comfort of VA: https://www.maryscomfortva.org/
- Support monthly parish diaper, wipes, and formula drive (4th Sunday of month).
- ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy): https://www.kofc.org/what-we-do/programs/life/aid-support-after-pregnancy/
March for Life Events:
- National March for Life: https://marchforlife.org/national-march-for-life/
- Virginia March for Life: https://marchforlife.org/virginia/
- Life is VERY Good (EagleBank Arena): https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/youth-ministry/life-is-very-good/
- Life Fest: https://www.lifefestrally.com/
Advocacy:
- Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) -The Conference advocates for protecting human life and dignity, advancing social justice for the most vulnerable, and upholding religious liberty, marriage, family life, and parental choice in education: https://vacatholic.org/
- VA Pro-Life Day: https://vaprolifeday.org/
- Virginia Society for Human Life (VSHL): https://vshl.org/
- The Family Foundation: https://www.familyfoundation.org/
- Involve the young (teens, college students, etc.) to instill a respect for God’s gift of life. See https://studentsforlife.org/
- Center for Family and Human Rights: https://c-fam.org/about-us/
- Special Olympics, Area 26: https://www.novasova.org/
- Special Olympics Polar Plunge: https://www.polarplunge.com/virginiabeach
- Reece’s Rainbow: https://reecesrainbow.org/
- KOVAR: https://www.kovarva.org/
- Marian Homes: https://www.marianhomes.org/#/
Pro-Life News and Resources:
- The Person and Identify Project (PIP) https://personandidentity.com/
- EWTN News: https://www.ewtnnews.com/
- Pro-Life Activities: https://www.usccb.org/prolife
- Human Life International: https://www.hli.org/
- End of Life Medical Directives: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/family-life/respect-life/end-of-life-medical-directives/
- Choose Life plates www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/license-plates/search/choose-life
May this year remind us that our faith and hope are in the Lord, and not in politicians or crowds who come and go with the season.
A Prayer for Life
Father and maker of all,
you adorn all creation
with splendor and beauty,
and fashion human lives
in your image and likeness.
Awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain
your precious gift of life.
Grant this through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
Amen
Father and maker of all,
you adorn all creation
with splendor and beauty,
and fashion human lives
in your image and likeness.
Awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain
your precious gift of life.
Grant this through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
Amen