Respect Life Ministry
Respecting All Life from Conception to Natural Death
The Respect Life Ministry is open to all parishioners who are passionate about respect life issues such as caring for our aging and elderly, marriage and family, abortion, capital punishment, immigration, and help for the homeless. We strive to reach out to the community as well as bring awareness to and encourage our parish to get involved in the many issues regarding the dignity and sanctity of all human life.
3RD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH
All parishioners are welcome to bring their rosary and join us in peaceful prayer at the Tampa Women's Health Center. You are invited to attend Saturday 8:30am Mass with us or meet us at the clinic at 9:45am to pray the Helpers of God's Precious Infants Prayer Vigil. Join us in praying for an end to abortion and for healing for all who have been affected by one. If you would like more information or would like to join us contact Jackie at respectlife@stpaulchurch.com
THANK YOU!
BABY BOTTLE BOOMERANG RESULTS: Thank you everyone for your generous donations for Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center & Adoption Services! So far the total donated by St. Paul parishioners is over $7,600! Your generosity is overwhelming! Bottles are still coming in and the total is sure to rise over the next month or so. If you still have your baby bottle at home, please return it, empty or full, to the Parish Center so that the pregnancy center can continue with their fundraising efforts.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY RESULTS: Once again thank you for your abundant generosity! Our parish donated $2,000 to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital for their Christmas in July fundraiser.
UPCOMING EVENTS
January
Monday, January 23rd
ADORATON FOR LIFE 7-9pm
Bring your rosary and join us in the Chapel, before our Eucharistic Lord, from 7-9pm for Scripture, Song and Prayer as we pray for the respect of all human life from the moment of conception, and for healing for all those affected by a previous abortion decision. All are welcome.
February
February 12th
MARRIAGE VOW RENEWAL WEEKEND
Come and see us for coffee and donuts after the 7:30, 9:00, and 10:45 morning Masses as we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on this very special weekend. May God continue to bless all holy marriages!
Next Respect Life Ministry Meeting - Tuesday, Januray 24th, @7:30pm - Parish Center Room G. If you would like to join us please come by, new members are always welcome!
RESPECT LIFE ISSUES
Assisted Suicide
The latest push to legalize assisted suicide for the terminally ill has failed in Maryland, but opponents are well aware that this isn't the end of the fight. "It is a relief that this dangerous legislation is not moving forward," said Executive Director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. However, she added, "I think it's important to remain vigilant and to know the proponents of this bill here in Maryland and around the country are very aggressive in pushing regardless of how much opposition there is against the bill." In their pastoral letter "Comfort and Consolation: Care for the Sick and Dying" the Maryland Catholic bishops urged respect for the dignity of each person, regardless of the state of their health. Even if a person is terminally ill and suffering greatly, "euthanasia is always an attack on human life and a false compassion that is unable to see the abiding dignity of the human person in all conditions and circumstances." The Maryland bill would have allowed terminally ill patients who have been deemed mentally sound to obtain a lethal prescription drug from a physician. Similar legislation passed in California in 2015 after the highly publicized case of a terminally ill woman, Brittany Maynard, moved to Oregon to legally obtain life-ending drugs. Assisted suicide has also been legalized in Washington, Vermont, and Montana.
CNA/EWTN News
Religious Freedom
Pope Francis noted, during his visit to the United States, that "various forms of modern tyranny seek to suppress religious freedom, or try to reduce it to a subculture without right to a voice in the public square." Powerful political and cultural leaders often do not oppose religious freedom outright. Rather, they seek to relegate religion to a private sphere. They claim that religious freedom permits us to worship, but people of faith must shed their religious convictions when they leave the sanctuary and serve the public. This is a severely restrictive understanding of freedom. The false notion of religion as a purely private affair has fueled a spate of threats to Catholic hospitals' freedom to care for people according to the moral teaching of the Church. In recent years, several Catholic healthcare entities and medical professionals have been punished by people who seek to require that they provide abortions and sterilizations. The notion seems to be that religion, or for that matter, morality should not interfere with the practice of medicine. It's fine to have a little chapel and pictures of Jesus and Mary, but an increasingly influential segment of the population argues that Catholic hospitals and healthcare workers are no different from others and demand that our faith not be reflected in how we practice medicine and serve others. The Holy Father has repeatedly reminded the public that religious freedom is not merely private. It is a freedom to serve in public, and indeed, in the healthcare setting, a freedom to care.
www.usccb.org
Abortion
The First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee, FL overturned an injunction by a lower court which clears the way for the State to begin enforcement of a bill passed by the Legislature in 2015, requiring mothers to wait 24 hours before an abortion clinic can end the life of their unborn baby. The new 24 hour waiting period, in effect in thirty states, follows normal elective medical practice guidelines which require a consultation before scheduling outpatient surgery. This bill cracks down on shoddy medical practices which run patients through abortion mills at a high rate to earn more profit. As more abortion clinics around Florida close and abortionists abandon their practices, the problem of factory-style abortion clinic practices is sure to grow. The bill will ensure that the safety of women is enhanced, and that the right to informed consent is fully protected in a deliberative manner. The law has exceptions for victims of rape, incest, domestic abuse or human trafficking if women present their doctors with a police report, restraining order or similar documentation. "One day to reflect upon the risks of abortion, one day to view an image of the unborn child's ultrasound image, and one day to consult with friends, family and faith are minimal considering the effects that will remain for a lifetime beyond that irreversible decision," stated Senator Anitere Flores.
Life Ministries/Diocese of St. Petersburg
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is any kind of behavior that a person uses, or threatens to use, to control an intimate partner. The two key elements are threat and control. Domestic violence can take various forms; Physical, Sexual, Psychological, Emotional, Verbal, Economic. The U.S. Catholic Bishops have made clear that violence against women, inside or outside the home, is never justified. Violence in any form is sinful and often it is a crime as well. The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides crisis intervention and referrals to local sources of help in all 50 states. Call 1-800-799-SAFE
To learn more: www.foryourmarriage.org
Prayer for the Poor
"Come Holy Spirit, and open our hearts, minds, and souls to your presence.
Grace us with the strength to follow the examples of Jesus. Like Jesus, may the Spirit provide us with a voice to cry out for justice for the poor. Remind us that what we do to the least of those among us, we do to you."
Next Meeting
Tuesday, January 24th, 2017
We meet the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm in the Parish Center. New members are always welcome!
For more information contact Shawn and Jackie at respectlife@stpaulchurch.com
"Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God's creation, made in his own image, destined to live for ever, and deserving the utmost reverence and respect."
~Pope Francis
