Open the sections below for ideas on how to bring pro-life activities to your parish year-round.
JANUARY: Post-Abortion Healing
Promotion of Post-Abortion Healing services; contact Sisters of Life Hope & Healing Mission for guidance.
Invite a post-abortive woman and/or man to speak at your parish, check out possible speakers here.
Organize a parish bus to the March for Life. Invite the parochial schools & youth groups as well.
Promote & attend the Prayer Vigil for Life at St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a local pilgrimage on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Collaborate on Respect Life Week celebrated in Catholic Schools this month.
Hold a Flocknote drive to sign up for the Respect Life Office emails to increase awareness of life issues and resources available.
FEBRUARY: Caring for Special Needs
Promote awareness of disabilities; ensure their sacramental needs are being met.
Host a Mass for those who suffer physical or mental disabilities; coordinate with the Youth Group/Schools to assist at this Mass. Multi-parish involvement. Suggested Mass intentions here.
Parish Movie Night – show a film celebrating people with special needs. Recommendation: Wonder.
Invite families to volunteer at organizations for people with special needs. Check out comprehensive volunteer listing here.
Host a book reading after the family Mass of “Look Again, Thomas!” by the Sisters of Life, for young children, supply cookies and milk. Order the book, here.
Many parents with special needs children received an adverse prenatal diagnosis. Invite those parents to speak at Mass or afterward to help educate others.
Share stories in the bulletin of families with children with special needs. Check out a personal testimony here. Include resources such as Be Not Afraid and guidance for supporting families who receive a prenatal diagnosis.
Invite Dr. Parravicini to speak at your parish or parish mission. Get her bio and contact info here.
MARCH: Human Development
Create a table display after Masses – display baby models, highlight milestones of development, promote social media & websites that offer information. Make it eye-catching & interactive.
Collaborate with the Catholic Schools and Catechists for an 8th-grade science contest of the best display and/or essay/research paper on human development. Offer a scholarship for the top performers.
Celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation (Jesus’ conception) with fanfare. Invite other parish groups to a party social.
Promote 40 Days for Life and organize a weekly witness or prayer commitment.
APRIL: End of Life
Host a Seminar for your parish on Advance Directives and End of Life care. Display brochures on end of life care and Catholic teaching in the church. Get resources here.
Organize a group visit to a local nursing home – share music, a play, other talents, or visit with residents; great to get the youth involved. For end of life care facilities near you, click here; or related service opportunities, click here.
Share important information on Physician-Assisted Suicide to all parishioners through the bulletin or after Mass. Include testimonies or stories of those who have accompanied a dying parent or relative, like this one here.
Resurrection Run. Host a 5K walk/run in your area, proceeds go to support elderly parishioners whose needs are barely being covered by their fixed income, or for religious/church organizations that care for the elderly, see Archdiocese of New York organizations here.
Host a card-making event after Mass for families. Invite children to create cards for elderly in the local senior buildings or nursing homes. Teach children the importance of good friendships. Provide cookies & snacks.
MAY: The Gift of Motherhood
Mother/Daughter FEMM night – learn together the beauty of the female body, heart, and mind. For more information contact FEMM or visit their website.
Invite a post-abortive woman or mother in the parish to offer a testimony of hope with emphasis on how motherhood is forever. For speakers, visit here. Or share a written testimony in the bulletin.
Invite all mothers to a beautiful breakfast – or host a local Feminine Genius Brunch and invite the Sisters of Life as speakers.
Offer/host Sidewalk Counseling Training for interested adults in the parish. Reach out to the Sisters of Life through the form at the bottom of this page if interested!
During the week of Mother’s Day, host a ‘call-a-thon’ to your local/state legislators to express your pro-life views and desire to uphold mothers. For listings of your legislators, visit NYSCC website.
JUNE: The Gift of Fatherhood
Special Mass for Families where fathers are honored as leaders of their domestic church. See suggested Mass Intercessions.
Father’s Day celebration – partner with a men’s group such as the Knights of Columbus or Holy Name Society for a special ‘lumberjack breakfast’ after Mass.
Host a parish-wide Father/Child sports game (softball, flag football) at a local park, bbq and cake. Invite nearby parishes in the competition.
Host a Father/Child service day – in the AM make lunches for the homeless and then serve them in your area. End the day with reflections.
Invite a post-abortive dad to give a testimony about the effects of abortion on the father of the child. For speakers, click here.
Promote Entering Caanan retreats for men who have suffered from abortion.
JULY: Life Issues – Historical Significance
Host a Holy Hour of Reparation for offenses against life in our country at your parish.
Create a display of information: Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, Dred Scott – show comparisons between abortion and the civil rights movement.
Ethnicity plays a huge factor in abortion rates. Get the word out. Statistics as to racial communities targeted by abortion providers. The truth of Margaret Sanger, the founding of Planned Parenthood, and eugenics ideology.
Where have we come from? Where are we going? Host a night to share Joys & Sorrows of the history of the pro-life movement. Share old photos or videos of past Marches, meetings, etc.
AUGUST: Artificial Reproductive Technology
Begin a 4-week Humanae Vitae study in your parish. Meet to read and discuss this prophetic Church document after Mass or in the evenings each week.
For Women: ENDOW has a great study on Humanae Vitae. A women’s study can also be a support for women who regret contracepting. Allow for a safe place to share.
Circulate materials from Gianna Center and FEMM at parishes and in the bulletin. Check out our webpage on Catholic women’s healthcare. Include information that helps people understand the Church’s teaching and truth about IVF.
Movie under the stars! Show a great pro-life film (see suggestions) with pizza, popcorn & soda
Host a seminar for young adults and married couples on the truth of contraception. Invite a couple practicing NFP to share testimony. Invite Dr. Nolte of the Gianna Center to speak. (Offer free child care).
SEPTEMBER: Chastity
Promote events and age-appropriate training for youth in your parish and in your schools. Mother/Daughter FEMM night is also a great option this month.
Offer prayers for those who struggle with chastity. Organize a Holy Hour for this intention.
Host a Culture Project event in the region for youth. Join with nearby parishes for an 8th & 9th-grade event (or morning of recollection for Confirmandi).
Use social media for the good: spread the word on organizations promoting chastity in the culture to like or follow on Facebook.
OCTOBER: Respect Life Month
Speak to your pastor to ensure there are Pro-Life intercessions at all Masses, see suggestions.
Ask your pastor to offer Pro-Life education from the pulpit, (offer to assist in finding a speaker for the Masses if he’d prefer).
Invite the youth groups to decorate your parish with pro-life banners, photos, etc. Invite parishioners to post their baby photos on a wall – guess who is who.
Host a Pumpkin Bake Off, Chili-Challenge, or Fall-Food Fair fundraiser for a local pregnancy care center.
Increase parishioners’ awareness for helping women in difficult pregnancies: emotionally, spiritually, materially, medically. Check out a helpful article on supporting women in crisis pregnancy. Ensure your parish has an Archdiocese of New York Poster Resource.
Host a parish mission highlighting spiritual foundations of pro-life efforts (e.g., reverence, mercy, forgiveness)
Does your Life-Chain need renewal? Consider incorporating it into 40 Days for Life. Brainstorm with your parishioners on how to revamp the life-chain and draw more youth.
Invite the Rosary Society to pray for life issues this month. Pray the Rosary with brief meditations on life before Mass.
Host a Flocknote drive to increase awareness of life issues by inviting parishioners to join the Respect Life Office Flocknote.
Begin your preparations and planning for the March for Life. Be in touch with the Respect Life Office for guidance using the form at the bottom of the page.
NOVEMBER: Public Policy
Gather all relevant material from NYS Catholic Conference related to upcoming legislation. Ensure your parishioners know who the pro-life candidates are. Get input from Pastor and/or Public Policy Office on how to inform parishioners on this topic.
Prayer campaign. List names of legislators and other key individuals in government in the bulletin to be prayed for by name.
Organize a group to attend a Feminine Genius Brunch hosted by the Respect Life Office.
Invite Ed Mechmann of the Public Policy Office to speak at your parish. Cluster with surrounding parishes for a “Public Policy Forum” to get up to date information on life issues in the law.
As January approaches, get more young adults involved. Host a young adult “Tailgating Party” at the parish, to watch a football game with tailgating food — and to discuss life issues over chili.
DECEMBER: Corporal Works of Mercy
Participate and organize corporal works of mercy this month. Coordinate with other parish groups.
Care for the poor, homeless, those who are alone, in nursing homes and extended care facilities with gifts of food and clothing. Organize the youth to go Christmas caroling at a local nursing home or homeless shelter. Check out end of life facilities in the archdiocese.
Organize a ‘Giving Tree’ or Christmas drive to collect baby items and maternity gifts for a local pregnancy center.
Prepare homemade, easy to heat dinners for a mom in need who has just given birth or a single mom.
Host a coat drive for the homeless, coordinate with Franciscan Friars or Sisters of the Renewal or Missionaries of Charity.
Pray for the conversion of all abortion workers; share with the parish information about Abby Johnson and her ministry And Then There Were None.
Organize a youth group trip to a local cemetery to pray for those buried there, especially the graves with no flowers or that look forgotten. Take the opportunity to discuss the dignity of life.
For more suggestions or information, contact the Respect Life Office using the form below!