October 4

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Throughout the year, there are many Sundays that have a certain significance attached to them in the life of the Church, over and above what the liturgical celebration may hold. While they occur throughout the year, there does seem to be a good number of them that occur around this time. A few weeks ago we had Catechetical Sunday, as a way of recognizing the important work of teaching the faith, especially to the young. In a few weeks from now, we’ll have World Mission Sunday, as a way of recognizing the Church’s ongoing work of carrying the Good News to all corners of the world. And on this Sunday, we celebrate what is known as Respect Life Sunday, as a way of recognizing the Church’s work and ministry in promoting a culture of life as well as holding dear the inherent dignity of every human person, from conception until natural death.

There are unfortunately some misconceptions about what it means to be pro-life, even among Catholics it seems. It comes in a variety of forms, from not understanding the vastness of issues that it encompasses, to the presumption that certain aspects are overemphasized, and I worry that some people make wrong assumptions about the individuals involved in these kinds of ministries. It’s a shame really, because the reality is, being prolife is something inherent to being Christian, and our Catholic faith encourages us to work towards helping others see and respect human life, across all ages and in every circumstance.

To be clear, many efforts focus their attention on the moral evil of abortion. And while you may imagine holding up signs or praying rosaries outside of clinics, there’s much more that’s being done in promoting a culture of life. Ministries like Good Counsel Homes, First Way of Burlington County, and even Providence House are tremendous in helping to provide things like housing, supplies, and other resources for those in need, particularly pregnant women. There are incredible ministries such as Rachel’s Vineyard that help those who’ve experienced abortion find help and healing. There are the likes of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who help the destitute and elderly, providing for them particularly as they transition into eternal life. And there are many efforts to provide more education about the human person, to fellow Catholics, to society at large, and to our local and national legislators, with the hope that all might come to recognize the inherent dignity of the human person and afford them the respect they rightly deserve.

And so, here at St. Charles, we are looking to broaden our efforts within the realm of Respect Life. If you feel like there might be something you’d be interested in, please feel free to reach out to the Parish Office or me so that we can try and get you involved and help our parish be a community that is earnest in its efforts to create and promote a culture of life.

Peace and Goodness,

Fr. Dan