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Respect Life Committee
Under the authority of our bishop and our pastor, the Respect Life Committee advances within our parish the right to life, especially against the injustice of abortion, through prayer, education, charity, and advocacy. We believe that every human person is created out of love by God, made in His image and after His likeness, and destined to live forever.
For more information, please contact Marisa Vertrees, our parish Social Justice Coordinator: respectlife@stcharleschurch.org.
Your prayer and presence is always valued. If you are interested and able, we would like to encourage you to lead or help to lead an event. Short term or long term, experienced or completely new, you are always invited to help lead. Some possibilities are:
- Chairman and/or Co-Chairman
- Secretary
- Hosts/Hostesses for Circle of Giving Dinners
- Leading study session(s)
- Leading a Bible study on life issues
- Educational series on Catholic teachings
- Blogging
For more information or more suggestions or ideas where you can help, please contact Marisa Vertrees at respectlife@stcharleschurch.org.
At one of the annual ministries fairs, a wonderful parishionner mentioned that although she's worked for a long time in the pro-life movement and at crisis pregnancy centers, when she ran into a pregnant woman in need outside the metro, she didn't have a way to help her on hand.
So, here are some phone numbers for local assistance. If you are eager to help in a similar situation, write them down on a card in your wallet.
Crisis Pregnancy Center:
A Woman's Choice in Falls Church - 703-538-4305
Pro-Life Medical Care:
Tepeyac Family Center in Fairfax - 703-273-9440Assistance for Mothers:
Gabriel Project in Arlington - 866-444-3553Post-Abortion Healing:
Project Rachel - 888-456-HOPEAlso click here to for more information on Crisis Pregnancy resources.
Join our mailing list! Browse Archives at groups.google.com Click here to see our list of many resources concerning crisis pregnancy and adoption information including the spiritual adoption of a baby in danger of abortion, post-abortion healing, and general information.
Respect Life Events at St. Charles and in the Diocese
- Monthly Rosary for Life - For more information contact: Scott Gorman at generalxartha@hotmail.com or 703-371-9285.
- Bishop Loverde says a Mass and Rosary for Life once a month. See the Diocesan calendar for his schedule or call (703) 795-4608.
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Latest Happenings in the Arlington Diocese and Washington, DC Area!
- Check the Arlington Catholic Herald or your own diocesan newspaper
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Respect Life Resources
Crisis Pregnancy Resources:
- OptionLine - http://www.optionline.org or 1-800-395-HELP (4357) - Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to listen, to answer questions, and and to connect you with nearby pregnancy centers.
- Help for Those in a Crisis Pregnancy: Catholic Charities.
- The Option Line - 1-800-395-HELP (4357)
- http://www.tepeyacfamilycenter.com/staff.asp Tepeyac Family Center
- A Woman's Choice http://www.awomanschoicecenter.com/ 6201 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22044, (703) 538-4305, Pregnant? Worried? They'll help! They are staffed by trained volunteers and are open Monday - Friday and also have Saturday and evening hours. Call for an appointment at 703.538.4305. They also accept walk-ins. They are an independent, nonpolitical, nonsectarian, and well-prepared to help you, whether you are single or married, regardless of age, race and religion.
- If you are facing a crisis pregnancy, call Catholic Charities at 1-800-CARE-002 (1-800-227-3002). You will be routed to the nearest Catholic Charities Office. A Catholic Charities social worker will offer you an appointment within the next few days, either at the office or at a mutually agreed location. Professional counseling is available free of charge to consider parenting or an adoption placement for your child. Assistance is available to help you set up a medial plan and to locate appropriate housing, if needed. Catholic Charities has a pool of approved adoptive families whom you can consider as parents for your child. The Catholic Charities social worker will provide help and emotional support during a difficult time in your life.
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Return to top of page.Post-Abortion Healing:
- National Helpline for Abortion Recovery - http://www.nationalhelpline.org or 1-866-482-LIFE (5433) - Free, confidential assistance by those who have personal experience with abortion and the healing process. Avaiable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Healing after Abortion
- http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/ The National Silent No More Awareness Campaign. PLEASE NOTE: The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is completely different than Operation Outcry, which is listed above under"General Information/What You Can Do" - they are trying to overturn Roe. The National Silent No More Awareness Campaign has no political or legal agenda - they are just raising awareness and helping women find help and healing. Click here. to read about how one person was touched by Georgette Forney who started this organization.
- http://www.hopeafterabortion.com Hope After Abortion
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Return to top of page.Information for Students, and young people (older students also welcome):
- Colonials for Life is a pro-life goup at George Washington University http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/gwcfl/. They especially welcome college-age pro-lifers, but others are also welcome.
- Students for Life of American http://www.studentsforlife.org Students for Life of America is a pro-life, student-run, non-profit organization. It is sholly devoted to educating college students about the medical and ethical issues of abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide. SFL has worked to develop a nationwide network of prolife students. Now connecting hundreds of college campuses in the largest national directory of its kind, Students for Life will continue to serve pro-life champions in every college and university in America.
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Return to top of page.General Information/What You Can Do:
- Do you wish to be a sidewalk counselor at one of the abortion clinics? Join Lifeguard http://www.lifeguardsaves.com. You can also contact Chairman Ruby Nicdao at lifeguard_ruby4life@verizon.net or 703-591-1327 for more information.
- Speaker Scott Klusendorf helps to articulate the pro-life position from scientific and philisophicals perspectives: Life Training Institute-http://www.prolifetraining.com/ - COMMUNICATING THE PRO-LIFE MESSAGE Persuasively - Passionately - Practically, and Stand to Reason http://www.str.org/site/PageServer
- Canadian Center for Bio-ethical Reform http://www.unmaskingchoice.ca/ The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) is an educational pro-life organization whose mission is to make abortion unthinkable. Speaker Stephanie Gray, who gave a presentation at St. charles in Fall 2006, is a dynamic leader in this organization.
- We have often heard "I'm against abortion except in the case of rape or incest." We forget that those who are conceived in rape or incest are also children of God. Rebecca Kiessling is one such person. She was conceived in rape and nearly aborted at two back-alley abortionists. However, her mother gave birth to her and gave her up for adoption. She has grown into a remarkable woman who uses her talents as a family attorney to do God's work in helping many women and children. Read about this remarkable woman at http://www.rebeccakiessling.com/
- Prayer to Spiritually Adopt an Unborn Baby Who is in Danger of Abortion
- Pro-Life Talking Points for Homilies
- http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/family/: Family and pro-life information and events in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.
- What Every Catholic Should Know About Stem Cell Research
- Human Cloning Talking Points
- [External site] Topics on Abortion: Speaks about the Different Methods of Abortion, Especially Partial Birth Abortion.
- Mike Corrigan's article about the Silent No More Gathering at the Supreme Court on January 22, 2004.
- http://www.idontwantmymtv.com: Did you know the MTV is partnered with the largest abortion provider in America? Did you know that MTV has a special toll free number to help children get an abortion behind their parents back? Have you seen MTV's programming lately? Find out why thousands of young people say, "I don't want my MTV"
- http://www.operationoutcry.org: Operation Outcry seeks to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade by mobilizing those who have been silent about the harmful effects of abortion. This can be accomplished only through prayer and with the testimonies of women who have suffered harm from abortion. See also the The National Silent No More Awareness Campaign link below under "Post-Abortion Healing".
- http://OMSoul.com: One More Soul, Changing the way Americans think about contraception, 1-800-307-7685.
- http://www.usccb.org/prolife/index.shtml USCCB Pro Life Department
- http://www.ncbcenter.org/makingsense.asp National Catholic Bioethics Center
- http://www.vacatholic.org/ Virginia Catholic Conference
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OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE INTERCESSOR OF THE UNBORN There is something you can do to help unborn children even if, for whatever reason, you are unable to assist us in our ministry, and it takes only a few minutes every day: The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen encouraged the spiritual adoption of an unborn child to help stop the proliferation of abortion in the United States. This is done by praying that one particular, but unknown, child's life will be spared abortion and be allowed to continue to live.
To help accomplish this, it is recommended that an individual say the following daily prayer for a period of one year:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much, I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion. View Photos: Memorial Dedication | March for Life '99 | March for Life 2001
Revised/reviewed June 29, 2010
