The Sad Reality: On January 22, 1973 abortion was made legal in our country. Since then there have been over 50 million abortions. Every day there are about 3,500 abortions in the U.S, over 100,000 world wide. In Fort Bend County, there are about 25 abortions every week, about one for every 6 births. In Harris County, there are about 50 abortions every day. If we do not do something, if we do not stand up for those who cannot stand up on their own, who will?

Million Rosary Campaign - May 3-5

  
photo from freedigitalphotos.net

Please continue to pray - at home and in the chapel - for the women who are tempted, for the women who are wounded, for all those harmed by abortion, and for the conversion of those working in the abortion industry.

 

Pray for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty

If you have not already done so, please take some time to understand the serious threat we are facing.  See the following documents from the USCCB: 

• Protecting Consciences (as in bulletin 6/17/12)
• Twelve Things Everyone Should Know about the Mandate
• Current Threats to Religious Liberty
• FAQ on Religious Liberty

U.S. Bishops Call to Prayer in this Year of Faith

   Our Bishops have called us to pray and fast for rebuilding a culture favorable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty. It continues through Christ the King Sunday (November 24).  Click on the link above (US Bishops Call to Prayer) for a one page pdf from the USCCB.

Please ask your representatives to support H. R 940, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act, introduced on 3/4/2013.  Go to http://nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp?ID=292  to easily send the following message to your representatives:

     Suggested Message: "Please support the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (H.R. 940) introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) on March 4, and urge the inclusion of this bill in ‘must-pass’ legislation. Government must not force Americans to violate their religious and moral beliefs on respect for life when they provide health care or sponsor or purchase health coverage. The Administration’s contraceptive mandate forces health coverage to include sterilization and contraceptives, including drugs that can cause an abortion, even when employers and employees have moral or religious objections.”

PLEASE PRAYEnglish and Spanish prayer cards, and the prayer texts in Vietnamese and Tagalog can be downloaded here: 

• Engllish
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Vietnamese     

Thank you to all who contributed!  St. Laurence Parishioners donated over $15,000 to help PRMC empower women to make life-affirming choices!

Brochure of the Month: May 2013

Life Matters: Persons with Disabilities

            Some people seem to view babies as products – if they are defective, send them back. About ninety percent of preborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.  But the threat to the lives of people with disabilities does not end with birth.  Parents of special needs children often have to fight for medical treatments that would routinely be given to someone with no disability.  Blessed John Paul II has said, “The wounded humanity of the disabled challenges us to recognize, accept and promote in each one of these brothers and sisters of ours the incomparable value of the human being created by God.”

Click on these links to download brochure:       English brochure  Spanish brochure
 

Crisis Pregnancy? We are here to help!

If you are in need of help or you know of someone who needs help in having a baby, here are three great resources that will help you out right now:

 

Marie McCoy, the Respect Life Coordinator, is available as a speaker on life topics.  She would be happy to speak to any church or community group, at no charge.

Other speakers are also available from the Pregnancy Resource Center, Texas Right to Life, the Archdiocesan offices, and other organizations. 

 

 

Many opportunities are available to help or to take responsibility for individual activities or projects.

 

Dear Father, Creator of all Life,
Please give those who are faced with the temptation of abortion the support, the courage, the grace they need to choose life for their child. Help all who have participated in choosing abortion come to know your healing and generous mercy.

I ask that you grant those involved in performing or promoting abortions a conversion of heart and the courage to cease their involvement. Please help us to respect the dignity of all our brothers and sisters, in every circumstance. We pray that proper respect will be shown to immigrants, to prisoners, to those who are severely ill or burdened with handicaps, and to the elderly who are nearing the end of their lives.

Please open my own heart to follow whatever way you are calling me
to help build a culture of life.  Amen.