October is Respect Life Month
October 18
Cherishing Every Person
During Respect Life Month, the Church invites us to recognize and protect the God-given dignity of every person, from conception to natural death. This commitment includes concern for unborn children and their parents, but it does not end there. It calls us to stand with all whose lives are threatened, neglected or treated as disposable.
To respect life is to accompany families in crisis, welcome refugees and immigrants, care for people who are poor or without stable housing, oppose racism and violence, visit those who are sick or incarcerated, support people living with disabilities or mental illness and ensure that older adults and those nearing the end of life are treated with compassion. It also means working for peace and caring for creation so that present and future generations can flourish.
Respect for life is more than a position we hold — it is a way of seeing and serving. This month, let us ask: Who in our community feels unseen or alone? Then let us choose one concrete response — pray, listen, volunteer, advocate, give generously or offer practical help. In every act of mercy, we affirm a simple truth: every person is created in the image of God and is worthy of love, protection and belonging.
October 11
In honor of Respect Life Month, we warmly invite you to join us for special prayer opportunities throughout October. Copies of the Respect Life Novena are available to take home and use during your personal prayer time. You are also invited to pray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life, with us each Saturday in October following the 8:30 am Mass.
October 4
Each October, the Catholic Church in the United States observes Respect Life Month, a time to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life and our call to help build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death.
During Respect Life Month, we are reminded that every human life is sacred because every person is created in the image and likeness of God. As Catholics, we are called to protect and cherish life from the very beginning, including the life of the unborn child, who is already known and loved by God.
This call is not only about what we oppose, but also about how we love. To be a people of life means offering compassion and practical support to mothers, fathers and families who may be afraid, overwhelmed or alone. May our parish be a place where every person is welcomed, every life is valued and no one faces difficulty without the love of Christ.
We warmly invite you to join us for special prayer opportunities throughout October in honor of Respect Life Month. Copies of the Respect Life Novena are available — please take one home to enrich your personal prayer time. You are also welcome to join us each week in October as we pray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life, after the 8:30 am Mass.
