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Respect Life Month: Being Faithful Stewards of the Gift of Life
If you go to the corner of Mentor Ave. and Reynolds Rd. on Oct. 3, you will see an awe-inspiring witness of what it means to courageously love life, freedom, and justice. Not only will people be peacefully holding pro-life signs and praying, but they will also be quietly saving babies, promoting the culture of life in our nation, and redeeming wounded hearts from the pain of sin.
“The Life Chain always takes place on the first Sunday in October, and this will be our 28th year,” says Jean Poplyk, Coordinator of the Life Chain. “It only takes place for one hour, once a year, but it makes a very powerful statement. We stress the fact that it is meant to be silent, prayerful, and non-confrontational. We stand at the intersection holding different signs that say, ‘Abortion kills children,’ ‘Jesus heals and forgives’ and ‘Adoption is an option.’”
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Over time, Immaculate Conception Parish has become more involved in the Life Chain, which exemplifies the commitment our parish family truly has to the Gospel of Life.
“Years ago, when we first started the Life Chain, the Pro Life Ministry did everything for it,” Jean says. “But when Fr. Troha came, he stepped up to the plate and said that our whole parish should be doing more to help out with it. Now the parish provides the envelopes, postage, and printing of flyers about the event, while Pro Life Ministry members simply address and stuff the envelopes and get them ready for mailing.”
Amazingly, the Life Chain is just one of the many ways in which Pro Life Ministry members stand up for the cause of life. For example, on the first Saturday of every month, they carpool to St. Andrew Abbey to attend Mass and then accompany the Rosary for Life group in praying the Rosary in front of the abortion clinics on Shaker Blvd. Each January, they charter a bus to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. In May and June, they hand out holy cards, bookmarks, magnets, and/or small gifts to mothers and fathers before all of our parish Masses. In July, they host a pro-life booth at the Oktoberfest through which they distribute pro-life balloons, literature, buttons, and bumper stickers. They also hold an annual bake sale to raise money for pro-life efforts and organizations such as Open Door, Birthright, and Priests for Life. In the past, they have sponsored talks from two priests belonging to Priests For Life; raised funds to arrange for the Pro-Life Memorial to be placed on our parish grounds, and collected signatures and donations to place a pro-life ad in the News-Herald.
Each October, in honor of Respect Life Month, the ministry displays white crosses on our parish grounds along with a sign with a pro-life message. Members also encourage the parish to participate in the Week of Prayer and Fasting to end abortion.
Overall, ministry members work to bring awareness regarding not only anti-abortion issues but also euthanasia, culture of life, and death penalty issues.
“We want to teach people that respecting life doesn’t just mean fighting against abortion, but it also means respecting all stages and ages of life,” Jean says.
By being faithful stewards of the gift of life, Pro Life Ministry members show what it means to be authentically Catholic in the midst of the “culture of death.”
“I don’t think you can be a believer without respecting life,” Jean says. “It is God’s greatest gift and we need to value it.”
