Greetings!
Thanks for reading the May edition of the People of Life e-newsletter, and welcome to our new subscribers. Get involved, meet our staff, find new prayers, and more! In this edition, we bring you the latest on pro-life issues, people, events, and the bishops' plan to fix the flaws in the health care reform bill.
Sincerely, |
NEW! - "PEOPLE OF LIFE" STUDENT LEADER AWARDS
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 WASHINGTON - - Two Catholic University of America students received the first
ever "People of Life" Student Leader Award at the Office of Campus Ministry
Appreciation Dinner last month. Lauren Roselli, a senior, and Thomas Nellson, a junior, were
recognized for their continuous pro-life commitment and witness to fellow
students and to the D.C. community. The People of Life
Award recognizes those who have answered the call outlined by Pope John Paul II
in The Gospel of Life by dedicating
themselves to pro-life activities and to
promoting respect for the dignity of the human person. Roselli served as president of the campus group Students for
Life for the past 3 years, and organized 458 students, the most ever, who
attended the annual March for Life. She also trained and coordinated over 200
student volunteers who organize hospitality for the thousands of pilgrims who attended
the National Prayer Vigil for Life in January. Nellson coordinated a team of student volunteers who handle
safety and activities for over 1200 youth hosted overnight in CUA's athletic
center during the National Prayer Vigil. In addition, his team organized events
to help the high school students grow in faith and their understanding of life
issues. Mary McClusky, Special Project Coordinator of the USCCB
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, presented the Student Leader Awards and
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Bishops "Refuse to Choose"
Latest Efforts to Reform Health Care Bill
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"Life Issues Forum" column
by Richard Doerflinger
Some teachers like to pose riddles to their students on "lifeboat ethics." People of various ages and professions - a sea captain, a cabin boy, etc. -- are
drifting at sea in a lifeboat, with limited provisions, and we have to decide
which passenger to kill so the others can survive.
The final situation with health care reform this
spring might have been crafted to stump these students. The House of
Representatives had passed a reform bill that the Catholic bishops commended for
ensuring access to health care for the poor and immigrants, and for respecting
longstanding current laws on abortion and conscience rights. But the Senate
refused to consider this bill. Instead it approved its own version that was
deficient in all these areas, and said: This is our final answer. Due to a
change of one Senate seat, that chamber said it no longer had 60 votes to pass a
bill with further substantive changes (though it could make purely fiscal
changes under a "reconciliation" process requiring a simple majority).
So the final "take it or leave it" bill could be
improved on affordability for the poor. But it would perpetuate injustices to
both legal and undocumented immigrants. It excluded a conscience rights
provision that keeps government entities in other federal health programs from
discriminating against doctors, nurses and hospitals that don't provide
abortions. It refused accommodations for religious institutions that need to
purchase health coverage consistent with their moral values. And it violated
the Hyde amendment, which keeps every other federal program from funding
elective abortions and health plans that cover such abortions. The federal
government would now subsidize plans covering abortion, and require those plans
to collect a special fee for such abortions from every purchaser whether they
object or not. Finally, the bill appropriated its own new funds from the
Treasury that were exempt from the Hyde policy, including billions of dollars
for community health centers serving the poor.
So who would the Catholic bishops throw off the
boat?. . . keep reading.
To receive Life Issues Forum columns bi-weekly through e-mail, please send a note with name, diocese, and e-mail address to to prolife@usccb.org.
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Commemoration of Roe v. Wade
Events in January
| - Mark your calendars to join us for the National Prayer Vigil for Life on January 23-24, 2011 in Washington, D.C.
- If you can't make it to Washington, contact your diocesan pro-life office to participate in local events.
- Sponsor your own parish prayer vigil or witness at your local abortion facility.
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About People of Life
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People of Life is the pro-life action campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Our mission is to promote respect and legal protection for all human life, from conception to natural death. For more information, visit here.
"We are a People of Life because God, in his unconditional love, has given
us the Gospel of Life, and we are called to act accordingly."
- Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life
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Meet the Intern
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Intern Susie Oppelt  | As an intern, Susie Oppelt spends her time researching and writing on pro-life topics, including crafting the monthly Word of Life series. She earned her undergraduate degree in theology at the University of Notre Dame. Though originally from Colorado Springs, CO, she currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland and just completed her first of two years studying for her Masters in Theological Studies at the John Paul II Institute for the Studies of Marriage & the Family. "This internship has reignited my desire to serve the Church and do all I can to fight for the dignity of life, both now and in my future career," said Susie. As a member of the internship program, she is an essential part of People of Life's important work supporting the bishops in their mission to spread the Gospel of Life and build up the culture of life.
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Prayer Corner: Word of Life
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Pro-Life Petitions for May 30 THE MOST HOLY TRINITY For all who suffer with depression, grief, or anguish following an abortion: that they will turn to the Lord who will wipe away all their tears through an outpouring of His merciful love, we pray to the Lord . . R: Lord, hear our prayer. The
Word of Life series is a monthly liturgical resource
containing prayer intentions, bulletin quotes, and occasional homily
notes for use in the parish.
To subscribe, send a note to prolife@usccb.org
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Upcoming Events
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- May 31, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Help Us Spread the Gospel of Life!
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