It’s pro-life month!
Well, maybe not officially. But for pro-lifers – especially Catholics, the largest pro-life demographic – January has long been associated with the pro-life movement.
Every January, pro-lifers from across the country converge on our nation’s capitol to peacefully protest the enshrinement of Roe vs. Wade into law, and to petition our government to protect our most vulnerable citizens; the unborn.
We Catholics, however, are pro-life all year round.
For decades, we’ve worked diligently to plant the seeds for a culture of life in our nation.
We take turns praying outside of abortion clinics…
We offer sidewalk counseling to abortion-minded women…
Our crisis pregnancy centers offer support and supplies for women in crisis situations…
And we have numerous pregnancy care centers that offer free and low-cost medical care to women in need.
In addition to prayer, medical, and material support, numerous pro-life Catholic institutes have popped up across our nation. Many of these institutes are dedicated to unpacking what Pope St. John Paul II called “an adequate anthropology” that recognizes the dignity of each person, made in God’s image and likeness.
All of which have resulted in countless lives saved and changed for the better.
After all…
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
As Catholics, we believe that every person has inherent dignity because he or she is made in God’s image and likeness.
Every person is, in some way, a living icon of Christ.
Everyone, therefore, has the right to life, and every life is worth living, regardless of how difficult the circumstances. If God can bring the beautiful fruits of the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord out of the ugliness of His death, then He can also bring the beautiful fruits of a life well-lived out of the ugliest of circumstances.
However, we can’t nurture a culture of life out of the grim of the culture of death alone. We all need to work together. There are some who are making truly positive impacts in this effort. Today, I would like to share with you 7 organizations that are working diligently to promote a culture of authentic love and life throughout the year:
If you’re like most of us, you probably associate the March for Life with the above-mentioned convergence on our nation’s capitol every year on January 19, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.
This march has taken place every anniversary since that ghastly ruling in 1973.
Did you know, Jane Roe, of Roe vs. Wade, has become a huge advocate for the pro-life movement?
What you may not realize is that the March for Life continues its mission in various ways throughout the year.
Not only are marchers brought together to form a pro-life community, but prominent speakers give televised witness to the importance of life, and marchers often go home to share stories of hearts that are changed simply by seeing so many gathered to support the unborn.
Additionally, the March for Life helps individual states across the country organize their own pro-life rallies in their state’s capitol.
Support the March for Life by attending the National March for Life, or by attending one organized in your state. You can also follow them on social media, or donate on their website.
An accusation I’ve often heard from abortion supporters is that Catholics are pro-birth, not pro-life.
What they mean by that is that we pro-lifers – especially pro-life Catholics – don’t actually care about the baby or its mother once the child is born.
Of course this accusation is patently false, but it illustrates an important truth:
It’s one thing to provide persuasive arguments in favor of the right-to-life. It’s another thing completely to live a culture of life.
As you know, Catholics have many pro-life ministries across the country that help abortion-minded women find the medical, material, and financial support they need to make a life-affirming decision.
But what about those women who have had an abortion and now regret their decision?
That’s where Project Rachel comes in…
Project Rachel is a ministry that helps post-abortive women, and even men, heal from the trauma of abortion. They provide helpful information about the negative impacts of abortion, along with uplifting testimonials of transformed hearts.
But above all, Project Rachel partners with dioceses and Catholic Charities across the country to help those who have been affected by abortion find hope and healing in a confidential, non-judgmental environment.
You can learn more by visiting the official Project Rachel website.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for ground-breaking medical information that supports the pro-life movement to be withheld or glazed over by our media.
The Center for Medical Progress, however, is working hard to shine the spotlight on these issues that are so often ignored, even censored, by the mass media.
Made up of a group of citizen journalists who keep a careful eye on what’s going on in the medical field, the Center for Medical Progress boldly reports on stories that few others would dare to touch.
In large part, it’s thanks to them that the public is now aware of how barbaric abortion is, and how calloused many abortion providers can be. Most famously, the Center for Medical Progress conducted a 30-month-long investigation that exposed Planned Parenthood for selling aborted baby body parts.
Their important work continues. You can learn more and support them at the Center for Medical Progress website.
Catholics and pro-lifers across the country rejoiced when Roe vs. Wade was successfully overturned in June 2022.
But that victory only signaled a milestone of our fight for life.
We’ve changed the law federally. But we still need to change the culture of each state.
A medium that has enormous influence in culture is cinema. Love them or hate them, movies and television are two of the most powerful story-telling media around today, and the stories we tell each other shape our society, for better or for worse.
No Greater Love is a movement of talented videographers dedicated to telling powerful pro-life stories through spectacular cinematography.
Definitely check out their website, immerse yourself in their stories, and consider offering them a donation.
Lest we Catholics think we’re the only ones working to further the culture of life, I put forward Secular Pro Life.
It’s great when we can offer Biblical, theological, and apologetic proofs for why abortion is wrong. But what if the abortion-minded person with whom we’re speaking isn’t Christian, or religious?
For such, science and logic can be the most effective arguments in favor of the right to life (apart from first living the culture of life). They speak to truths people must admit, no matter their spiritual beliefs.
That’s where Secular Pro Life comes in.
Secular Pro Life harnesses all the best scientific research and logical arguments, and places those tools at the services of the culture of life. I’ve personally found their resources extremely helpful for discussing pro-life issues with non-Christians and even atheists.
Learn more by visiting the Secular Pro Life website or their Facebook page or X page.
Let’s get very personal for a moment.
I’ve been convinced by pro-life logic for as long as I can remember. But it’s one thing to know something in your head, and another thing completely to know something in your heart – to experience its truth in the very core of your being.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I wasn’t crazy excited. Honestly, I’d never felt a strong desire to be a mom. I’d accept and cherish this baby, of course. I just wasn’t very excited. I honestly didn’t know what to expect to feel (even though I was expecting!).
Then something happened to completely change my heart…
I got an ultrasound.
When I first saw my baby – this living, unique person – I was so overwhelmed I cried tears of joy and laughter. It was a moment I’ll never forget. Not a mind-changing moment because my mind was already there, but a life-changing moment.
If a simple ultrasound can have that kind of impact on someone like me, who’s always been pro-life, imagine the impact it can have on an abortion-minded mother or a pregnant woman in a crisis situation. Confused, conflicted, scared, worried. Once the mother is convinced of the inherent personhood and preciousness of the being within her, the weight of all the worries melt away.
Moments like this are what Save the Storks is all about.
Save the Storks operates mobile medical clinics across the country, bridging the gap between crisis pregnancy centers and the women who most need their services. These mobile medical clinics specialize in pregnancy and STI testing, and ultrasounds.
You can discover some incredible stories, and donate to support their cause by visiting their website.
College students today crave intelligent, bold, and authentic witnesses. Agree or disagree with them, but this intelligence, boldness, and authenticity is what’s behind the popularity of figures like Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterson.
It’s also at the core of what makes Students for Life of America so successful.
Founded by Kristin Hawkins in 2006 and headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, Students for Life empowers pro-life college students to boldly witness to the right-to-life on their campuses. They also advocate in the public square for policies that protect and promote the good of both the mother and child. They are inspiring the next generation to ensure this important work continues after we are gone.
Students for Life of America also works within the community to connect women and families in crisis with the support they need to make life-affirming decisions.
To learn more and support their vital efforts, check out the Students for Life website.
Which Pro-Life Ministry is Your Favorite?
These are just a small sampling of the incredible pro-life ministries and life-affirming services available across the U.S.
Some honorable mentions that are working to cultivate a culture of life in our country include the Pope Paul VI Institute, the Theology of the Body Institute, and the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team.
If you have a favorite pro-life ministry, I want to hear about it! Please list it in the comments below, along with their web address and your reason for loving the work they do.
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