Respect Life - January Observance

January 22 will mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court Decision that legalized abortion 32 years ago. This law allows an abortion to be performed throughout the entire 9 months of pregnancy for any reason, which has given us the staggering statistic of over 31 million children who have been lost since abortion became legal in 1973.

This landmark decision has had an enormous impact on our culture over the past 32 years, which has had an effect on the value of all human life-not just the unborn. The Church has been steadfast in opposition to legalized abortion, always reminding us that life is a gift from God, which begins at conception and must be valued and respected until natural death. The diocese of Covington will be sending a contingency of over 550 people, including our Bishop Roger Foys, to the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. to mark this infamous decision. They will join with the 100,000 people from across the country to march up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court to witness on behalf of the sanctity of all human life.

In addition to working toward changing this law that brought us abortion on demand, and raising the level of awareness about the humanity of the unborn child, the Church also has lead the way in offering alternatives to abortion and providing assistance for women and families experiencing an untimely pregnancy.

Opportunities for Life is the local church’s effort in this area. Opportunities for Life is a 24 hotline where a caller will receive confidential, non-judgmental information from people who will listen. OFL offers a network of hope and life affirming solutions to women in a desperate time of need. If you or someone you know is in need of the service, have them call the hotline, 1-800-822-5824. If you would like more information about Opportunities for Life or how to become a volunteer, please call 502-223-5330 or visit their website: www.opportunitiesforlife.org.

The tragedy of abortion not only claims the lives of countless unborn children each year, but also dramatically affects the lives of women and men who have made an abortion decision. The realization of the statistics is daunting. When we multiply thirty-two years of legalized abortion by 4000 abortions per day, it is quite obvious that there is a great need to heal the culture. Project Rachel is a confidential reconciliation and healing ministry for women and men who have had an abortion. It operates in dioceses throughout the US and is locally sponsored by the Diocesan Pro-life Commission. If you or anyone you know has had an abortion experience, the Church wants to reach out to you with hope and healing. Please call our Project Rachel confidential help line at 859-283-6224. People who will not judge or condemn, but offer a path to accepting God’s love and forgiveness answer this line. If you would like to know more about post abortion and how others have received help, you can log onto www.WomenDeserveBetter.com and www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org