National Prayer Vigil for Life is January 19-20, 2023. This is an annual all-night pro-life prayer vigil held on the eve of the March for Life. It is held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. For more details click here.
September 28 - Novermber 6: 40 Days for Life
November 20: Solemnity of Christ the King, Click here for the Novena
9 Days for Life January 19 - January 27 is an annual period of prayer and actions focused on cherishing the gift of ever person's life. Click here for promotional flyer and resources. Or go to https://www.usccb.org/resources/9-days-life-flyer.
To sign-up page for the 9 Days for Life novena is now active! Anyone can sign up to receive the novena January 19-27 via daily email or text messages at 9daysforlife.com.
Information available at our Catholic Charities page. Please click here.
From the Pro-Life Secretariat, USCCB: The pandemic has reaffirmed the need for the Church to come alongside and accompany pregnant and parenting mothers facing difficulties, especially in these trying times. To reflect our response to this ongoing obligation, Walking with Moms in Need is no longer using the tagline “A Year of Service” and has an updated logo available on our website. You are asked to use the new logo and the updated title in communications and promotions. Updated resources are coming soon and should be available by March 25. We will continue to provide support and resources to help you better serve mothers in need in your local area.
Timelines
Action Guide for Mother's Day and Father's Day action guides!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Each October during Respect Life Month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launches a new cycle of the Respect Life Program — a year-round, nationwide effort to help Catholics understand, value and cultivate respect for human life. Please click here to read complete Bishop's Letter.
Each October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month. We are called to cherish, defend and protect those who are most vulberable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between.
The Program begins a new the first Sunday of October and continues through the following September. New Materials are designed each year to assist parishes, schools and families celebrete Respect Life Month.
Resources are now available to help you celebrate Respect Life Month. Here you can find resources available for print. Full Action Guide
Catholic education toolkit features suggestions for using the new resources in Catholic educational settings.
Bulletin Announcement for October 3: Today is Respect Life Sunday! Join Catholics nationwide in celebrating Respect Life Month! respectlife.org/celebrate.
Respect Life Materials: For those parishes who ordered parish packets they will be mailed directly to the parishes. If your parish missed the notice to order, a few extras are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Contact the office of Social Action at [email protected]
The focus of this year’s Respect Life materials is Called to Serve Moms in Need.
Resources posted online: The first phase of this year's materials can be found at www.respectlife.org/called-to-serve.
USCCB is in the process of creating and posting the resources that are specifically for Respect Life Month at www.respectlife.org/respect-life-month.
Other Resources from USCCB:
Other Resources:
Disclosure: The resources below reflect the known pregnancy resource sites in Iowa. We have received these from outside sources and cannot guarantee they are completely up to date. Please report any missing or no longer active sites to this office and we will make corrections.
Parish Webinar: Mother's Day Action Guide - If you didn't get a chance to attend webinar, the recording is now available. The presentation slides are also available to download for reference. All Mother's Day Resources can be found here.
Fathers Day:
A new set of materials for Father's Day is now available to help highlight the essential role of fathers in the life of the family and in building a culture of life. Additionally, the June issues of a couple of our regular publications (Word of Life and Pray for Life) also highlight the importance and role of fathers.
As followers of the crucified Christ, victim of state supported death penalty, we pray for an end to the death penalty. Iowa is one of a growing number of states that does not have a death penalty. The links below lead to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Campaign to End the Death Penalty and provide a wealth of information and action ideas.
USCCB Death Penalty and learn what you can do to protect the dignity of life.
The Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of Death Penalty
Iowa Catholic Conference _ Death Penalty - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has for many decades opposed the use of capital punishment.