Services and Programs
The Respect Life Office publishes an electronic newsletter called Life News on a regular basis to keep Catholics informed on life issues both locally and nationally. It also sends out news releases from the U.S. Catholic bishops' Pro-Life Activities and other Catholic pro-life organizations.
The mission of the Respect Life Office is to assist in promoting and implementing the United States bishop’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities concerning abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and related bioethical issues. This is done in four ways: education, pastoral care, public policy and prayer.
Public Information and Education
"To deepen respect for human life and heighten public opposition to abortion and euthanasia, a two-fold educational effort is necessary: one directed specifically to the Catholic community, the other directed to the general public." (Taken from USCCB Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities)
The Respect Life Office does this by:
- Disseminating annual Respect Life Month educational materials to parishes
- Giving presentations to parishes, schools and church-related groups
- Establishing and networking with pro-life contacts in parishes
- Providing informative articles and advertisements to the diocesan newspaper on pro-life issues and events
- Producing a newsletter for respect life contact persons and parishes of the diocese on a timely basis
Pastoral Care
"Providing pastoral care to those in need is a primary way that the Church expresses its love for all God’s children." (Taken from USCCB Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities)
The Respect Life Office does this by:
- Offering Project Rachel for post-abortive women
- Helping pregnant women in crisis with current needs through support of pregnancy help centers
- Working with Catholic Adoption Services and crisis pregnancy centers
Public Policy
"We cannot simultaneously commit ourselves to human rights and progress while eliminating or marginalizing the weakest among us. Nor can we practice the Gospel of Life only as a private piety. American Catholics must live it vigorously and publicly, as a matter of national leadership and witness, or we will not life it at all." (Living the Gospel of Life, no. 20)
The Respect Life Office assists in this effort by:
- Monitoring state and federal legislation on pro-life issues
- Alerting pro-life contacts on issues and actions to be taken
- Networking with various state and national pro-life organizations
- Disseminating action alerts and legislative information from the USCCB, which includes the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA), to parishes and respect life contact persons.
Prayer and Worship
"A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God." (Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, no. 100)
The Respect Life Office assists in this effort by:
- Planning and promoting Respect Life Sunday events
- Organizing and promoting the annual Prayer Vigil, Mass for Life and March for Life each January
- Supporting and promoting 40 Days for Life events in Arkansas
- Organizing its annual Parish Respect Life Conference in August