Respect Life Ministry
Respect Life Ministry assures that the message of care for the human person is acknowledged at every stage of life.
Get Involved
All across our nation, thousands of persons in communities just like yours are courageously standing up to protect human life. The time is NOW — this is our chance to stand up for the unborn, for the sick, the poor, and the most vulnerable among us!
The Respect Life Ministry team is always looking for ways to help people, adults and high school students, engage their love for life. We need assistance with running events on the diocesan level. In addition there is great need for people to be involved in their local parishes. Call your parish to find out what opportunities the parish or the parish respect life committee might offer to volunteer in Respect Life.
If you wish to find out more about how you can minister with the Diocesan Department of Pastoral Care Respect Life Ministry, call Donna Goodwin at 609-403-7192 or email respectlife@dioceseoftrenton.org, or Fill out the volunteer form online HERE.
Click HERE for more ideas of what you can do to help protect human life!
Fortnight for Freedom Mass
On June 21 at 6:30 p.m., Rev. Joe Noche, Chaplain and Diocesan Liaison for Family Life and Pro-Life Activities, will preside and deliver the homily at a Mass at St. Mary, Mother of God Church. You are welcome to concelebrate. The Fortnight will close with a Ringing of Bells Witness for Religious Freedom on July 4 at 12 noon. For more information, please contact Donna Goodwin, 609-403-7192 or dgoodw@dioceseoftrenton.org
Respect Life Ministry Annual Poster, Essay and Video Contest
2013 Theme: “Faith opens our eyes to human life in all its grandeur and beauty”
Contest Rules:
Drawings may be no larger than standard oak tag poster stock (20” x 30”) and no smaller than letter size paper (8 ½” x 11”). All drawings must pertain to the Respect Life theme. Drawings should be freehand. Do not paste magazine pictures or computer-generated drawings to posters.
Essays should be no more than 500 words and preferably submitted in typewritten or Word format.
Videos may be submitted on DVD and should be no longer than 5 minutes running time.
Entry categories: Grades K-2 | Grades 3-5 | Grades 6-8
- 1st Prize in each grade division is $100,
- 2nd Prize is $50
- 3rd Prize is $25
Judging:
This Contest is for Schools, Religious Education Programs, and/or parish Youth Programs. First place posters, essays and videos will be selected to represent each grade by the principal, DRE/CRE, youth minister or their designee. Winners will be chosen from across the diocese. Entries will be judged based on grade level, creativity, clarity of message and visual appeal. Only one essay, poster and video should be submitted from each grade to the Diocese for final judging. Awards will be given for the top three posters, top three essays and top three videos in each age category. Prizes will be awarded at a time and date to be announced.
Entries must be received in the Department of Pastoral Care in the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 701 Lawrenceville Rd., Trenton, NJ 08648. Deadline is February 8, 2013. Click HERE for the entry form.
Loving Life Logo Contest 2013
Calling all teens who love life!!!
Being Catholic is about loving God and loving His priceless gift of life. Life is sacred from conception to natural death, and we are proud to step up and proclaim it to everyone!
Take steps to show your Catholic pride and celebrate life! The Respect Life Ministry in the Department of Pastoral Care is looking for artistic teens to enter the “Loving Life 2013” contest. Design a pro-life logo to show everyone your understanding and respect for God’s gift of life. The grand prize winner will receive an AppleMacBook laptop computer and see his or her logo pop up all over the diocese!
Remember:
Logos are simple, easy-to-identify designs, so the quality of the artwork should be outstanding in its creativity and presentation. Use one or more colors in your computer generated or hand drawn submission. The logo will be displayed in several sizes from 2 inches to 2 feet, so design it to be modified for wearing apparel, on the website and other Diocesan promotions. Entries can be submitted electronically or by mail and must include a signed release agreement (if submitted electronically, the release must be mailed within 48 hours of submission).
Step to it!
The contest is open to high school students living in or attending school in Monmouth, Ocean, Mercer and Burlington counties. Entries and a signed Diocese of Trenton Logo Contest Release Agreement are due by Nov. 15, 2012. Five finalists will be chosen by Dec. 1 and their logos will be displayed on the Respect Life Today website and in public places. Votes will be counted on the website; anyone who wishes can cast one vote between Dec. 1 and Dec. 30, 2012. The grand prize winner will be determined by Jan. 3, 2013. Submitted artwork becomes the property of the Diocese of Trenton. For more information, contact the the Respect Life Ministry in the Department of Pastoral Care at 609-403-7192.
Submit the design to respectlife@dioceseoftrenton.org or mail to:
Department of Pastoral Care
Respect Life Ministry
701 Lawrenceville Rd
Trenton, NJ 08648
Volunteer for Respect Life
"You formed my inmost being; You knit me in my mother's womb. I praise You, so wonderfully You made me; wonderful are Your works. My very self You knew;" - Psalms 139:13-14
It is often stated in Scripture that God calls us by name and knows us. Now the Diocese of Trenton Respect Life Committee needs to know you by name, too. There are many opportunities for pro-life action if we have sufficient help to accomplish them. Many of them are very simple and not very time consuming. So, please complete this information, so we too can "call you by name".
The statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, "Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign in Support of Life", is a blueprint for action in these four areas: Public Information and Education, Pastoral Care, Public Policy Program, Prayer and Worship. Join us in transforming our society from a "Culture of Death" to a "Culture of Life". May God bless your efforts for Life.
Click HERE to fill out a volunteer form for Respect Life.
Parish Life Representatives
The parish Respect Life representative and the Respect Life Committee are the links between the Respect Life Ministry and the parish. The parish representatives work with their pastor to find creative, inventive and effective ways to proclaim the Gospel of Life to their parish community. Contact your parish representative if you are interested in becoming a part of your Parish Respect Life Committee.
Respect life Mininstry is available to orient new representatives nominated by their pastors. Representatives are encouraged to develop collaborative relationships with those from surrounding parishes. Call 609-403-7192 or email respectlife@dioceseoftrenton.orgfor more information.
Action Alert
An action alert is a message that an organization sends to its supporters calling on them to take action to influence public policy. Typically, Respect Life Ministry will email action alerts to parish representatives and respect life contacts in reference to timely issues, where prompt action is needed in order to affect upcoming legislation. Respect Life Ministry Action Alerts may ask supporters to contact their member of Congress or the New Jersey State Legislature by email or telephone regarding proposed legislation.
Respect Life Ministry of the Department of Pastoral Care often forwards Action Alerts from the Pro-Life Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the New Jersey Catholic Conference, or the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment to our parish representatives and contacts.
The Action Alert begins with an explanation of the public policy issue and then instructs the recipients how they can impact the decision by contacting their legislators.
If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please send an email with your contact information to: dgoodw@dioceseoftrenton.org
Current Action Alerts:
NCHLA Action Alert: Pass Rights of Conscience Act, Aug. 2012
Dioceses Forge Stem Cell Education Initiative
In conjunction with the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the New Jersey Catholic Respect Life Directors have launched a joint effort to educate the faithful on the issues surrounding stem cell research.
During September 2007, all Catholic parishes in NJ received a DVD and a packet of information to help dispel the myths and clarify Church teaching on stem cell research. This initiative was undertaken with the support and blessing of the bishops of New Jersey who have been concerned that the voices heard in the public square are sending a misleading message to people.
The citizens of New Jersey had the opportunity to vote on the NJ Stem Cell Research Bond Act in November in order to approve or disapprove $450 million dollars to fund stem cell research. The bond issue included funding for both embryonic and adult stem cell research, but the great majority of funding was to be dedicated to embryonic stem cell research. On November 6, 2007, the referendum was defeated. We are grateful for all of those persons who worked to insure that the Catholics of our state could make an informed decision on this referendum.
Remember, in light of Church teaching on the sanctity of human life, we can and do support adult stem cell research, while we are opposed to any funding for human embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. Embryonic stem cell research always involves the destruction of the human embryo, which is innocent human life.
Catholics have an obligation to protect human life and promote responsible scientific research. Therefore, we can never support embryonic stem cell research.
To learn more about the science of adult stem cell research and cord blood donation, please click HERE (194k, .pdf).