Mission Statement:
The mission of the St. Rose Respect Life Ministry Team is help others recognize and accept that human life is a precious gift from God; that each person who receives this gift has responsibilities toward God, self and others; and that society, through its laws and social institutions, must project and nurture human life at every stage of its existence by promoting and defending the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church through prayer, activities and social action both within the parish community and without.  Issues of interest include abortion, abuse, neglect, humanitarian efforts, euthanasia, capital punishment, stem cell research, contraception and related topics.
 
Each year the ministry team closely follows the United States Bishop's Annual Respect Life program regarding Abortion, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Euthanasia, and Cloning issues.
 

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2319. "Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God."

The Four Branches of our Program consist of:

Prayer | Education | Action | Advocacy
 

• Prayer - Prayer is the foundation for all of our Respect Life efforts. These prayers are at the root of our ministry to help reach out and help bring about a conversion of hearts and minds --that all will be open to God's special gift of life.
   

• Education - Our program creates awareness of the threats to human life and human dignity inherent in abortion, research that destroys human embryos, euthanasia, capital punishment and related topics through our educational efforts.
   

• Action - Respect for human life compels us to reach out to those who assist in promoting the sanctity of life within their organizations. 
   

• Advocacy - Our Respect Life Ministry Team works to promote laws which guarantee fundamental human rights and promote the sanctity of life.

Annual Calendar of Events

Under Construction

St. Rose Respect Life Ministry - Patroness

Our Lady of Guadalupe

In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a humble Native American at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City.

She identified herself as the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth.

She made a request for a church to be built on the site, and submitted her wish to the local Bishop. When the Bishop hesitated, and requested her for a sign, the Mother of God obeyed without delay or question, sending Her native messenger to the top of the hill in mid-December to gather an assortment of roses for the Bishop.

After complying to the Bishop's request for a sign, She also left for us an image of herself imprinted miraculously on the native's tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 475 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.

It apparently even reflects in Her eyes what was in front of her in 1531.

Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, as well as the story of the apparitions, are described in the "Nican Mopohua", a 16th century document written in the native Nahuatl language.

There is reason to believe that at Tepeyac Mary came in her glorified body, and her actual physical hands rearranged the roses in Juan Diego’s tilma, which makes this apparition very special.

An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her. Yearly, an estimated 14 million visit her Basilica, making her Mexico City home the most popular Marian shrine and the most visited Catholic sanctuary in the whole world.

Altogether 25 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times: on his first apostolic trip outside Rome as Pope in 1979, and again in 1990, 1999 and 2002.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II, in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.

During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born.

Prayer of John Paul II for Life

O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

 
Pope John Paul II
Encyclical Letter "The Gospel of Life"
Given in Rome, on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1995.
 

When We Meet:  
Please watch the church bulletin for upcoming team meetings and events or contact the team coordinator.
 

Contact Us:  
Do you have questions or desire more information about our Respect Life Ministry Team?  Contact the Respect Life Ministry Team at respectlifeministry@comcast.net   You may also call the Parish office at 615-893-1843 for contact phone numbers.  The ministry team produces an informative email newsletter that you can sign up to receive.  This newsletter will keep you informed on all pro-life news, events, commentary delivered directly to your inbox.  If you are interested in being placed on the mailing list, simply send an email to respectlifeministry@comcast.net and put RLM Newsletter in the subject line.

Our Ministry Team Members (Areas of Interest):
Please feel free to contact one of these members to assist you with questions or participation.  Simple send an email to respectlifeministry@comcast.net and put the contacts name in the subject line.  Or you may call the church office and leave your name and telephone number.

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Website Links of Interest:

▪  Priests for Life - www.priestsforlife.org/
▪  The National Catholic Bioethics Center - www.ncbcenter.org/
▪  Children of God for Life - http://www.cogforlife.org/
▪  Imaculee Ilibagiza - http://www.lefttotell.com/
▪  Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation - http://www.terrisfight.org/
▪  Rebecca Keissling - http://www.rebeccakiessling.com/
▪  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - www.usccb.org/prolife
▪  March for Life - www.marchforlife.org 

Videos:

"Wake Up, America" by Fr. John Corapi

 

 

Articles:

Under construction

Pregnant and need help:
▪  Pregnancy Support Center - http://www.boropregnancy.org/

Thinking about adoption:
▪  Catholic Charities/Caring Choices - www.cctenn.org/pregnancyadoption.htm