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Dear Friends in Christ,
One of the things that make us Roman Catholic Christians, is our union with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. In the midst of a cacophony of commentaries about many issues, his is a singular voice that we give special attention. During Respect Life month in the U.S. Church, it is important to prayerfully consider these words from the current successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis. In his encyclical, “Gaudete et Exultate” (Rejoice and be Glad) the Holy Father offers these thoughts.
“Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development.”
“Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and the elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.”
Here are two ways we can concretely witness to the sacredness of all human life: One is through our support of the “Prepares Program” https://preparesforlife.org/ which offers comprehensive pregnancy support for those in need. The second is through our joint ASB St. Vincent de Paul Society which offers various kinds of assistance to those in North Seattle. https://www.stbridgetchurch.org/support.
Our respect for life also includes a commitment to growing the life of our church by inviting family and friends to consider becoming Catholic. We call the initiation process the RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, which we also adapt for children. Please consider yourself a Catholic ambassador and encourage those you know who might be interested in being baptized or received into the full communion of the church. Contact Alex Chopyak for more information. [email protected].
St. Bridget of Kildare…pray for us! Live Jesus in our hearts…forever!
Fr. William Heric, Pastor
