Culture of Life Ministry
Vision: To proclaim the sanctity and value of all human life as a Gift from God and the foundation of human dignity from conception to natural death.
Mission: To foster the deepest appreciation for the sanctity of human life through prayer, education and the organization of opportunities in the community to give witness to the Gospel of Life. The Culture of Life Committee at Saint Ambrose Parish works with the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland to implement the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, in order to create awareness of the dignity of life from conception to natural death and organize to support our community with life affirming programs.
Meetings: Please refer to our parish’s weekly bulletin or our Parish Events page for meeting details. Or, email Trish to confirm meetings.
What exactly do we do?
Educate
- Inspire & educate our day school and PSR students to be pro-life.
- Educate our parishioners on abortion, end-of-life issues, adoption, in-vitro fertilization, natural family planning, human trafficking, health care mandates, and other issues.
- Work in conjunction with our priests to promote the sanctity of life.
- Participate in The Gospel of Life – Evangelium Vitae Study Group, held biannually. This is a 6 week study on Pope St. John Paul II encyclical for those looking to deepen their understanding of the Church’s beautiful teachings on the sacredness of human life.
Engage
- Attend the annual March For Life in DC.
- Attend the annual Medina Life Chain in October.
Serve
- Raise money and collect baby items for the local organizations to help mothers and families.
- Participate in the Walking With Moms in Need initiative to support mothers in our community by sharing local resources and supporting those resource centers.
Pray
- Participate in 40 Days for Life campaigns where we pray the rosary outside abortion clinics and hold signs saying “Pray to End Abortion.”
- Attend the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children held annually in September.
Interesting in getting involved?
We welcome anyone with new and creative ways to educate our parishioners and school students to increase the awareness of the pro-life message. We’re looking for individuals with a passion for protecting life at all stages and want to get involved in our many pro-life activities. The best way to help is to PRAY! If you would like to find out ways to support our culture life mission, please contact Trish Shaw.
When do we meet? The Culture of Life Committee meets as needed. Call Trish Shaw to confirm meetings.
Contacts: Trish Shaw, 440.590.0083 or Gabby Moss, 330.460.7331.
Catholic Church Teaching About Life
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”
~ Catechism of the Catholic Church 2270 ~
Basic Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness within the challenges of our society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been spelled out through a series of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. But in these brief reflections over the next few weeks, we will highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition. So please keep reading this column and then think about how good a job we as individuals and as a community of faith are doing, in believing this and living this….View the 7 Basic Principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
Upcoming Events
- 40 DAYS FOR LIFE – 9/28 through 11/6 – The Pro Life group will pray outside the Planned Parenthood abor tion facility 25350 Rockside Road, Bedford Heights each Wednesday, September 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26, & November 2 from 11 am – 12 pm. 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting; Peaceful Vigil; Outreach.
- LIFE CHAIN will be on Sunday, 10/2 from 2 – 3 PM on North Court Street in Medina. St. Ambrose Pro Life Group and Knights of Columbus will stand in front of McDonalds. Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life individuals standing for 60 minutes praying for our nation and for an end to abortion. It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children and that the Church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death.
- FILL THE CRIB – We will be collecting baby items throughout the month of October for local organizations who help women and families.
- ROSARY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR SOULS – 11/09 – 7PM Chapel.
- YEAR OF MERCY SERIES – 10/11 at 7 PM – Rachel Benda from Bethesda House of Mercy will be speaking about healing after abortion for all who have been affected. This will be an evening of Healing and Mercy.
- CELEBRATING ADOPTION MONTH November 5th Mass and Dinner/Speaker Anyone wanting to find out more about adoption or who has been touched by adoption are welcome to attend.
- HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE – On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadeloupe – We will be meeting in the chapel Monday 12/12 after the 5:30 PM mass. Come pray the rosary or just spend time with our Lord in silent prayer.
- MARCH FOR LIFE BUS TRIP leaving Thursday evening, 1/26/17 and returning Saturday morning 1/29 sponsored by Knights of Columbus.
- OTHER JANUARY 2017 EVENTS
- CLEVELAND RTL YOUTH RALLY 1/22
- MASS FOR LIFE celebrated by Bishop Richard Lennon at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
- CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL at 7 PM Medina County RTL, on the steps of the Medina Court House
- SPIRITUAL ADOPTION January through October 2017
- 40 the movie will be shown in January date TBA.
- BUILDING A CULTURE OF LIFE – potential speaker at Soup Supper date TBA.
- INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE UNBORN CHILD/KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE UNBORN CHILD – Saturday, 3/25/17 Rosary Service at Resurrection Cemetery
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Pro Life Issues
We would like the parish to understand the main issues threatening the sanctity of life. Each issue has a link to reliable information on the topic.
Pregnancy
Unplanned Pregnancy – If you are pregnant, help and resources are available. For information about some issues you may be facing click here.
Call the Help Line 1-800-712-HELP (4357)
Additional Pregnancy Resource Center –
Catholic Charities
Oaks Family Care Center
Oasis of Hope
The Zachariah House
Children with special needs or Down Syndrome:
Sex Selection/Reduction:
This link is to a three minute video about how there is a reducing number of girls being born in the world. http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/This however doesn’t just happen in China and India. With IVF and the concern for overpopulation, many will seek to determine the sex of the child and then choose to abort.
Article by Janet Morana about Selective Reduction:
Adoption
Abortion
Abortion – Church Teachings
History –
What is abortion?
Abortion literally means to end a pregnancy. Since the Catholic Church believes that life begins at the moment of conception, abortion at any time is considered to be a sinful act.
Methods of Abortion:
Post Abortive Healing Links
Local contact 216-334-2966 ask for Peg Gerovac or pmgerovac@clevelandcatholiccharities.org
- Project Rachel – 888-456-HOPE(4673)
- Bethesda House of Mercy
- Rachel’s Vineyard
- USCCB
- Silent No More
Child Protection
Child Protection
Virtus Training
Human Trafficking
Death and Dying – Euthanasia
Death Penalty
Ohioans to Stop Execution
Family Life
Marriage and the Sanctity of Life
- Natural Family Planning (NFP) –
- Sex Education –
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Health Care Reform – HHS Mandate
Pornography –
Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning
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Books on Pro Life Issues
Abandoned: The Untold Stories of the Abortion Wars – Dr. Monica Migliorino Miller –
Aborting America: The Story of an Ex-Abortionist and Ex-Atheist – Bernard Nathanson – Book is out of print may be available in Libraries. CD
Pro Life Links
Cleveland Diocese Pro Life Office
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Priests for Life
Medina County Right to Life
Ohio Right to Life
Right to Life of Northeast Ohio
Pro Life Prayers
Below are several links to prayers that can be prayed to help with the Pro Life Issues.
Rosary for Life – http://www.priestsforlife.org/prayers/pfrosary2.htm http://old.usccb.org/prolife/liturgy/rosariesforlife.shtml
Priests for Life –
Novenas
40 Days For Life – Devotionals
40 Days for Life has put together over 10 hours of audio from 33 different speakers. You can listen to the speakers through the internet, download the 10 MP3’s, or download the transcripts. Click on this link