We have a jam-packed August leading into a great line-up for the fall.
Now for our upcoming events:
First, on August 13, I hope you all will join Bishop Greg Kelly for the second annual Remembrance Mass for Children at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Guadalupe in Dallas. During the Mass there will be a special blessing for parents of children lost before birth by miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion as well as for parents of children lost for any other reason after birth.
Second, registration has now opened for our third Render unto Caesar event providing critical teachings in anticipation of the election in November and Texas legislative session in 2017. This year, the presentation will be via webcast for three consecutive, 1-hour, presentations on August 31, September 7 and 14 from 7 - 8 p.m. Visit prolifedallas.org/webcast to check out the topics and speakers and to register for free!
Third, the annual commissioning especially for you, our dedicated Parish Pro-Life Coordinators, is scheduled during our
Quarterly Meeting
on Saturday, August 27 at St. Rita's Sweeny Hall. Our day will begin with an 8:00 am Mass with commissioning, followed by breakfast and the meeting. Please send a parish representative if you are not able to attend.
Please also mark your calendars for:
And as we approach September, please consider playing in or sponsoring (or recruiting players or sponsors) the
16th Annual CPLC Golf Classic on
September 12
in support of the CPLC's life-saving ministries. Please be sure to share this great event with those who may be interested, such as your parish men's club or Knights of Columbus council. A flyer is available here.
Amidst our busy calendar, we should also take a moment to remember the celebration of the Queenship of Mary on August 22. Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary's queenship has earlier roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary's Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary "mother of my Lord." As in all the mysteries of Mary's life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus' kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century St. Ephrem (June 9) called Mary "Lady" and "Queen." Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: "Hail, Holy Queen," "Hail, Queen of Heaven," "Queen of Heaven." The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary's litany celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus' redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection and because of her intercessory power.
As we face difficulties in our shared mission to protect the dignity of all human persons, such as the recent Supreme Court decision to strike down provisions of TX law HB 2, let us pray for the intercession of Mary, Our Queen, in our continued fight for the Culture of Life.
Thanks for all you do for life, and God bless!
David Carr CPLC Director of Parish Coordination
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