What an outstanding Parish Pro-Life Coordinators meeting we had in August. A special shout out to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for the amazing food, flowers, and hospitality. Who knew you could make a swan out of an apple?
For those who couldn't attend, we
saw a
trailer for the new documentary: Sexual Revolution, 50 Years Since Humanae Vitae
, revealing the
fallout of the free love experiment of the last century against the background of Pope Paul VI's groundbreaking encyclical about love, sex, and marriage. CPLC is hosting a one-night only public screening of the documentary with director Daniel DiSilva on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas. Tickets are available online now, but get yours soon because it's selling out fast!
We also heard from Susan Platt -- Director of the 40 Days for Life campaign in Dallas beginning of September 25 -- who needs YOUR help:
Please help Susan out and sign up your parish to adopt a day of prayer Sept. 26 - Nov. 4.
Click here for a schedule of open dates, and then email the date you'd like to adopt to
40days@prolifedallas.org. And don't miss the
Kickoff Rally on
September 25 beginning at 7 p.m. at
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, featuring
40 Days for Life National President Shawn Carney, who promises to inspire!!
Also in September:
North Texas Giving Day - Sept. 20
And be sure to SAVE THE DATES for:
October 6: Respect Life Mass with Bishop Burns
Celebrate Respect Life Month at
the 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. Rita in Dallas, celebrated by Bishop Burns and followed by a reception with exhibits by sponsors: Birth Choice, Bella House, CPLC, Hike for Life, In My Shoes, Mater Filius, the Natural Family Planning Center and White Rose Women's Center
Finally, in preparation for Respect Life Month, you should soon be receiving the USCCB Respect Life Program packet for your parish unless you picked it up at the August Coordinators' meeting. Please make an appointment with your pastor to walk through the packet and determine what resources would best suit your parish. USCCB resources for
Respect Life Month may also be found online here
(and linked in the sidebar at left).
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Job Openings at In My Shoes Maternity Home:
- Residential Core Team Member(full-time, live-in)
- Residential Support Team Member(part-time)
- Full and part-time internships as well as live-in opportunities for young women in college or completing internships elsewhere.
Please contact Emily at emily@liveinmyshoes.org for more information on any of these opportunities.
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On Sept. 14 we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Early in the fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ's life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior's tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher on that spot. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman.
The cross immediately became an object of veneration. At a Good Friday celebration in Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century, according to an eyewitness, the wood was taken out of its silver container and placed on a table together with the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus' head: Then "all the people pass through one by one; all of them bow down, touching the cross and the inscription, first with their foreheads, then with their eyes; and, after kissing the cross, they move on."
To this day, the Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox alike, celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the September anniversary of the basilica's dedication. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim.
Since we as Christians believe that we must carry Jesus' cross as our own, we too must first take off our individual garments of this world and barefoot pick up the cross that is destined for each of us.
Thanks for all you do for life, and God bless!
David Carr
CPLC Parish Liaison
dcarr@prolifedallas.org