Respect Life Newsletter
December 17, 2020
Dear Pro-Life Friend,
Happy Advent-- which is also our liturgical "new year" in the Church, and what a year it's been! In the Lord's providence, it's actually be an AWESOME year of growth and blessings for Respect Life Ministry:

  • NOV/ DEC, 2019 - Angela Curatalo and I came onboard as the new leadership team and began meeting so many WONDERFUL volunteers & friends involved in the ministry.

  • MARCH, 2020 - We hired Cristina Criado Montoya as Program Coordinator (North Broward Pregnancy Help Center); and began a comprehensive IT systems upgrade connecting/ securing all ministry locations and enabling remote pregnancy help services during the height of the pandemic.

  • JUNE/ JULY, 2020 - We initiated PHASE ONE of our re-opening plan; hired Katherine Lantigua as Program Coordinator (South Broward Pregnancy Help Center); and Archbishop Wenski launched Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service.

  • SEPT, 2020 - We hired Chelsea Kemmerer as Ultrasound Technician (Central Broward Pregnancy Help Center); promoted Belkys Rodriguez Prado to full-time Program Coordinator (North Dade Pregnancy Help Center); and initiated PHASE TWO of our Re-Opening Plan.

  • OCT/ NOV, 2020- We hired Diamond Simmons as Administrative Assistant for the Administrative Office (Hollywood); and Maglia Carmenate as Ultrasound Technician (South Dade Pregnancy Help Center).

And this month our new Program Coordinator for the South Dade Pregnancy Help Center came onboard-- please join me in welcoming Angelica Duarte!

I am so happy with our new team, the many new people who have come forward to get more involved in the ministry-- especially as Walking with Moms parish leaders and team members, the faithful parish representatives and pregnancy center volunteers, our dear clients who have been so eager to learn and grow together, and all our friends who have supported us during these challenging times.

Please join me in celebrating the many blessings of the year. Together we have accomplished so much, and by the grace of God, we will continue building a culture of LIFE in the Archdiocese of Miami to save even more lives and souls in the year ahead.

Friends, I pray that this Advent season brings you hope & joy as you prepare to welcome Christ into your heart, home, parish and school communities. May God bless you and your family!

For Life,
Rebecca

Rebecca Brady
Director, Respect Life Ministry
Secretariat for Parish Life, Archdiocese of Miami
Advent Reflections on Motherhood
To watch the recording of the webinar in English, click HERE.
To watch the recording of the webinar in Spanish, click HERE.
NEW Respect Life Ministry Staff Member
Angelica Durante, Program Coordinator
South Dade Pregnancy Help Center

Angelica has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the National University of Colombia, and a Master’s Degree in Mass Communications from Florida International University (FIU). She has over five years of experience in Catholic radio and television, and has previously served as a catechist for children and teens. "I live, love and deeply respect the Catholic faith and as such, I believe in the defense of the right to life from conception to natural death," said Angelica. She considers it a privilege and a great opportunity to work for its defense and protection within the Archdiocese of Miami Respect Life Ministry. Welcome aboard, Angelica!
RESULTS: #GiveProLife for #GivingTuesday
With your help, we raised $8,232 during our #GiveProLife & #GiveCatholic for #GivingTuesday event on December 1st. The money raised through this campaign directly funds the life-saving and life-giving work of our Ultrasound and Earn While You Learn programs at our five Pregnancy Help Centers. Thank you to everyone who gave and promoted this campaign. You can always visit respectlifemiami.org/donate to make a one-time or recurring monthly donation to Respect Life Ministry.
March for Life Virtual Pilgrimage 2021
Instead of organizing our annual pilgrimage to Washington D.C. for the March for Life this year, the Archdiocese of Miami Secretariat for Parish Life is putting together resources & local events so you can make a "virtual pilgrimage." Check out respectlifemiami.org/virtual-march for more information and the latest updates!
NEXT MONTH'S Walking with Moms Webinar
Next up in our LIVE Walking with Moms Monthly Webinar Series is one specifically geared toward youth and young adults, including those who work with them. This is a perfect way to get ideas and get involved locally if you can't attend the Annual DC March for Life in-person this year. To join us for FREE from the comfort of your home on January 7th at 7pm, please click the REGISTER button below.
Online Education on Life Issues
A clip of Dr. Ryan Brady discussing the topic of abortion in the "Particular Moral Issues" class offered by The St. John Vianney College Seminary and Graduate School (Archdiocese of Miami, FL) in conjunction with The Sacra Doctrina Project. For more information or to enroll in the online certificate program in Thomistic Ethics & Spirituality, visit sacradoctrinaproject.org/certificate.  
COVID-19 Vaccine NEWS
On December 14, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the new COVID-19 vaccines. In their statement, the bishops address the moral concerns raised by the fact that the three vaccines that appear to be ready for distribution in the United States all have some connection to cell lines that originated with tissue taken from abortions. 
 
With regard to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, they concluded: â€śIn view of the gravity of the current pandemic and the lack of availability of alternative vaccines, the reasons to accept the new COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are sufficiently serious to justify their use, despite their remote connection to morally compromised cell lines. 

With regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the bishops found it to be “more morally compromised” and consequently concluded that this vaccine â€śshould be avoided” if there are alternatives available.
 
“Receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines ought to be understood as an act of charity toward the other members of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.” 

At the same time, the bishops also warned that Catholics “must be on guard so that the new COVID-19 vaccines do not desensitize us or weaken our determination to oppose the evil of abortion itself and the subsequent use of fetal cells in research.” 
National Congreso Pro Vida in Miami
Thank you for your faithful support of Respect Life Ministry!
RESPECT LIFE MINISTRY
Archdiocese of Miami | Secretariat for Parish Life
(954) 981-2922 | respectlife@theadom.org