Merry Christmas!

Road of Bittersweet

Amy Welborn posted this beautiful link today.

She writes:

The little boy featured in this video with his loving family died 11 minutes after he was born, last week. The parents had received a diagnosis of anencephaly earlier in the pregnancy, were advised to abort, but made the decision to accept the “counsel and wisdom of the Church and bring him to full term” (from a letter accompanying the video). This video was played at his funeral. Beautiful and profoundly life-affirming.

Be Not Afraid is a website dedicated to supporting, in life-affirming ways, parents and families who receive a poor or difficult prenatal diagnosis for their child. Take a look and keep it in mind - someone you know might need it someday.

A step in the wrong direction

On Tuesday, December 4, 2007, I picked up a copy of The Observer, ND's student newpaper, as I was walking out of Flanner Hall following my college seminar, "Perfect God, Imperfect World: The Problem of Evil," and I was stopped dead in my tracks by a head line that I never thought I would read: Contraceptives Available for Medical Needs. I was in utter and complete shock at reading this, mind-blown really, how did this happen?!
Yes, the article did say that Health Services will be only administering contraceptive prescriptions for patients with irregular or painful menstrual cycles, no menstrual cycle or abdominal pain. However, I do not think that even extreme situations such as these necessitate that Health Services have contraceptives readily available to the double-X student population. Why? Well, my reasons are multi-fold and i would be more than happy to tell you.
[1] Although contraception may offer the best or easiest treatment for these medical conditions, there are other, good quality treatments available that Health Services can offer to student-patients. These could be offered as a "first try," and if these don't work, well then Health Services can refer students off-campus.
[2] The medical resources in South Bend are of high quality and quanitity. If a young, ND female student is needing treatment, then she should have no problem in traveling a whole mile and a half off campus to a medical facility for consultation. And I would have no problem with Health Services having medical referrances available for these students.
[3] With contraception being so closely tied with the abortion industry, which is wrought with dishonesty and deceit, I do not find it much a stretch to believe that those doctors and patients respectively prescribing and being prescribed contraception will have no problem faining an excuse for "medically-necessary" contraception. I know that this sounds a little like conspiracy theory, but I find it hard to believe that doctors wouldn't have any qualms about prescribing contraception for contraceptive purposes, with the claim of it being for legitimate health needs.
[4] Notre Dame, as a prestigious institute in the world of academia, should stand as a beacon of Catholicism in a world where most prestigious universities have succumbed to most pressures and demands of secular society. We should not sacrifice or undermine our Catholic Identity and Character when society can only benefit from our remaining strong in the face of adversity.

Notre Dame has so much potential and its students have exponential potential as well, but we must make sure that we [Notre Dame] take every mean possible to make sure that this potential is realized only through means that benefit the student bodily, spiritually, intellectually, and ethically.

http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/12/04/News/Contraceptives.Available.For.Medical.Needs-3130689.shtml

Project Mom ends soon!

We're throwing a huge baby shower on December 8 and we need your help! Over one third of all babies born in St. Joe County last year had a mother who was a client of the Women’s Care Center in Northern Indiana. Project Mom is in its fourth year of having a baby shower for about 25 of these women. We plan on giving each mother-to-be a gift full of all of the things that she will need during her pregnancy and the first few months of her baby’s life.

Please consider making a donation of either mom/baby items or money, which will be used to buy the gifts for each mom. Not only is this a really great way to get into the holiday spirit, but by doing so, you will be helping women and children who live right here is South Bend. (more info)

A Father's Story of Forgiveness

"Vengeance Solves No Problems - A Father's Story of Forgiveness"
Wednesday, 11/07, 8:30pm
Montgomery Auditorium
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Bud Welch, the father of a young woman killed in the Oklahoma City Bombing, will speak to us about his loss, the death penalty and forgiveness.
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This will follow our 8PM MONTHLY MEETING in the Montgomery Auditorium.

Respect Life Week

This week, October 1-7, is Respect Life Week – dedicated to increase of respect and understanding of the dignity and value of all human life from conception until natural death.

Notre Dame observes this week along with other universities and organizations – particularly National Respect Life Sunday, October 7.

The events for this year are listed below. All are welcome and encouraged to attend and join in the discussion of life issues.

MONDAY
7:00pm 331 Colman Morse Center
Round Table Discussion on Life Issues
Participants include: Human Rights ND, ND ASK, Peace Fellowship



TUESDAY
All are invited to wear prolife or green shirts this day

9:00am; 9:00pm Sorin Statue, South Quad
Rosary

3:00pm Grotto
Divine Mercy Chaplet

7:00pm Coleman-Morse Chapel
Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration



WEDNESDAY

8:00pm Montgomery Auditorium, LaFortune
Right to Life club meeting

8:30pm Montgomery Auditorium, LaFortune
Lecture, Prof Charles Rice, Law School

9:30pm Log Chapel
Mass



THURSDAY

7:30pm 155 DeBartolo
Lecture, "Fight for the Soul of a Country"
Dawn Parkot, ND '95 '00 - First Domer with multiple disabilities



FRIDAY

6:30pm CSC Coffeehouse
Theology of the Body 101
Discussion led by Prof. Adrian Reimers, Theology

SUNDAY – Respect Life Sunday

Observed at Masses and prayer cards distributed across campus


This week is sponsored by ND Right to Life, Campus Ministry and the Center for Ethics and Culture with the support and participation of a number other groups

For more information email prolife@nd.edu

Fr. Eduardo Chavez Lecture on Our Lady of Guadalupe

TONIGHT!
September 24, 7:30pm
Hesburgh Library Auditorium
Fr. Eduardo Chavez Lecture on Our Lady of Guadalupe

In honor of the 475th anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
the Knights of Columbus is sponsoring Fr. Chavez on a national lecture tour
entitled "Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Woman who Changed the Hemisphere."
Since Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the unborn, we encourage all our
members to attend this great event!

For more information visit the Knights

Richard Dieter - Death Penalty Lecture

THURSDAY, September 20, 7:00PM

Hesburgh Center Auditorium

Death Penalty in the U.S. - Present and Future
Richard Dieter, Executive Director Death Penalty Information Center

Sponsored by ND ASK & Campus Ministry

Richard Dieter, ND alum, attorney, and Adjunct Professor of Law at Catholic
University, will address the issues surrounding America's death penalty and
offer his thoughts and research on the future of capital punishment in our
nation.

Read more on the ND ASK blog

Conversation in Farley

Campus Outreach Commissioner David will be leading the first of a series of informal discussion/debate in the dorms this week. We hope that the familiar dorm setting will encourage people to attend and feel more at ease discussing and questioning the beliefs we uphold here at Notre Dame Right to Life

All are welcome!

Details:
Tuesday, September 18
8:00pm
Farley Hall Basement

Thanks for Rosary

Dear Right to Life Members,

I just wanted to express my appreciation to all those who prayed the Rosary at the Grotto on Friday for the intention of the new Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL, not opening. I know Bishop Doran would also be very appreciative of your efforts. May God continue to bless you and help you promote a culture of life and end the culture of death.

In Christ and Notre Dame,
Joseph F. Jaskierny
Seminarian, Diocese of Rockford

Rosary against PP

Dear RTL friends,

It's been dubbed the "Abortion Fortress", and it sounds like something out ofsome campy pulp fiction book, except it's actually true:

In the last few months, Planned Parenthood has pulled some sort ofprobably-illegal stealth operation, has bought land under a FAKE NAME, and thenbuilt a huge 'clinic' there. ...'Clinic,' as in bulletproof windows, high brickwalls, tons of security cameras, and, it seems, INDOOR PARKING so that motherswon't be able to listen to any possible pro-lifers outside trying to convincethem not to abort.

The fact that Planned Parenthood was so secretive about all this should tell yousomething .... Honestly, the whole thing sounds really creepy. It's set toopen in four days.

The Bishop of Rockford, IL, Bishop Doran, has asked that this Friday the 14th bea day of "prayer and penance" for an end to abortion, and ESPECIALLY to stop theimminent opening of this huge new Planned Parenthood center that will no doubtresult in thousands of deaths and shattered lives.

Therefore, RTL will pray a ROSARY at 3 PM at the GROTTO, for this intention.Please also offer up all of your sacrifices tomorrow for the sake of stoppingthis new Planned Parenthood scheme.

Thanks to Philip for the heads-up; also, here's one of the many links to the story:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/550932,2_1_AU11_CLINIC_S1.article
Please all keep this in your prayers.

Will
Spiritual Commissioner

Welcome Back!

We hope you've had a wonderful summer and are ready for another semester of pro-life efforts. A special welcome to all freshmen and other students joining us for the first time!