Dear Parish Pro-Life Coordinator:
Thanks to everyone for promoting and participating in the Roe Memorial Mass and activities. We had such a great turnout at the abortion facilities to pray the rosary, wonderful Mass attendance and an amazing viewership online. The Rose Procession was especially powerful. The diaper/wipes donation drive resulted in almost 10,000 diapers and 331 packs of wipes! Even though this year was a little different, the meaning of the day was well memorialized. Thank you!
QUARTERLY PARISH PRO-LIFE COORDINATORS MEETING
This Saturday, Feb. 13, is our quarterly virtual meeting. The Spanish meeting will be 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Immediately following will be the English meeting at 10:30 a.m. - noon. We will be discussing two very important upcoming events: The Bishop's Pro-Life Dinner on March 20, and the biennial Teach4Life Conference on April 9-10. Please join the meeting by clicking the link or by entering the zoom app and typing in the meeting ID.
Join Zoom Meeting
28th ANNUAL BISHOP'S PRO-LIFE DINNER ON MARCH 20
 Reservations are now open for the 28th Annual Bishop's Pro-Life Dinner on March 20 at the Renaissance Dallas-Addison. This year's program is a little different. We are excited to present Grammy Award-winning performer Francesca Battistelli as our featured guest. In addition to entertaining us with a live acoustic session of her well-loved songs, Francesca will share her amazing story about the miraculous birth of her son. Watch a sample of Francesca in concert below:
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Francesca Battistelli - Holy Spirit (Official Music Video) |
In addition, we will welcome special guest Jason Jones, film producer, author, activist, and human rights worker. He is president of Movie to Movement and the Human Rights Education Organization (H.E.R.O.). In 2006, Jones was an Executive Producer of "Bella" which won several film industry awards, most notably the People's Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.
WE NEED YOUR HELP to spread the word about this critical event for CPLC. Funds raised enable us to continue to provide pro-life services, outreach, and education in our diocese. Keep an eye on your mailboxes. Tubes containing posters and flyers have been mailed to you. We would appreciate you getting these materials posted at your parishes as soon as you can. Additional promotional materials are linked below.
TEACH 4 LIFE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE APRIL 9-10
 On April 9-10, the CPLC Speakers Bureau will host a virtual presentation of its biennial Teach 4 Life Conference. This year's theme is Made for Freedom: Forming Our Youth to Avoid the Culture Trap. National and local speakers, including Trent Horn, Staff Apologist for Catholic Answers, will be presenting on the tough issues facing our youth today such as Transgenderism and Homosexuality, the Failed Promise of Abortion and Pro-life Apologetics, Dating & Relationships, and the Power of Human Dignity in Our Schools.
This conference is a gathering for educators -- teachers, youth ministers, parish catechetical leaders, clergy, counselors, parents, and anyone working with teens and young adults -- that provides counter-cultural information based on the Word of God and the teachings of the Catholic Church to empower youth to become Ambassadors for Life. This year's conference will include recognized speakers, Q&A, prayer, and giveaways! Please encourage your parish educators to register today. To learn more about Teach 4 Life and for registration information, click here.
WALKING WITH MOMS IN NEED
 In November, the Dallas Diocese relaunched its participation in the USCCB Walking with Moms in Need Campaign, naming the CPLC as its designated diocesan contact. Using the nationwide guidelines as a foundation, the CPLC is enacting an action plan that will assist and enable parishes throughout the diocese to better serve pregnant and parenting mothers. This plan began with the initial compilation of resources available throughout the diocese. That compilation is included in the Local Pregnancy Help Resources document which can be viewed here. The next step in this process is for parishes to complete their individual parish surveys and return them to the CPLC. The important thing to note is that these surveys should be completed as though the parish is operating in normal, pre-COVID times and not what the parish is currently doing. This will ensure we have an accurate picture of your parishe's efforts. Once we receive surveys from our parishes, we will be able to identify any gaps in a parish's ability to effectively serve moms in need and provide any assistance needed to help parishes bridge those gaps.
We'll be speaking about this more on Saturday at our virtual quarterly Parish Pro-Life Coordinators meeting. Please help your parish complete and return this survey in the next few weeks, if possible. Look for more information on the WWMIN action plan coming soon. And please continue praying for our moms.
PARISH WEBINAR: ANNUNCIATION ACTION GUIDE
 Your parishes might be interested in this upcoming USCCB webinar. You will learn how you can highlight the gift of human life through your parish's celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), and ongoing efforts to serve moms in need. These resources and tools can also be adapted for a variety of settings, such Catholic education, ministries, in the home, and more.
Staff of the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities will walk through the website and latest ready-to-go tools, explaining how parishes can use them to easily share the Gospel of life. All registrants will receive a recording after the event (even if unable to attend live). For more information and to register, click here.
FIRST FRIDAY VIRTUAL PRAYER VIGILS FOR EXECUTIONS
 Catholic Mobilizing Network begins a new initiative this Friday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. EST. CMN will host a new monthly series of Virtual Prayer Vigils for state executions, taking place on the First Friday of every month. Virtual prayer vigils are held live via Zoom conference and livestreamed on CMN's Facebook page. The day of the vigil, all registrants will receive an email with a link and additional instructions on how to join the event. Please sign up here.
PRO-LIFE JOB OPPORTUNITIES - PLEASE SHARE!
- CPLC Executive Director: reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director, synonymously the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization and the Respect Life Director for the Diocese of Dallas, is the keeper of the culture of the Catholic Pro-Life Community. For a more detailed job description and information on how to apply, please click here.
- CPLC Sidewalk Counselor: provides one-on-one counseling intervention and prayer support on the front lines outside an abortion facility. More details here
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SAINT GILES MARY OF SAINT JOSEPH'S STORY
In the same year that a power-hungry Napoleon Bonaparte led his army into Russia, Giles Mary of Saint Joseph ended a life of humble service to his Franciscan community and to the citizens of Naples.
Francesco was born in Taranto to very poor parents. His father's death left the 18-year-old Francesco to care for the family. Having secured their future, he entered the Friars Minor at Galatone in 1754. For 53 years, he served at St. Paschal's Hospice in Naples in various roles, such as cook, porter, or most often as official beggar for that community. "Love God, love God" was his characteristic phrase as he gathered food for the friars and shared some of his bounty with the poor-all the while consoling the troubled and urging everyone to repent. The charity which he reflected on the streets of Naples was born in prayer and nurtured in the common life of the friars. The people whom Giles met on his begging rounds nicknamed him the "Consoler of Naples." He was canonized in 1996.
Reflection People often become arrogant and power hungry when they forget their own sinfulness and ignore the gifts God has given to other people. Giles had a healthy sense of his own sinfulness -- not paralyzing but not superficial either. He invited men and women to recognize their own gifts and to live out their dignity as people made in God's divine image. Knowing someone like Giles can help us on our own spiritual journey.
Blessings to you for your journey with us to build a culture of life.
Hector Carrasco
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