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Defending Life Season 15 (2009)
The
fifteenth season of Fr. Frank Pavone's "Defending Life" program, taped in the
Winter of 2009, will begin on Friday, September 4, 2009.
Watch on EWTN every Friday at
10:00pm
ET and every Saturday at 2:30 am
ET. Listen on EWTN radio every Friday at 1am
ET, Saturday at 6:30pm ET and
Sunday at 5am ET.
See
www.askfrfrank.com for
questions that will be addressed on this series.
For more ideas on how to take
action to end abortion see
www.priestsforlife.org/action.
Order a free set of
pro-life action cards at 888-735-3448 or
orders@priestsforlife.org.
Invite our speakers to your area!
The theme of each episode is as follows:
Episode 1: Worshiping the God of Life
Description: Fr. Frank reviews the basics of the abortion issue and the strategy
of the Pro-life movement and of Priests for Life in particular.
Featured Products:
-
Raise Your Hand Brochure. This brochure asks everyone who is against abortion
to raise their hand. Upon opening the brochure, it becomes clear that the
hand you see in partial view from the front is actually the hand of a child
killed by abortion. Raise Your Hand will help people young and old to
face the humanity of these children killed by abortion, and to extend their
own hands in practical help.
-
Ending Abortion, Not Just Fighting It. In this collection of
stirring and informative pro-life essays, Fr. Pavone convincingly
portrays the negative ramifications that the abuse of freedom and the
right to choose have unleashed on our society since abortion was
legalized. Fr. Pavone insists that people of goodwill can end the
scourge of abortion and restore the right to life for those who cannot
speak for themselves.
Action Items:
Ask Fr. Frank: Don't you think it's time to see the church excommunicate Catholics
directly involved in abortion? Whether it's a politician supporting it or
an abortionist, it's time for the Church to make a stand and get
rid of these people. - Brian from Kansas
Additional Resources:
- Go to
www.ProLifeStrategy.com and share your expertise or to get help to
become more involved in the pro-life movement.
- Pregnancy help line - 1-800-712-HELP (4357)
Episode 2: Being Pro-life under a Pro-abortion Regime
Description: A discussion of the new climate in
Washington, DC under a pro-abortion Presidential
Administration and Congress and why more people than ever came to the 2009 March for Life to stand for life.
Featured Products:
- Free pro-life liturgical resources available by
email. This weekly email contains the General Intercessions for Mass –
with a prayer for a culture of life each week, homily hints based on the
Sunday readings and also a paragraph of pro-life commentary that can be
included in the parish bulletin. Subscribe at
clergy@priestsforlife.org.
-
Living the Gospel of Life Study Guide. This study guide
was written to assist parishes and individuals to understand the
Bishops' teaching.
Action Item: Volunteer for your local pro-life group
and invite pro-life speakers to speak to your groups. If you want to
volunteer at a pregnancy center, you can find one at
www.pregnancycenters.org.
Ask Fr. Frank: I have heard many times that we are not a single-issue Church and that
issues such as racism, torture, genocide, immigration, war, and the impact
of the economic downturn deserve consideration in the voting booth in
addition to abortion. Why should I vote pro-life when there are so many
other things wrong in the world? - Peggy from Indiana
Additional Resources:
Episode 3: Are Humans Special?
Description: Wesley Smith talks about why, in all
creation, humans truly are exceptional.
Guest: Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow
at the Discovery Institute, a lawyer for the
International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, a
special consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture, author of the
book, Forced Exit and the blog, Second Hand Smoke.
Featured Products:
Action Item: Conduct voter registration drives and
communicate with your elected officials. To reach your Congressman and Senators,
call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Be sure to memorize this number.
Ask Fr. Frank: Various estimates are that perhaps 50% of the abortions would not happen
if the major churches in this world would advocate voluntary, non-abortive
contraception. If you are truly pro-life priests, how can you not support
and advocate voluntary, non-abortive contraception? –Jerome from Michigan
Additional Resources:
Episode 4: The Salesmen of Death
Description: Wesley Smith talks about Euthanasia.
Some people will sell
anything, including death itself.
Guest: Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow
at the Discovery Institute, a lawyer for the
International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, a
special consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture, author of the
book, Forced Exit and the blog, Second Hand Smoke.
Featured Products:
Action Item: Use
You Tube, My Space and
Facebook to get out the pro-life message.
Ask Fr. Frank: I know that a certain percentage of tax revenue is used to fund
abortions, both domestically and now abroad with the reversal of the Mexico
City Policy. Would a taxpayer be morally culpable in abortion by paying
their taxes? What do you recommend to pro-life Christians who hate abortion
and who also have to consider abiding by the laws of their country?
–Christopher from Louisiana
Episode 5: How I Said Yes to Life
Description: Kathleen Fitzpatrick talks about how one night at a college drinking
party, an unexpected event happen to her, she was date raped.
Featured Products:
-
2010
Priests for Life Wall Calendar.
As you keep track of your activities throughout the year, why not gain some
pro-life insights and inspiration along the way? The Priests for Life wall
calendar will help you to precisely that. This month by month calendar is
filled with inspiring photos and quotes that remind us to live each day in a
pro-life spirit. You will find key pro-life events and feasts marked on
certain days of the year. In addition to the dates, the Priests for Life
calendar also contains a special section with pro-life information that can
help you be active in the cause all year long.
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Contraception of Grief
book - This book exposes the pain that so many women endure when they
realize that the contraceptives they used caused the deaths of their
children. This book is for women, men, pastors, doctors and all who
minister to the family.
Action Item:
Promote the Everyone Against Abortion Raise Your Hand video found at
www.unborn.info
Ask Fr. Frank: My son is really pro-life, but he and his wife aren’t Catholic so they
also use the birth control pill and support use of the morning after pill. I
have heard that the birth control pill is worse than other forms of
contraception. How do I explain to my son and my non-Catholic friends that
they shouldn’t use the birth control pill? –Rita from Washington
Episode 6: Unexpected Blessing
Description: The Fitzpatrick Family talks about how they dealt with Kathleen’s
unplanned pregnancy.
Featured Product:
Sharing the Heart of Christ
book.
How can we help the clergy be more effective in preaching the message of
healing after abortion and counseling those who have had abortions? Now,
Kevin Burke and Fr. Frank Pavone have joined together to produce “Sharing
the Heart of Christ,” a special resource for clergy. Drawing on the vast
experience of Priests for Life and of Rachel’s Vineyard, the book shows how
to lead people to healing after abortion, and how to extend the invitation
from the pulpit. The laity can also
benefit from reading this book.
Action Item: Do You Regret Your Abortion or Your
Lost Fatherhood? Register your regret anonymously or to receive
helpful monthly updates for being Silent No More. See
www.silentnomoreawareness.org.
Ask Fr. Frank: With the election of our new administration and all of the pro-abortion
officials, I have no more hope. I think that the pro-abortion tide in this
country has gotten too strong. Is there anything left that we can do to stop
abortion? -Eric from Maryland
Episode 7: Reflections on Cardinal O’Connor
Description: Mary Ward, Cardinal O’Connor’s Sister gives a unique look into the
life of the Cardinal.
Featured Product:
Pro-Life
Reflections for Every day by Fr. Frank Pavone. Being pro-life is a
daily commitment. Now, you can include in your daily prayer life a special
pro-life reflection written by Fr. Frank Pavone. For each day of the
year, there is a quote from Scripture or from the Gospel of Life, followed
by a reflection and then by a short prayer. It includes reflections on
various feasts and seasons of the year, pro-life saints, healing after
abortion, activism, political responsibility, and simple activities we can
do to save lives each day.
Ask Fr. Frank: My priest is not doing or saying anything about abortion. How can I get
my priests to preach the Gospel of Life? – Christine and Gregg from North
Carolina
Episode 8: Forgiven and Set Free
Description: Mary Kominsky from the Silent No More
Awareness Campaign shares her abortion testimony.
Featured Product:
Spanish Resources. Covering topics like the Bible’s teaching about abortion, and the
responsibilities we have in the political arena, these brochures are
excellent for parishes that have Spanish masses, and for those who minister
to the Hispanic community. These brochures are written in a way that the
text can easily be quoted on websites, in newsletters, and in parish
bulletins.
Action Item: Observe Terri’s Day every March 31 in
honor of Terri
Schiavo. Find more information at
www.terrisday.org. To get more involved, see her family’s website at
www.TerrisFight.org.
Ask Fr.
Frank: One of my friends is experiencing a crisis pregnancy and thinking about
abortion. What can I do to convince her to choose life? - Paige from Arizona
Additional Resource: If someone is
facing a crisis pregnancy refer them to 800-712-HELP or
www.pregnancycenters.org
Episode 9: Giving Witness to Healing
Description: Mary Kominsky talks about how she was brought into action by
leading a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat team, speaking out with the Silent No
More Awareness Campaign as a Regional Coordinator and bringing her
post-abortion testimony onto a college campus and into
her work in campus ministry. You too can become a Regional Coordinator with
the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. See
www.silentnomoreawareness.org
for more information.
Featured Products:
African American Outreach Brochure - This brochure,
produced under the guidance of our Director of African American Outreach,
Dr. Alveda King – niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. – provides some of the
most important things that we all need to know about how abortion impacts
the black community, and some key quotes that show that the civil rights
movement of today is the pro-life movement.
Latter Rain DVD. Alveda
King's pro-life music CD, Latter Rain, shows an
inspiring story of the strength to choose life.
Contraception of Grief - This book exposes the pain that so many
women endure when they realize that the contraceptives they used caused the
deaths of their children. This book is for women, men, pastors, doctors and
all who minister to the family.
Action Item: Expose Level 2 abortionists.
Level 2 abortionists are those who dabble in abortion. They are
OBGYN's who perform abortions but abortion is not the bulk of their practice
and they do not want anyone to know they perform them. Threaten to
expose them as an abortionist and most likely they will stop.
Ask Fr. Frank: I had an IUD implanted and I experienced two late periods while using the
IUD. I know now that those two late periods were two lost children and I am
feeling great remorse. How do I receive the absolution I desperately need
and start to feel better? - Beverly from Illinois
Additional Resource:
Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II
Episode 10: Surrounded by Love
Description: The Oswald Family talks about raising a child with special needs.
Featured Products:
Missionaries of the Gospel of Life Lay Associates Brochure and Manual.
Priests for Life has developed a pro-life spirituality to help you to be a
Missionary of the Gospel of Life. Drawn from Scripture, Church teaching, and
the example of pro-life saints, this spirituality is summarized in our
brochure and manual for the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. These
materials also explain how you can receive deeper training in living the
pro-life spirituality each day by joining our association and meeting others
who are likewise committed to the cause of life.
www.priestsforlife.org/store
Action Item: Practice Conscientious Objection at abortion mills.
Some 90% of abortions are performed outside of hospitals. Like any facility,
these abortion mills require servicing from a wide range of people. When the
roof leaks, someone is called to fix it. When the heat or air conditioning
fails, someone is called to service it. When the copy machine is broken,
someone is called to repair it, etc.. Don't provide services for these
facilities and ask others not to.
Ask Fr. Frank: I read that President Clinton reduced abortion even with pro-abortion
policies. The key to ending abortion is a welcoming community, not banning
the procedure. Why do we need to pass laws restricting abortion or making it
illegal? –John from West Virginia
Episode 11: Blessed to be Alive
Description: See how Mary Oswald (Legal Center for
the Defense of Life) despite her disability, is a pro-life activist
and powerful voice for the unborn
Featured Product:
Ending Abortion Not Just Fighting It
Book By Fr Frank.
Whether you are brand new to the pro-life movement or have been a seasoned
pro-life activist for decades, you will find new insights and inspiration in
Fr. Frank Pavone’s book Ending Abortion, Not Just Fighting It.
In this book, Fr. Frank links the abortion issue to various aspects of
Scripture, doctrine, liturgy, and practical daily life. There are answers to
common arguments, ideas for things we can do for pro-life activity, personal
testimonies, a call to political responsibility, and much more.
Action
Item: Wear
the Silent No More Awareness Campaign buttons that say, Women Do Regret Abortion, I regret my abortion,
and I
Regret Lost Fatherhood. Wearing these will engage others in dialogue.
Ask Fr. Frank: I find graphic images to be highly disturbing and I do not want my
children to see them. Why do you feel the need to display pictures of
abortion? –Jess from New Mexico
Episode 12: Being A Missionary for Life
Description: Fr. Frank and Janet discuss the fact
that pro-life work is for the laity as much as for clergy.
Guest: James Pinto, MEV, Pastoral
Associate, Priests for Life and National Coordinator of the Lay Missionaries
of the Gospel of Life. Jim Pinto also works with a Pregnancy Resource
Center,
www.herchoicebirmingham.org
Featured Products:
Will To Live.
Are you confident that the right medical and moral decisions will be made
for you if the time comes that you cannot speak for yourself? You can
protect yourself by completing the legal document called the "Will to Live.”
This document, prepared for each state, enables you to select a trusted
person who can speak for you in the event that you cannot communicate. The
Will to Live makes it clear that you do not want to violate the Church’s
teachings, but rather that you want to receive the type of care that is
morally appropriate in your circumstances.
Missionaries of the Gospel of Life introductory brochure -
Learn about the Lay Society of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.
Pro-Life Examination of Conscience brochure - Use these
questions to reflect on how you can be a more effective pro-life advocate.
Action Items: Invite friends into your home and have your own pro-life gathering.
Show a pro-life video like Defending Life.
Ask Fr. Frank: I get mail and updates from almost one hundred pro-life groups. Why
doesn’t the pro-life movement unite into one organization? –John from Ohio
Episode 13: Demographic Winter
Description:
Guest Don Feder talks about his film "Demographic Winter." The “population
bomb” not only did not have the predicted consequences, but almost all of
the developed countries of the world are now experiencing fertility rates
far below replacement levels.
www.demographicwinter.com
Featured Products:
Pro-life Answers Booklet. At some point, we all have to
explain or defend our pro-life convictions. Don’t get caught with nothing to
say. Why not have at your fingertips a booklet that answers all the common
pro-abortion arguments? Priests for Life and Life Dynamics have put together
that resource. When others have questions, it’s time to be the
person with the answers!
Earth's Trash; Heaven's Treasure painting - This is a pro-life
masterpiece that has moved countless people around the world. See how babies
are taken by angels from abortion-mill dumpsters into the playground of
heaven. Great to post in Churches, pregnancy centers, offices and homes.
Action Items: Taking the information from Demographic Winter into everyday discussions.
Ask Fr. Frank: I want to start sidewalk counseling at my local abortion mill so that I
can save more lives. Where can I learn how to effectively sidewalk counsel
and what laws govern my activity? –Kate from New York
Additional Resources: For more
information on sidewalk counseling see
www.prolifeaction.org
and
www.helpersbrooklynny.org. Let us know what you are doing - fill
out the form on
www.priestsforlife.org/action
More Information about Defending Life
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