Dear Missionary of the Gospel of Life,

This time of year fills my heart with thanksgiving for you and preparation with you to celebrate Advent, www.priestsforlife.org/novenas/advent-novena.aspx.

Good News! Fr. Frank and the staff of Priests for Life/MEV have established over 10 dates and places where Missionaries can gather to make Promises and have fellowship.

These Ceremony dates provide a golden opportunity for those who need to complete their Assessment Form www.priestsforlife.org/missionary/lay-assessment-form.pdf and make Promises, www.priestsforlife.org/missionary/laypromises.htm. The gatherings also provide an intentional time and place for all Missionaries - Professed, candidates for Profession and those in Formation - to gather for worship and fellowship.

Several of these dates are national events where Missionaries throughout the United States can gather with Fr. Frank who will conduct the Promise Ceremonies!

Please Note that it is only necessary to attend the specific date (specific times will be confirmed) of the Ceremony and not the entire conference.

Please review Ceremony dates, events and locations below, and let us know if you would like to make your promises (contact us today) or simply join in the fellowship. Recognize that your Assessment Form should be returned at least 2 months prior to the date you wish to Make your Promises.

Again, Fr. Pavone will personally conduct the following ceremonies and is inviting your participation. The EXACT times and dates will be forthcoming; this gives you an APPROXIMATE idea for planning purposes.

The key at this point is that you let us know of your interest and your intention to make your Promises.

Jan. 29 - Mass will be at St Patrick Catholic Church, 9:00 AM, 1807 Poplar St., Terre Haute, Indiana 47803

Feb. 3 - Yorba Linda, California 92867, around 5:00 PM

Feb 4-7 - Legatus, Orange, California, MEV/Legatus members only.

March 27 - Divine Mercy Conference, Bronx, NY. Mass would be at 4PM at Cardinal Spellman High School, One Cardinal Spellman, Bronx, NY 10466 - http://thedivinemercy.org/news/event.php?EID=322 

March 31 - National Mass for Terri’s Day, Ave Maria University Chapel, Ave Maria, Florida, late afternoon

April 5-11 - EWTN Chapel, Irondale, Alabama

April 12-16 - EWTN Chapel, Irondale, Alabama

May 18-20 - Heart Beat Conference, Orlando, FL - www.heartbeatinternational.org/Trainings/Conference/information.htm 

June 2-4 - Catholic Media Convention, New Orleans, LA - www.catholicpress.org/?page=CMC 

June 23-27 - National Right to Life Convention, Pittsburgh, PA - www.nrlc.org/convention/index.html 

July 10 - York, Pennsylvania (Site and Celebrant TBA)

September 11-17 - EWTN Chapel, Irondale, AL

October 10 - National Day of Prayer and Fasting, National Basilica, Washington DC, Around Noon

Please contact me today if there is any possibility you would like to join Fr. Frank and the other Missionaries at any of these ceremonies. The staff and I look forward to assisting you in preparing to make your Promises. Remember that you need to complete your Assessment Form at www.priestsforlife.org/missionary/lay-assessment-form.pdf and return it to the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, at least two months prior to the date of your Promise Ceremony.

If you wish, you may make your Promises to Fr. West, Fr. Wilde, or Fr. Daniels. Visit the Schedules section at the bottom of the www.priestsforlife.org homepage, and peruse these priests' schedules for times and locations that would work for you. Again, remember your Assessment Form must be completed and returned two months prior to your Ceremony.

You also may wish to ask your own pastor, or another priest who you respect, to receive your Promises. This is also very acceptable and we will work with you for your Promise Ceremony. We just need to hear from you today!

Please take a moment and email me at missionary@priestsforlife.org.

It is my sincere hope that everyone in formation will make their promises and experience the joy that I witnessed yesterday in Knoxville, Tennessee, as two deacons and 16 laity made professions before their bishop, The Most Reverend Richard F. Stika.

Let’s keep in close communication and be looking for an upcoming international teleconference with Fr. Frank, hopefully in January.

And now a note from Fr. Frank Pavone:

Dear Missionaries of the Gospel of Life,

I just returned from a week of meetings, first with the United States Catholic Bishops at their semi-annual meeting in Baltimore, and then with various bishops and Cardinals at the Vatican. Just in a nutshell, I can tell you that I met with nothing but gratitude and enthusiasm from these shepherds regarding what the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life are doing in the USA and around the world.

To have a spirituality approved by the Church and that we can all embrace and live puts our pro-life work on a more solid footing than we can achieve by any human effort. This is the key to ultimate victory in ending abortion.

I’m grateful that you are part of this historic development in the pro-life movement.

I’m also happy to let you know that I will be developing in these final weeks of 2009 a series of You Tube videos in which I will review the various aspects of MEV spirituality. As they come out, I’ll be relying on you to spread them far and wide, not only as a method of recruiting new MEVs but also as a way of encouraging our pro-life troops beyond the boundaries of our own Association. Thanks in advance!

Blessings and prayers,

Fr. Frank Pavone

In sincere thanksgiving for your life and partnership in the Gospel of Life,

Jim Pinto, M.E.V.
National Coordinator of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life
Missionary@priestsforlife.org
1.888.735.3448