See more Catholic responses and resources about racism further below.

ST. ANTHONY / ST. PAUL HUMAN LIFE AND DIGNITY GROUP

The human life and dignity group seeks to promote and protect the dignity of human life - and indeed of all God's handiwork - in faithfulness to the program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for parish pro-life activities and in faithfulness to the spirit of Pope Francis, especially as proclaimed in the encyclical Laudato si (2015).

Our HLD Group is also directly inspired by the spirit and work of the Conventual Franciscan Order, as founded by Saint Francis of Assisi.

Since 2016, the HLD Group has been organized using the concepts of semi-autonomous workgroups. Each workgroup has anywhere from one to dozens of members. Each workgroup gets busy and pursues their topic in harmony with the other groups but on their own schedule. In this way, we spend less time holding meetings and more time doing things. Each workgroup is asked to choose between one and three activities each school year, publish those goals and concentrate their efforts on them all year.

The full Human Life and Dignity Group holds two large assemblies each year. The Full Assemblies help us inspire each other, harmonize our efforts, examine our focus and determine our overall priorities each year. The Assemblies are open meetings and we invite ANYONE who is interested in promoting the dignity of human life in any fashion to attend.

Friar Bob Showers
4th of July, 2016


HERE ARE THE EIGHT WORKGROUPS AS OF JANUARY 2017 AND THEIR CURRENT PROJECTS:

1. PREGNANCY CARE

• Cooperation with Compassion Pregnancy Center in Angola
• Cooperation with Women's Pregnancy Center in Auburn
• Other activities to encourage birth instead of abortion

2. ABORTION PREVENTION WORKGROUP

• March for Life in Washington (http://marchforlife.org/)
  
• Cooperation with the Human Life Action Center (https://www.humanlifeactioncenter.org/)
• Other activities to promote legal changes in the U.S. and world

3. POST-ABORTION HEALING

• Cooperation with Project Rachel (http://sites.diocesefwsb.org/projectrachel/index.html)

4. DIGNITY OF WOMEN

• Cooperation with TLC Angola (http://www.tlchouseindiana.org/)
• Participation in Trine University's "Take Back the Night" (http://www.trine.edu/news/trine-take-back-night.aspx)
  
• Cooperation with Community Anti-Violence Alliance of Angola

5. WORKGROUP AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY

• Plan a Parish Workshop on this topic - we must find a new date

6. CARE OF THE EARTH

• Read and celebrate Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato si"
  
• Participate in the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Environmental Justice Program, part of the USCCB Human Life & Dignity Program: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/
• Join Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light (http://www.hoosieripl.org/)

7. PRAYER AND LITURGY

• Plan observance of Respect Life Month in October
  
• Plan observance of Anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January
  

8. CONCERNING SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• Arrange an open discussion on this topic with parishioners

This is an ambitious program! But we are many hands and many hearts. We are asking each member just to do a little. If you have not already done so, look at the list of existing workgroups and pick one or perhaps two that you would like to get involved with.

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SOME CATHOLIC STATEMENTS, RESPONSES AND RESOURCES FOR DEALING WITH THE ISSUE OF RACISM

 
BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO US: U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter to All the Faithful on Racism (1979) - this is still a foundational document for Cathoics in America

Pope Francis Statement on the Killing of George Floyd - delivered at the general audience of June 3, 2020 in Rome

Statement of the Death of George Floyd and Nationwide Protests - June 1, 2020

A Pastoral Response to Racism from Bishop Timothy Doherty of Lafayette, Indiana - July 10, 2020

U.S. Bishops offer actions steps to address issues of racism 

How Can Catholics Help Lead the Fight Against Racism: an essay

HUMAN LIFE AND DIGNITY
IN THE PROGRAM OF THE U.S. BISHOPS

For the Roman Catholic Church, there is no distinction between defending human life and promoting the dignity of the human person. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published the document "The Life and Dignity of the Human Person: priority plan" in 2010 to guide the efforts of parish Human Life and Dignity Groups. You can read about it at the USCCB website.

In the Catholic tradition of moral teaching - especially as championed through the centuries by the Franciscans and the Dominicans - issues such as economic justice, war and peace, racism, the treatment of children, care of God's creation, the integrity of the family and (especially in our own day) abortion are all part of a unified attitude of respect for life.

Here is the online version of the Pastoral Plan for Parish Pro-Life Activities.

Some Vatican statements on human life and dignity.

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Attention:

In person meetings of the HDL workgroups, as well as the annual full assembly,
have been suspended due to the pandemic.

Let's keep in touch by email, phone, and videocalls!

REMEMBER:

Wearing a mask IS pro-life!

CAMPAIGN TO END THE DEATH PENALTY

In the spring of 2017, the U.S. bishops asked the parishes to pray for an end to assisted suicides (euthanasia). Justifications for assisted suicide are related to arguments in favor of both abortion and suidice in general. See the spring program here. Here is a link to a blog entry about Thirteen Reasons Why.

For the summer of 2017, the bishops are asking us to participate in the campaign to end the death penalty.