This week we welcome Fr, Tom McCarthy to St. Isidore, Fr. McCarthy, an Augustinian priest, is preaching at all of our liturgies this weekend, and will then be leading our parish mission through Wednesday evening. Fr. McCarthy is a well known and very dynamic preacher and will help all who take part in the mission to grow in their Catholic faith. We encourage you to join us and to invite a friend or family member who may have wandered away from their practice of the Catholic faith to accompany you. Further information on the Mission can be found elsewhere in this bulletin.
Over the next two weekends, at the request of Archbishop Vigneron, St. Isidore will be participating in a petition drive to prohibit the dismemberment abortion procedure in our state. Dismemberment abortion is a procedure, usually performed in the second trimester between thirteen and twenty-four weeks of gestation, in which the unborn baby is dismembered within the womb, and then each body part is removed from the womb. This citizens’ petition would ban the procedure on living fetuses by amending the state’s 2011 law which prohibits partial-birth abortion. Petitions will be available on tables in the Gathering Space following all liturgies.
This petition drive coincides with “Respect Life” Sunday. It is our Catholic belief that all of life is sacred, and we have an obligation to respect and support the dignity of every human being. “Respect Life” opposes capital punishment, war, euthanasia, and abortion. It supports every person’s right to adequate health care and education; efforts to combat poverty and homelessness; and the humane treatment of refugees, immigrants, and prisoners. Pope Francis has named “Care of Creation” the number one Respect Life issue. Impoverished nations and poor people suffer most from the effects of climate change. Many of the refugees from Central America are escaping famine caused by climate change-related decrease in crop production. “Respect Life” Sunday calls each of us to actively support public policy and the many issues under the “Respect Life” umbrella.
Blessings,
Fr. Ron