John Paul II’s Prayer for Life (prayed at the beginning of each ministry meeting)
O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.
–Pope John Paul II, March 25, 1995
Prayer of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.
Prayer to Our Blessed Mother
O Mary, Mother of the Unborn, protect the gift of human life which your Divine Son has allowed to be given. Give strength and joy to all parents as they wait the birth of the precious child they have conceived. Give courage to those who are fearful, calm those who are anxious, and guide us all with your motherly care, to treasure and protect the miraculous gift of human life. We ask this through your son, Jesus Christ or Lord. Amen.
Mary, Mother of the Unborn, Pray for Us.
Prayer to End Abortion
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Humanae Vitae
Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth)
Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life)
Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Fifth Commandment
USCCB Office of Pro-Life Activities
Silent No More : for Post-Abortive Women & Men
Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries : Weekend retreats that offer a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.
Priests for Life
40 Days for Life
40 Days for Life Indianapolis
National Right to Life
Indiana Right to Life
Right to Life of Indianapolis
American Life League
For more information about the Respect Life Ministry, please email [email protected]
Respect Life organizes the events throughout the year which promote the sanctity of life, from conception through natural death. (Note: The Respect Life Ministry has more events for the unborn as we have other ministries at SMG minister to the poor, the sick, and the elderly.)
1) PRAYER: For 9 months we will commit to pray daily for a child who is in danger of abortion – a child who will likely only be known to us in heaven, using the prayer of Venerable Fulton Sheen:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.
Over these past several weeks, many families have spiritually adopted a child, giving them a name and committing to praying for this child each day for the next 9 months. In addition to the daily prayers by the families for their spiritually adopted child, this weekend ALL parishioners will be invited to join in this important prayer. One of the children already spiritually adopted will be selected at random by Fr. Dudzinski. The whole parish will then pray together for this child, and updates will be provided about his or her development each week in the bulletin. The parishioner whose spiritually adopted child is chosen will receive a Respect Life basket, including the biography of St. Gianna Molla, Patron of the Unborn, Doctors, and Mothers.
2) EDUCATION: We will follow our babies’ prenatal development through weekly updates in the bulletin.
3) GIVING: Our Spiritual Adoption will be bookended with giving.
For answers to other common questions about the Spiritual Adoption Program, please CLICK HERE.
If you or someone you know is expecting a baby, we want to pray for you! A rose with your name on it will be placed in a vase at the foot of the statue of Mary in our church. When the baby is born, you may take your rose as a keepsake. Contact Kathy Lilegdon, 317-908-6930 or [email protected] with your family name and due date.
For more information about the Respect Life Ministry or questions about participation in 40 Days for Life, please complete the form below and we will contact you directly: