One of our annual staple events each year in October is our diocesan Respect Life Conference. We have hosted this event here at Christ Our Life Parish a couple of times. In this year when so many events have been cancelled or postponed, this is one event that is actually going to be held at an even grander level.
This year’s diocesan Respect Life Conference is planned for Saturday, October 10th. It is being planned as a “joint venture” between the Diocese of Steubenville and Franciscan University of Steubenville. This will enable the event to be conducted in the university’s large gym space of Finnegan Fieldhouse. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, KS, the Chairman for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for Pro-Life Activities, will be the keynote speaker. Following his keynote address at 9:00 a.m. is a panel discussion involving several other prolife leaders. This will be followed by Mass at 11:00 a.m.
Registration will be limited to 100 people and participants will be required to follow applicable safety standards of social distancing and face coverings. There is no fee for attending, but pre-registration is required. The conference will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person. Please register to receive details about live streaming. Registrations will be taken online (www.diosteub.org/respect-life-conference), through email (jschmidt@diosteub.org), and through the mail (using the registration form provided by the diocese). For additional information about the Respect Life Conference, contact Joseph A. Schmidt, director, Office of Marriage, Family & Respect Life, at (740) 516-9270 or jschmidt@diosteub.org.
On another note, regarding our parish’s participation in this year’s DPSC, this year’s parish goal is $76,563. As of September 8th, 137 of our parish households have participated. Our pledges total at this point is $57,464. A number of parishioners participate in this campaign toward the end of the year and designate this as one of their key end-of-tax-year contributions. I, too, have yet to make my contribution! I will finally offer this weekend the usual springtime annual pulpit presentation that was disrupted by the COVID-19 shutdown.
Additional information will be provided next week regarding a matching funds collection to benefit our twin parish community of St. Elisabeth Parish in Caracol, Haiti.
May the Lord continue to bless us with joy and peace as disciples of Jesus and always ready for the gift of eternal life!