RESPECT LIFE MONTH
RESOURCES
PAGE CONTENTS
In October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is designated as Respect Life Sunday. To support these annual observances, the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities provides materials to help Catholics understand and value the gift of human life and help build a culture that cherishes and protects it.
The following materials are designed to be brought to life as tools in your hands. These resources may be downloaded, printed, and reproduced for use in your parish, school, or ministry.
WEBINAR
This introductory overview gives easy ideas for celebrating Respect Life Month in your parish in October.
USCCB staff walk through the 2022 Respect Life materials, as well as the perennial Respect Life Month Action Guide.
POSTER
This Respect Life poster focuses on our call as Catholics to serve mothers in need, featuring images of women in different stages of early parenthood.
If you need a different file format or have any issues, please contact prolife@usccb.org.
A PRAYER FOR
PREGNANT MOTHERS
Inspired by Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), this prayer invokes our Blessed Mother's intercession. It is available as a prayer card featuring an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
ACTION GUIDE
This action guide includes simple steps, sample announcements, activities, and more to help you celebrate Respect Life Month. You are encouraged to adapt these resources as needed to fit your specific parish, school, or ministry.
CHAIRMAN
STATEMENT
Archbishop William E. Lori, of Baltimore and Chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, released the statement, "Building a Culture of Life in a Post-Roe World," in advance of Respect Life Month.
His statement celebrates the overturning of Roe as an answer to prayer and invites Catholics to practice "radical solidarity" toward pregnant and parenting mothers.
REFLECTION
Called to Serve Moms in Need
This short reflection connects our personal call as Christians to live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy with care for moms and respect for life.
The reflection can be used as the basis for a homily or talk, shared in parish bulletins, printed in your diocesan paper, and included in newsletters. It could also be used as the basis for small group discussions at parish pro-life meetings, in a high school religion class, or simply among friends.
HOMILY CONSIDERATIONS
On the first Sunday of October the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Sunday, and priests and deacons are encouraged to preach on the Church’s teachings on human life.
These homily considerations are designed to help priests and deacons address the important, sensitive topic of abortion with clarity and authentic compassion that affirms the dignity both of women and of their children.
GRAPHICS
Each image is provided in English and Spanish and can be downloaded directly for use on parish/diocesan websites, in bulletins and newsletters, or in any other way that may be helpful to you in sharing the Gospel of life.
LEADERS' TOOLKITS
Use these leader toolkits to help celebrate Respect Life Month in your specific area of ministry. Ideas and suggestions are provided for using the resources in a range of settings.
CATALOG
Browse an array of printed Respect Life materials that are available for purchase.
To order, use the provided order form or call 866-582-0943.
