Throughout the past three years, I have been fielding the same question from relatives, friends, parishioners, and even co-workers: “So what exactly is a life issue?” It has never been an easy answer. In the Catholic Church, “life issues” can include many kinds of ministries, all of which fall within The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington mission of promoting the consistent life ethic, supporting families, and advocating for Catholic social teaching.
Life Issues, or pro-life ministries, can include parish initiatives to support families in need, including baby bottle drives, collection of food donations, and community supports for mothers in crisis pregnancies. These ministries can also include ways of promoting dialogue on Catholic social teaching, advocacy for anti-poverty measures, and supports for families as they prepare for their own end-of-life care.
Life issues, it seems, can encompass the entire spectrum of our work in strengthening community ties, promoting subsidiarity, and forming communities in Catholic teaching.
This expansive, and consistent ethic of Catholic teaching on life issues is part of the reason why the Office of Life Issues will be renewing the Pro-Life Grant Program for 2023-2024. This program traditionally supports crisis pregnancy centers that walk with women in need. Last year, we also expanded our grants to support parish ministries related to life issues and support for families.
In the past year, parishes have used their grants in a variety of ways, supporting health ministries, food pantries, beginning- and end-of-life lectures and discussions, and youth groups. This year, we invite readers from the Catholic Standard to consider how they might use a pro-life grant to support their parish. These grants will award up to $2,000 for any parish ministry that supports community and family. For more information, please contact Maeve Gilheney-Gallagher at gallaghermc@adw.org to receive the application, due on August 31, 2023.
Here are a few examples of how past grants have been used in parishes across the archdiocese:
• St. Mary’s of Piscataway Parish in Clinton, Maryland used a pro-life grant to fund an educational program, which included a pro-life speaker series for families.
• Immaculate Conception Parish in Washington, D.C. presented a pro-life speaker panel to address the consistent life ethic and ways to support mothers in need.
• St. Francis Xavier Parish in Leonardtown, Maryland sponsored a seminar series on pregnancy support, mental health, and end-of-life care.
• St. Nicholas Parish in Laurel, Maryland used a pro-life grant to support their parish nursing and multicultural bereavement ministries. St. Nicholas hosted blood pressure screenings, healthy cooking classes, and programs for families and seniors.
These grants can also be used to support civil dialogue programs, advocacy trainings, mental health initiatives, and more. Please contact the Office of Life Issues at 301-853-5318 or visit https://adw.org/archdiocesan-offices/department-life-issues/ for more information.
Kathryn Yanik, the director of Life Issues for The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
