Respect Life – Catholic Diocese of Wilmington

Office for Respect Life
1626 N. Union Street, Wilmington, DE 19806
Phone: 302-573-3130
Email: [email protected]

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the United States in its companion decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Since that time, millions of children have lost their lives, and millions of women and families have been wounded by abortion.

On June 24, 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade, and we praise God for the great opportunity state and federal legislators now have to protect preborn children. While God, in His mercy, ended the nearly fifty-year nationwide regime of abortion on demand, right now state and federal laws, in many instances, are still hostile to preborn children.

So, great prayer and advocacy is needed. See how you can participate.

Living out Christmas in the New Year

How do we live out the message of Christmas in the New Year, rather than pack it away with the ornaments?

Each year, the Octave Day of Christmas falls on the first day of the New Year, on which we also celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

Her open heart and courageous “yes” to God show us how to live year-round—with hearts open to the Lord, following where He leads. We are called to place our trust in Him, to enter compassionately into the suffering of others, and to love one another as Christ loves us. Like Our Blessed Mother welcomed Jesus, we are called to cherish and protect the gift of human life, at every stage and in every circumstance.

A Rachel’s Vineyard Catholic Retreat will be held the weekend of April 21-23, 2023. This retreat offers emotional and spiritual healing for anyone who has struggled with the pain of abortion. Whether you are post-abortive or know someone who is, freedom awaits. Contact Nan Freeman at 302-463-7711 (call or text) or [email protected] by April 7.

Helping Hope Bloom, an initiative of the Maryland Catholic Conference. It is about lifting up women who are pregnant and parenting with practical resources, prayer, and support.

We have compiled ideas for parishes and individuals who want to do something – or do more – to help women in need. You also can find resources available for pregnant and parenting women across Maryland, including a number provided through our Catholic ministries. Click here.

Physician Assisted Suicide is Wrong for Delaware

Once again, a so-called “End of Life Options Act,” that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in Delaware has been introduced. This time it’s called “HB 140 –The Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law.” Efforts on the part of the Catholic community, other faith groups, the Medical Society of Delaware, the Delaware Health Care Association, and advocates for persons with disabilities, kept this legislation from becoming law in 2017 and 2018. We need to do so again this year and are asking for your help.

Visit www.cdow.org/StopAssistedSuicide for info and to contact your legislator!

Once again next year, proponents of assisted suicide will likely try to legalize this dangerous practice in Delaware and Maryland, putting some of our most vulnerable at risk and devaluing the sanctity of human life because of age, illness, or disability. The Office for Respect Life in the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington is actively engaged with others in Delaware and Maryland to oppose PAS legislation. What can you do? Be sure to sign up for the latest legislative updates and alerts provided by the Delaware Catholic Advocacy Network at www.cdow.org/DCAN or the Maryland Catholic Conference at www.mdcathcon.org and watch this page for more information.

Click here to learn the TRUTH about physician-assisted suicide.

Read about efforts to oppose PAS legislation in The Dialog.

For additional information, including videos, click here.

Maggie was diagnosed with brain cancer and strongly opposes assisted suicide. Hear this story of a strong woman with much left to give to her family and society. She has a powerful story of hope and courage – and that no doctor can put a timetable on anyone’s life.

Click here to read, “To Live Each Day With Dignity: A Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide” from the USCCB.

Click here to read, “Whose Life Is It Anyway: Thoughts on Physician Assisted Suicide” By Sister Constance Veit, l.s.p

“The dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform.”
–Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995

Click here to learn more about the Church’s stand on the Death Penalty/Capital Punishment

I Lived on Parker Avenue: A Short Documentary Film About Adoption
Adopted at birth and raised in Louisiana, David Scotton is on a journey to Indiana to meet the birth parents he’s never known. His tattooed birth mother, Melissa, and reserved birth father, Brian, anxiously wait for him, concerned David will reject them for decisions they made before he was born. I Lived on Parker Avenue is a short documentary about a mother’s agony in choosing what’s best, the joy of a couple starting a family, and young man’s search for where his life began.

https://www.ilivedonparkerave.com/

Catholic Advance Health Care Directive for Delaware:

Every person has the right to make his or her own medical decisions. But what happens if you become so seriously ill or injured that you can no longer make your own medical decisions or communicate them to those around you? That is when an advance heath care directive can be of great help. An advance health care directive, sometimes called a living will, is a legal document that allows you to give directions about your future medical care in the event you become unable to make your wishes known. An advance directive lets others know how you wish to be treated if you become seriously ill or injured and are unable to make decisions for yourself. Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the Catholic Advanced Health Care Directive. Click here to download the document and instructions.

Catholic Advance Health Care Directive for Maryland:

A copy of the Maryland Bishops’ Pastoral Letter, Comfort and Consolation Pastoral Letter, and Advanced Directive are available here.

If you are experiencing a crisis pregnancy or are grieving after an abortion and need to talk to someone about it,
call our toll-free, 24-hour confidential pregnancy/post-abortion counseling hotline at 1-877-225-7870.

Click here for information about Birthright of Delaware.

Click here to fine a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil near you.

Click here for information about Rachel’s Vineyard.

PREGNANCY CARE CENTERS

A Door of Hope

3407 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington, DE 19805

302-998-9000

316 E. Main St., Middletown, DE 19709

302-394-9500

A Door of Hope Pregnancy Centers

Bethany Christian Services

260 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702