Pro-Life Information
The ICD Pro-Life Committee coordinates pro-life activities in our parish. These activities range from prayer, education and information on real alternatives to abortion, and promotion of public policies which protect pregnant mother's and their unborn child. The committee generally meets on the third Thursday of each month.
Our next committee meeting is scheduled for June 20th, 2024 at 7pm. Our meetings are mostly held in the Parish Hall South cafeteria area; in June it will be in the St. Justin room in the Parish Hall. All pro-lifers are welcome!
For mother's needing help with an unplanned pregnancy, there are many great resources available (Walking with Mom's). For those who have suffered a child loss, you should access the new ICD webpage for information and help regarding matters of reproductive and child loss healing and help https://www.icdparish.org/Organizations/Reproductive-Loss-Ministry.
On Wednesday afternoon, March 8th of 2023, a newly established campaign committee, “Missourians for Constitutional Freedom,” (MCF) filed their Initiative Petitions with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. Their initiative petition seeks to enshrine a 'right to abortion' up to the point of birth in the Missouri Constitution. After months working through the court system, the Missouri State Supreme Court completed the process in November - changing the "ballot summary language" (what people will actually see ON the ballot regarding this amendment) from the accurate wording written by our Sec of State Jay Ashcroft and instead approving the language written by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. The pro-abortion coalition (which so far includes Planned Parenthood, the ACLU of Missouri, Abortion Action Missouri, and others coming) announced on February 17, 2024 that their signature-gathering begins immediately, seeking to put this issue on the general election ballot in November 2024 if they obtain enough valid signatures from Missouri voters. Our response has been - DECLINE TO SIGN (any and all petitions that are presented to you and your pro-life friends). The pro-aborts turned in their gathered signatures to the Secretary of State's office on May 3rd; they are now in review to verify the number of 'valid' signatures obtained.
Key Points on the Proposed Initiative Petition from Missouri Right to Life (MRL)
1. Missouri has long been a state working to protect women and unborn babies by developing and funding programs such as Alternatives to Abortion and Show-Me Healthy Babies.
2. After a baby is born, Missouri cares for women with health insurance programs such as MoHealthNet and Show-Me Healthy Babies.
3. Missouri currently does not prosecute women for abortion and does not plan to do so. Missouri has a strong history of supporting women and their unborn babies.
4. All innocent human life has intrinsic value and we oppose abortion at every stage of development, from inception of biological development to after the baby is born, through natural death.
5. We continue to stand with the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act (HB126) which became effective after the Supreme Court of the United States overruled Roe v. Wade, making abortion unlawful in Missouri except in cases of medical emergency as defined in statute.
6. Oppose the initiation petition for the following reasons:
• The IP legalizes abortion up to the point of birth.
• The IP nullifies current Missouri laws that protect pregnant women and their unborn babies, while simulataneously ELIMINATING ALL LEGAL & FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (medical malpractice) for abortion providers!
• The IP allows taxpayer funding of abortion.
• The IP legalizes any non-medical person to perform or induce an abortion on another person.
7. Right to Reproductive Freedom': "this initiative petition would modify the Missouri state constitution by adding new "reproductive rights" including but not limited to abortion at any time throughout the pregnancy, likely at taxpayer expense, eliminating parental consent for minors and eliminate all oversight of health agencies to protect Missouri women from harm, with no legal or financial recourse for women." To learn the full scope of "reproductive rights" that could be covered by this constitutional amendment, click on the weblink above. You can always check back at this website, or the Missouri Right to Life website, for information regarding status on this petition initiative.
To learn more about Missouri Attorney General Bailey's lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for flagrantly violating multiple state laws, including taking under-age girls across state lines to Kansas for abortions WITH NO PARENTAL NOTIFICATION OR CONSENT, click on this article. To watch the Project Veritas video that exposed Planned Parenthood's illegal activites, click on this video.
Upcoming (or past) pro-life events include
1) April 13th, 2021 ICD hosted the bi-monthly STL Archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate meeting for parish pro-life coordinators.
2) April 14th was the 2021 Midwest March for Life in Jeff City. In addition to pro-life legislators like Lt. Gov Mike Kehoe and Sen. Bob Onder, the featured speakers included Catherine Glenn Foster, CEO of Americans United for Life; Jeanne Mancini, President of National March for Life; Susan Klein, Exec Director & chief lobbyist of Missouri Citizens for Life; Bridget VanMeans, CEO of Thrive Nation; Brian Westbrook, Exec Director of Coalition for Life StL; Reagan Barklage, Regional Dir of Students for Life America, and more! It was a great day at the Capitol.
3) ICD pro-life billboard: ran from April 11th thru May 11th of 2021 off of I-64 westbound, just west of Hwy K (on the right). We had 2 displays in the digital billboard, every minute of every day for 30 consecutive days!
4) Mother's Day baby bottle drive: the weekend of May 8th & 9th, 2021 at ICD, our pro-life committee honored our mother's with a baby bottle drive to benefit the Thrive Express Women's Healthcare pregnancy resource centers in St. Louis & St. Charles county. Thrive had one of their mobile vans in our parking lot after all masses, which has on-board an ultrasound machine to provide immediate assistance to mother's in need.
5) Celebrated our 'Declaration of Independence' of our rights to Life & Liberty on June 30th, 2021 at 7:00pm in the main church with another Patriotic Rosary, once again with music by our ICD Director of Music! It was beautiful (even without lights...)
6) On July 10th, 2021 the ICD Pro-Life Committee and members of the ICD Youth Group jointly hosted a "Pilgrimage of Prayer" at the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Fairview Heights, Ill. After the monthly pro-life mass and the weekly Rosary for the Unborn that morning, we had a caravan of people who joined in this important time of prayer -- directly where the unborn are at most risk!
7) October 1st, 2023 was our annual "Life Chain" Sunday in O'Fallon 2:00pm-3:00pm: in front of the Grace Community Church on Mexico Rd to 'stand up' and pray for preserving the sanctity of Life. Great turn-out and participation by the local Catholic parishes.
8) Oct 9th, 2022 was our "ICD Day" for the Fall 2022 '40 Days for Life' campaign in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic on Forest Park Ave (just a few blocks from the St Louis Cathedral Basilica). It was a beautiful day, and a solid turn-out of ICD parishioners (including our new Youth Minister and several high schoolers!).
9) October 15th, 2023 was the 50th annual STL Respect Life Conference at the Cardinal Rigali Center. Focus of the presentations was on the upcoming ballot initiative petition battle in Missouri, to fight attempts by the pro-abortion forces and their supporters to enshrine a 'right to abortion' in our state's constitution.
10) November 7th, 2023 was our annual ICD Patriotic Rosary prayers & music event, at 7:00pm in the Main church. This one was again specifically focus on remembering and praying for our ICD vets, with Veterans Day coming on November 11th. We were yet again blessed with beautiful patriotic hymns performed by our ICD Music Director, Tina Bishop and sung by parishioner Chris Gotway!
11) July 2nd, 2024 (started in July 2021), the ICD Pro-Life Committee is encouraging parishioners to join us in a once-a-month hour of Adoration at the ICD Chapel to pray for an increase in respect for all Life! This will occur the 1st Tuesday of each month, from 11:00am-12:00pm
12) July 13th, 2024 will be our next ICD monthly Pro-Life mass in the Chapel at 8:00am. We are also having a weekly Rosary for the Unborn after every Saturday morning mass (8:30am).
13) January 14, 2023 was the FIRST St. Louis Archdiocesan 'Celebration of Life' Mass at the Cathedral Basilica to celebrate the June 24, 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, and to continue to pray for an end to abortion throughout America.
14) January 19-27, 2023 was our annual "9 Day Novena for Life" as recommended by the USCCB. All ICD parishioners (individuals as well as their families) were encouraged to say these brief daily prayers & read the reflections to pray for greater respect for Life (www.usccb.org/resources/9-days-life-novena).
15) January 19-20, 2023 was the annual USCCB National Prayer Vigil, live-streamed from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC on the eve of the annual March for Life. This event began with a Chaplet of Divine Mercy, then mass from the Basilica, and then holy hours from D.C. and across the country (throughout the night).
16) January 19th, 2023 at 5:00pm was our annual ICD "March & Rosary for Life" in front of the ICD Chapel. Fr. Lampe lead us in the closing rosary.
17) March 12, 2024 was the most recent Missouri Right to Life's "Pro-Life Action Day". We met at the state capitol in Jefferson City to encourage our state legislators to pass pro-life legislation.
18) April 14, 2024 was Our Lady's Inn annual "Angel Gala" at Bellerive CC, featuring pro-life champion Archbishop Naumann as the keynote speaker.
19) May 1st, 2024 was the latest annual Midwest March for Life in Jefferson City, featuring many great speakers including Bishop Rice of Springfield, MO; Reagan Barklage of Students for Life, Bridget van Means (CEO or Thrive Express Women's Healthcare), Brandy Meeks (President of the Vitae Foundation), and special guest Melissa Ohden from the Abortion Survivors Network! Buses from STL County & St. Charles county, thanks to Missouri Right to Life, transported more than 100 pro-lifers of all ages to this fabulous event.
20) March 23, 2024 was the annual "March to the Arch", sponsored by Coalition Life (St. Louis).
21) March 26, 2022 was ICD Day as part of the spring '40 Days for Life' campaign -- from 7am to 7pm in front of the LAST Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri on Forest Park Ave (just a few blocks from the Cathedral Basilica)! Thanks for the great turn-out!!! We had all 3 of our priests there plus one deacon, and many parishioners came with their families (lots of children is always the perfect witness for LIFE).
22) May 11-12, 2024 was our annual Mother's Day Rose sale at ICD! In 2022 we sold out of roses, again in 2023, and yet again in 2024!! (but made LOTS of mothers very happy).
23) May 15, 2022 ICD "Roe v. Wade" movie day, 2:00pm-4:30pm in the Parish Hall South was also a big success (with 60 to 70 people attending the movie). A special guest speaker opened this event, Jasha McQueen. Jasha is a member of the Missouri Right to Life board, as well as an amazing pro-life attorney who has been specializing in legal cases to save "frozen embryos" from destruction. She has done legal work for this film's producer (Nick Loeb), and even has a minor role in this movie!
24) December 16th, 2023 8:00am was a monthly "Pro-Life Mass" at the STL Cathedral Basilica, followed by a rosary.
25) April 21st, 2024 was our 2nd annual Service Ministries Coffee & Donuts event at ICD! The Pro-Life, and Reproductive & Child Loss Healing ministries, participated in this including staffing informational tables about our ministries.
26) May 31-June 2, 2024 was the annual ICD Picnic!! The pro-life committee had our booth at the event, as usual. We offered voter registrations for the upcoming 2024 elections, as well as lots of information about the "Reproductive Healthcare Freedom" (unlimited taxpayer funded abortion and "ALL reproductive healthcare") constitutional amendment battle that we face here in Missouri.
27) June 24th, 2024 at 7:00pm will be our next Patriotic Rosary in the Main church, to thank God for our freedoms as we approach the annual Independence Day celebration on July 4th. It's a beautiful rosary event praying for all 50 states and our government officials. We are lead in the singing of classic patriotic hymns by our fabulous ICD music director, Tina Bishop! All were invited to come pray for our country, and thank God for our blessings (including family & friends!).
28) August 27, 2024 will be the next Missouri Right to Life annual dinner event at the St. Charles Convention Center, with our special keynote speaker Mike Pompeo who has served our country as U.S. Secretary of State, CIA director, U.S Congressman, and a graduate of the West Point military academy. Special guest and keynote speaker last year was Jim Caviezel who played the very challenging role of Jesus in the 2004 movie "Passion of the Christ", and will soon complete filming of the sequel "The Resurrection". Jim Caviezel also starred in the summer 2023 blockbuster movie release "Sound of Freedom" on the important topic of child sex trafficking. Cardinal Raymond Burke was at this dinner event as well, and gave a beautiful pro-life and family-affirming message.
29) October 5th, 2024 will be the annual Thrive Nation PRC dinner event at the St. Charles Convention Center. As always, it will be spectacular. This year's dinner will feature, among other special guests, our own St Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanzki. Registration is now open for this event! There is no cost to attend this dinner.
31) October 15, 2022 was the annual Respect Life Apostolate pro-life convention at the Sheraton Westport that featured OUTSTANDING speakers from around the country (eg. Angela Minter - founder of Sisters for Life, Lisa Rowe - CEO of Support After Abortion, Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann - founder of MyCatholicDoctor, Jasha McQueen - founder of Embryo Defense Fund, as well as the keynote speaker Karen Gaffney - founder of her own foundation dedicated to championing the cause of people born with Downs Syndrome, like herself (who was the 1st person with DS to swim the English Channel, Lake Tahoe, and so much more)! It was an incredible day of information...and inspiration.
32) May 21, 2024 was the most recent Vitae Foundation dinner in at the Hilton Frontenac in St Louis, featuring Seth Dillon, CEO of the world famous "Babylon Bee"!