On Tuesday, January 24, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7) with bi-partisan support. The vote was 238 for, and 183 against, with 11 not voting. Thanks to all who urged their members to support this by responding to our call for action. Together we were heard!

Please follow up with your member of the House now. We want to be sure to thank all the representatives who used their votes in favor of H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, to keep our tax dollars from funding and promoting abortion. It is important that they hear from us when they boldly support life. It is also important to let those members who voted against the bill know that we are disappointed and expect better in the future. We have prepared an appropriate message to send to your representative which reflects his or her vote.
 

Whether you are in DC for the March for Life or at home, you can be heard in the halls of Congress whenever you take action on an alert. Thank you for standing with us and for raising your voice for the voiceless.

Together we will be heard!

 
Amy McInerny
Executive Director

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/7xbkPxQ19T_AhiUO808ZTg

Thank you to all who joined us on the bus to Washington D.C for the annual March for Life! 41 Parishioners from Saint Frances Cabrini as well as several others from surrounding Parishes marched on Friday to support the Pro-Life Movement.  Here are some photos from the day.

Click HERE to view more pictures!

Here is how the Pennsylvania delegation voted today on H.R. 7: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017:

As per today’s USCCB alert, “Please Support the BRIDGE Act and Protect DACA Youth.”

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Posted to Faithful Citizenship in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District

I am writing to share information regarding an upcoming Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Fátima and Lourdes during this spe­cial 100th anniversary year of the apparition of the Blessed Mother. The trip will tour several towns and shrines throughout Portugal, Spain and France where Our Lady appeared. The pilgrimage will feature adoration in Saint Stephen’s Church in Santarém, Portugal, the site of the miracle of the Bleeding Host; Mass at the Capelinha, built over the holm oak tree where Our Lady appeared five times to the three shepherd children: Lúcia, Jacinta, and Francisco; a visit to Aljustrel where the Angel of Fátima appeared and Valinhos where Our Lady appeared in August 1917; a tour of the Atlantic coast, beaches, and markets of Nazaré; a visit to the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria de Burgos in Burgos, Spain; a tour through Loyola as well as the places connected with Saint Ignatius; and a guided tour of Saint Bernadette’s home and the healing waters in Lourdes, France. Pilgrims will leave Philadelphia Monday, June 5th, 2017 and return Monday, June 12th, 2017. *Registration for this pilgrimage is due by March 15, 2017.* The attached flyers contain additional information. Please consider sharing them broadly. Thank you for your kind assistance as well as all of your continued work on behalf of those entrusted to your pastoral care.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FLYER

Sunday, January 22, 2017, marked the 44th anniversary of the deadly Roe v. Wade decision. Yet, even while we mourn the lives lost and hearts broken by legal abortion we can recommit ourselves to building a culture of life where everyone is welcomed in love and protected in law. We must, and together we will continue to advocate for public policy that protects life and liberty.

The U.S. House of Representatives will soon consider H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. This important pro-life legislation will make the protections of the consistent federal policy known as the Hyde Amendment and other current abortion funding prohibitions permanently part of the law to be enforced government-wide. It will even ensure that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not force taxpayers to fund abortion.

There is a long-standing consensus in our nation – even among those who identify themselves as “pro-choice”– that taxpayers should not be coerced into paying for abortions. Since 1976 this policy has enjoyed bipartisan support and has been embodied in the Hyde Amendment and other policies regarding funding. However, there are inconsistencies in its application and most of these policies including the Hyde Amendment must be renewed every year. H.R. 7 will correct these inadequacies.

Urge your Congressional Representative to support H.R. 7 to permanently protect our tax dollars from paying for or promoting elective abortions.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/5JO-SERGLowNd4Uit7nDsw

The following is information regarding “9 Days for Life,” an annual period of prayer and action preceding the March for Life in Washington, DC. 

The centerpiece of this initiative is a novena with different intercessions, brief reflections and suggested acts of reparation that can be received directly each day from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) by email, text message or through a new mobile application for smartphones.

“9 Days for Life” allows for a wide variety of ways for people of all ages and circumstances to participate. The novena of prayer also spans the March for Life and can be a part of the prayers of the thousands of pilgrims from the Archdiocese who will travel to Washington, DC, on January 27, 2017.

Information on “9 Days for Life” is available on the USCCB website at www.9daysforlife.com. On this site you will find the prayers, programmatic and promotional resources to encourage this nationwide prayer effort.

On Wednesday morning, Archbishop Chaput hosted a news conference at Saint Katherine Day School, one of four Archdiocesan Schools of Special Education, to kick off the 2017 Catholic Charities Appeal.

You can find a video of the news conference in its entirety at https://vimeo.com/200111723.

Parishioners can learn more about the Catholic Charities Appeal or to donate, at http://www.catholiccharitiesappeal.org/. Thank you for your continued generosity and support of this annual endeavor, which is a channel of hope for tens of thousands in our region.

Archbishop Chaput will launch the 2017 Catholic Charities Appeal, the single largest fundraising initiative in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at a news conference tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m.

The announcement will take place at Saint Katherine Day School in Wynnewood. As space at the venue is limited, you are invited to watch our live streaming broadcast on the Archdiocesan website, www.archphila.org.

Archbishop Chaput will announce this year’s fundraising goal and highlight the impact this initiative has on those served by the charitable and educational ministries of the Archdiocese.

Mr. David Ripsom, President of the Catholic Charities Appeal Board, Ms. Amy Stoner, Director of Community-based and Homeless Services for CSS, and Ms. Kathleen Gould, Principal of Saint Katherine Day School will be in attendance to offer additional remarks, along with representative beneficiaries.

The Catholic Charities Appeal will be a channel of hope for well over 100,000 people through countless organizations and ministries throughout the five-county metropolitan area comprising the Archdiocese. Programs include housing for the homeless, community food cupboards, afterschool academic enrichment and recreational opportunities for young youth, and family support services.

Thank you to all of the families who participated in the 5:00 PM Mass on Christmas Eve!

It was a beautiful celebration with many children in attendance.  Here are some photos from the Mass during Monsignor’s Homily.

Throughout the year, every week during the 11:00 Mass, two ministries for Children take place.  This is a great opportunity for parents with young children to participate in Mass with their entire family.

Children ages 2-5 can participate in Little Church, a childcare service from 10:45 am – 12:15 pm while the rest of their family attends Mass.  Little Church is more than just a church nursery.  It introduces the children to Jesus Christ through prayer and song.  Pre-Registration information will be forthcoming soon.

A second program offered is Children’s Liturgy of the Word.  This program is for children in kindergarten through second grade.  During the 11:00 am Mass, the children are led by a catechist to the chapel in the Parish Center where they listen to and discuss an age appropriate version of that Sunday’s Gospel.

Both ministries are open to all children from the parish including those with disabilities.

Adult as well as teen volunteers are needed for both of these ministries.  For those who feel called to the ministry of children and would like to assist with either of these programs, please contact Alixandra Holden at 215-946-1115, or e-mail aholden@saintfrancescabrini.net