Dear Friends,

Last Monday, Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that an FDA contract to purchase aborted baby body parts for research has been terminated. In addition, HHS has initiated a comprehensive review of all research involving fetal tissue and whether alternatives exist to the use of human fetal tissue in research. 

In response to this announcement, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement applauding “Secretary Azar and the Administration for cutting off ties to a company whose business is to procure aborted baby parts for research.” But since taxpayer-funded research on aborted fetal tissue continues, Cardinal Dolan also urged the Administration to “act quickly to cease all funding for research involving body parts from aborted babies.” He explained that “For the federal government to create a demand for abortion and use these children’s body parts for research is wrong,” and said that “Under a pro-life Administration, there is simply no room for callously using aborted children to further a research goal.”

Undoubtedly, your pro-life action played a part in prompting Secretary Azar’s initial actions. Please join us in thanking Secretary Azar for these initial actions but urging him to act quickly to cease all funding for research involving body parts from aborted babies and only use our taxpayer dollars for ethical research.

Your voices are important and impactful. Thank you for all you do to make pro-life voices heard on these important matters of life!

Brian Duggan
Executive Director
Human Life Action

Greg Schleppenbach
Associate Director
USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

One person is making her voice heard today to protect children with Down syndrome in Pennsylvania. Will you join her?

I just left Senator Jake Corman’s office making a special delivery of a painting and letter on behalf of Emily H. and her family in support of the Down Syndrome Protection Act.

Emily is an artist, a photographer and a volunteer at many organizations. She also has Down syndrome and is a strong advocate for the Down Syndrome Protection Act – House Bill 2050.

Join Emily in advocating for this legislation: Today or tomorrow, please call both Senator Corman and Senator Joe Scarnati with the message to pass the Down Syndrome Protection Act (see phone numbers below). And then please help recruit others to do the same.

Both Senator Corman and Senator Scarnati are supporters of the Down Syndrome Protection Act and should be thanked for their support. They both are also in leadership positions and unless they use their influence to bring this legislation up for a vote, time will run out this session.

TAKE ACTION: Please make the following two phone calls:

Majority Leader Senator Jake Corman​
717-787-1377​

President Pro Tempore Senator Joseph Scarnati
717-787-7084

Please be gracious in your conversation with their offices. Here’s a sample phone message:

“Hi, my name is ____. I would like to thank the Senator for supporting the Down Syndrome Protection Act and ask that the Senator, in his leadership position, bring the Down Syndrome Protection Act up for a vote – now – before time runs out this session.”

Organ Dedication Concert

In Praise and Thanksgiving to God 

Thank you to all those who attended our wonderful Organ Dedication Concert. It was a wonderful celebration of our new Rodgers Infinity 361 Organ. The organ was moved from its usual corner out to the front of the sanctuary, where the audience had a better view as Hank Wajda’s fingers and feet danced across the keyboards and pedals. The organ was truly the star of the show whether it was featured in the organ solos performed by Hank or as an accompaniment to the vocal performances. Group Vocal Performances conducted by the St. Frances Cabrini Adult Choir and the Men of Harmony as well as solo performances by Regina Leidy Foglia, Julianna Rifkin, and Marybeth Haberstick.

The concert was offered in praise and thanksgiving to God for blessing our parish with the beautiful gift of music, made manifest in our new organ and the many talents of our music ministry. Monsignor McCormac opened the concert with a prayer of praise and offered a prayer of thanksgiving before the final number.

The concert ended with a rousing rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, which brought everyone to their feet:

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Committee Statement on Sex Abuse Scandals; Committee Releases Actions to be Taken Within Its Authority

Help AFA reach 100,000 petition signatures to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

My heart continues to break for the family of 14-year-old Anna Bright from Alabama, who killed herself last year after binge-watching the first season of original Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Tragically, Anna is not the only one. Bella Herndon and Priscilla Chiu, both 15-year-olds from California, also took their own lives just days after watching Hannah Baker kill herself on this series.

The hugely popular Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, has become a lightning rod for critics who say it glorifies suicide and might even make it an attractive option for teenagers who are enduring difficult times in their lives.

SIGN OUR PETITION TO NETFLIX CEO REED HASTINGS NOW!

Season 1 focused on the graphic suicide of teenager Hannah Baker who slits her wrists in a bathtub full of water. Her decision to end her life is explained through a collection of cassette tapes that she leaves behind blaming the people responsible for her death.

Season 2 picks up months after Hannah’s suicide, and characters are seen dealing with the aftermath of her death. Sadly, the filth and gratuitous content from Season 1 is only exacerbated all the more with story lines that include sodomy, homosexuality, drug use, extreme profanity and an attempt at mass school violence. You can see our full description of Season 2 here.

And despite pleas from pro-family groups to cancel the second season of 13 Reasons Why, Netflix released it May 18. All 13 hours of it. At one time. For the whole world to devour … or be devoured by.

I have written an open letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, pleading with him to simply meet with me personally to discuss AFA’s concerns about the dangers of 13 Reasons Why. So far, he has chosen not to respond. You can read the letter here.

TAKE ACTION

1. Sign the petition to Netflix now and add your name to help reach our goal of 100,000 signatures now!
2. Forward this email to family and friends, especially those who have teens and pre-teens who might be influenced by their peers to watch 13 Reasons Why.

https://www.afa.net/activism/action-alerts/2018/afa-open-letter-to-netflix/

Thank you to all those who joined us for the Catechetical Mass this Sunday.

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?”

During his homily, Monsignor McCormac challenged each person to hear those words as Jesus says them directly to them,

“Who do you say I am?”

In the Commissioning Ceremony that followed the homily, many of our parishioners stepped forward to boldly answer as Peter did,

“You are the Christ.”

The catechists from the Parish Religious Education Program, the Little Church Pre-school program, the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Catholic school teachers, and those who have a supporting role in the teaching ministry of the Church, professed their intention to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ through their work in catechesis.

At the close of the Commissioning Ceremony, Monsignor McCormac bestowed a blessing upon all those involved in the teaching ministry of the Church.

Please keep up your Novena prayers and your emails to Congress.

This week’s letter to Congress covers the painful subject of Post-Abortion Trauma. Abortion supporters in Congress are in a bind. If they admit women suffer post abortion trauma, they would have to admit promoting abortion in government programs is wrong, so they simply deny women’s pain.

Thousands of women experience symptoms of trauma and even post-traumatic stress disorder after abortion – either immediately after or sometimes decades later. Yet abortion supporters, including abortion supporters in Congress, refuse to acknowledge the real-life experience of these women.

Whether your Member of Congress and Senators support life, or do not, they ought to hear from you.

Contact your Senators and Member of Congress today. We are so grateful for your support and action.

Please contact your Member of Congress and two Senators using this link.

Don’t forget to pray. To participate in the Novena and Call to Prayer initiatives sign up at www.usccb.org/pray.

Additional Novena prayer and education materials are accessible at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/take-action-now/call-to-prayer/legal-protection-of-human-life.cfm.

Dear Friends,

Last month, news reports revealed that the Food and Drug Administration signed a new contract to acquire “fresh” aborted fetal organs for research creating so-called “humanized mice” with human immune systems.

Yesterday, the U.S. Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities joined 44 other pro-life groups in signing a letter to Secretary Alex Azar, head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, expressing shock and dismay that the FDA is “using federal tax dollars and fomenting demand for human body parts taken from babies who are aborted.”

The letter points out that Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR), “the company with which the FDA has its contract for procurement of aborted fetal organs, is among the entities referred for criminal investigation by both houses of Congress for potential collusion with abortion facilities as well as possibly profiting from the sale of fetal organs from aborted babies.”

The letter poses a number of questions to the Secretary about the contract with ABR and about other fetal tissue research being conducted by the National Institutes of Health.

Please add your voice to ours by sending a message to Sec. Azar and urging him to end all federal government association with those who participate in trafficking or procurement of aborted baby organs and to stop using taxpayer dollars for this gruesome practice.

As always, we are extremely grateful to you for making your voices heard on important matters of life!

Brian Duggan
Executive Director
Human Life Action

Greg Schleppenbach
Associate Director
USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities

Click the link below to fill out a form and easily send Sec.Azar a message!

https://www.humanlifeaction.org/take-action?vvsrc=%2fCampaigns%2f60879%2fRespond