Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, of Baltimore, will celebrate the Archdiocese’s annual Respect Life Mass on Sunday, October 5, at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.
While the Respect Life program is year-round, October is observed as Respect Life Month and the first Sunday in October is designated as Respect Life Sunday by the Catholic Church in the United States.
“Hope and Trust in Life” is the theme for the 2008-09 Respect Life program, centered upon Pope Benedict XVI’s message during his visit to the United States in April. At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, for example, Benedict emphasized that the Church and all its members are “called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life. … The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelization. For true life—our salvation—can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift. “This,” he continued, “is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody.”
A national prayer effort to end abortion called “40 Days for Life” runs September 24 through November 2. People in 179 cities in 47 U.S. states are taking part in 40 days of prayer and fasting, constant vigil and community outreach.
To learn more about the “40 Days for Life” efforts in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, visit www.40daysforlife.com/baltimore.