SMM/SJ Parish Pro-Life Group

How it began: With Fr. Olson's blessings, I was able to step up to lead Everett 40 Days for Life (E40DFL) Spring 2009 Campaign for the first time. I felt that it was critical that we have a strong pro-life presence in our community (where currently all three legislators in District 38 are not exactly pro-life), especially shortly after the most anti-life president ever in American government history was elected. I was able to give a pulpit talk and several new people began joining our efforts to pray and stand witness outside Everett Planned Parenthood during Spring 2009; and more people started to notice pro-life causes.

Then in Fall 2009, in October, shortly before Msgr. Phillip Reily visited our parish to give a Victory Rally talk for E40DFL, Fr. Olson asked us (Matt Ulrich & myself) two things that he would like to see:
1) Pro-Life Conference in October 2010; and
2) a Parish Pro-Life Group at St. Mary Magdalen Parish (& St. John's Mission).

Neither happened in October 2010. However, through a few emails and conversations with Fr. Olson and other concerned pro-lifer in the community (especially the examples and support of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Pro-Life ministry, who got help from Kirkland's Holy Family Parish Respect Life Committee.), we decided to have our very first meeting on Tuesday, July 27, 2010.

There were exactly 12 people present at our first meeting, including our pastor Father Olson, who gave us his vision of the group, mainly that he sees our group to raise awareness in our community about various pro-life activities and events, through support, participation, and promotion of such important ministries as E40DFL, Project Rachel, and possibly Gabriel Project.


Quo Vadis? Our Goals/Mission/Vision:
+ To RAISE AWARENESS + To SUPPORT the most vulnerable + To SEE IN ALL PEOPLE THE IMAGE OF GOD Who made them

We have yet to define our plan of action.

We need to modify our Mission statement based on the outline from USCCB, which can be also found in our state's very own Gospel of Life Institute.

Updates:

Our monthly meeting times: 1st Fridays from 6 pm - 7 pm

Our monthly vigil time: 3rd Saturdays (after 7:30 am mass at SMM Church) from about 8:30 am to 10 am outside Everett PP

Our Leadership: Fr. Hans Olson - Spiritual Director
Fr. Matthew Oakland - Parochial Vicar
Christian Spencer - Faith Formation/Advisory Board
Bekah Spencer - Facebook Administrator/Advisory Board
Nathan & Sarah Bartel - Faith Formation/Advisory Board
Dawn Myers - co-Chair/Liaison for GP
Robin Frazier - Gabriel Project (GP) Coordinator
David Van Loan - Liaison for Knight of Columbus
Isidora Spots - Liaison for CDA St. Rita Court/GP
Peggy Bartel - Liaison for Spiritual Adoption
Kim Haub - Reporter/Liaison to SMM Parish Newsletter
Brad & myself - Liaison for E40DFL, and currently a co-Chair

Help Needed:

1) Your Prayers, i.e. mass offering with the special intentions of our group, rosary, Eucharistic Adoration (our parish now has Perpetual Adoration. Please call office for more info.), etc.

2) Well-informed members, or members who are willing to learn and study vast resource available on-line and elsewhere.

3) Liaison to various groups (youth/young adults group, Cornerstone, confirmation class, RCIA, First Communion Class, CCD Classes, etc.), other Pro-Life groups/organizations, and media (Progress, Sacred Heart Radio, EWTN, Life Site News, Life News, & others), i.e. Project Rachel, Natural Family Planning, Couple-to-Couple League, SMM School, Serra Club, Boy Scouts of Americas, Girl Scouts of Americas, Heritage Girls, Life Chain, Seattle Helpers of God's Precious Infants, Prolife Washington, Healing Culture, Pregnancy Aid of Snohomish, Angelorum, etc.

4) Event coordinators/planners - i.e. Pro-Life Conference/Fair in October 2011, the planning must begin ASAP. We need a plan of action for this event. Other events include March for Life in Olympia around 1/22/11, Walk for Life in San Francisco, March for Life in DC, etc.

5) our Twitter @SMMLife Admin.

6) help with our group email: smmprolife@gmail.com

7) help with our website/blog

8) help with phone calls before meetings/vigils/events

9) any financial help to defray the cost to our parish: please write a check payable to St. Mary Magdalen Parish and indicate in the memo that you would like to support our Parish Pro-Life ministry. We are getting a lot of support from our priests and staff - and their time is priceless! We also use the meeting rooms, etc. Gabriel Project will eventually need a bigger sign. We also need a banner for our bulletin board; and to use at various pro-life events, i.e. March for Life.

More men to be in our leadership. We welcome couples


Upcoming Events:

*I hope to see more collaboration within the Snohomish Deanery & Archdiocese & beyond. *

5/1 (Divine Mercy Sunday) Gabriel Sunday: during 10 am mass was the Commissioning of our Gabriel Angels. There were 7 angels who were commissioned.

5/16M16:30 - 5/21Sat00:00 "Like" Human Life International's Facebook Page

5/21 (Sat) 3rd Saturday Monthly Prayer Vigil in Everett
7:30 am Pro-Life mass at St. Mary Magdalen Church,
followed by monthly Prayer Vigil from about 8:30 am - 10 am

5/30 (Mon) 10:30 am Memorial Day Mass at Holyrood Cemetery and other Catholic Cemeteries

6/3 (Fri) 6 pm - 7 pm SMM/SJ Parish Pro-Life Group monthly meeting (Guest Speaker: Fr. Hans Olson)

6/4 (Sat) 8:00am - 12:00pm Walk for Life 2011 to benefit Option 360

6/18 (Sat) 5:45 pm - 10th Annual Auction of the Angels

July - Annual Parish Picnic

9/28 (Wed) - 11/6 (Sun) Everett 40 Days for Life - vigil outside Everett PP

October is Month of Rosary and Respect Life Month

10/2/11 (Sun) Life Chain
10/7/11 (1st Fri) 6 pm - 7 pm SMM/SJ Parish Pro-Life Group monthly meeting
10/8 - 9 (Sat & Sun) Respect Life Conference at Parish Hall?? (TBC)
10/