Roe v. Wade is Gone

Guest Columnist

Michele Beary

God is good, and abortion is no longer the law of the land! For almost 50 years, the pro-life movement has fought to overturn Roe v. Wade, and now we celebrate the good news! But, even after Louisiana is abortion-free, we know our work is not done. This isn’t the end of our fight … this is only the beginning.

What does this mean for Louisiana?

Through Louisiana voters, the Love Life Amendment was passed in 2020 to ensure no right to abortion can be found in the Louisiana Constitution. With the Supreme Court decision on June 24, Louisiana law immediately went into effect, safeguarding the right to life of precious children waiting to be born.

On June 27th, Louisiana’s largest abortion business, Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, filed a lawsuit against the 2006 Human Life Protection Act, as well as the recent 2022 Reaffirmation of Human Life Act. A temporary restraining order (TRO) was granted but was lifted by Judge Ethel Julien on July 8th. Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, made the following statement after the TRO was lifted:

“We are happy that Louisiana prolife laws are back being enforced protecting babies from abortion. We thank Judge Julien for her fair and impartial assessment of Louisiana Law. It is disappointing that the abortion business wasted time and taxpayer dollars in this lawsuit. While we expect further legal proceedings in Baton Rouge, we look forward to our laws prevailing in Louisiana.”

What does this mean for Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center?

I’ve always believed that the life affirming work we do is somewhat irrespective of what happens in Washington D.C. or in Baton Rouge. What we do in the Bayou Region is what matters and we will continue to provide accurate information, free services, and practical support with a holistic and compassionate approach. ?We give each of our clients the care and attention they need; empowering them to make an informed decision for themselves and their future.

Now, more than ever, women are going to be searching for practical help that shows them they don’t need abortion to survive, succeed or thrive in life. Women need to know how much their lives are worth and how they have value, oftentimes before they can value the life of the baby inside of their womb. Now, more than ever, we need your help meeting the essential needs of our clients which is crucial to the heart of our ministry—promoting the sanctity of life by offering life affirming options, and providing practical, financial, emotional and spiritual assistance to those faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

Being pro-life is just a stance. Being pro-love is an action. We must continue to let our actions show that we intend to support and provide resources for women with unplanned pregnancies. Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center will continue to lead with love, standing shoulder to shoulder with our pro-love community, and embrace a post Roe America by showing up for these women in the ways they need us most.We are energized and determined to continue fulfilling our mission – providing hope and real, tangible help to all who come through our doors. God chose us to live in this time. We are here for a purpose, and I ask that you work with Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center as we continue to bring life-affirming care to women in our community.

Our work has just begun! Will you join us?

What does this mean for our churches?

Jubilant women gather outside the US Supreme Court after Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The pro-life movement has been working for decades to welcome, protect, and care for babies and their mothers. However, a

we know that becoming truly abortion-free cannot rely on laws but resides in a huge cultural shift. A critical place in society that has the resources, the influence, and the responsibility to propel this cultural shift is the churches. How can churches ensure this cultural shift? How can churches be better prepared to help a woman in a crisis pregnancy, so she does not feel pressured to choose an abortion?

An overwhelming number of women quietly go to church on Sunday and the abortion clinic on Monday. A survey sponsored by CareNet, a nonprofit organization supporting more than 1,100 pregnancy centers across America, found that more than four in 10 women who have had an abortion were churchgoers when they chose abortion.

Right now, you can save this information in your phone and share with your parish and across social media: FindHelpLa.com. There, you can find your local pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and many other private and public social services. Click the “Resources” tab for listings of statewide and national resource information. The 24/7 helpline is: 1(855)449-4003.

Among others, two resources for churches to help mothers are Amy Ford’s Embrace Grace, Inc. and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ program, Walking with Moms in Need.

Embrace Grace, Inc.

EmbraceGrace.com: The mission of Embrace Grace is, “To inspire and equip the church to love on single and pregnant young women and their families.” Their vision is “For every girl with an unplanned pregnancy to have a church to go to for spiritual, emotional, and physical support.” Website visitors are encouraged to start an Embrace Grace group at their church or host an outreach centered on assembling “Love Boxes,” a box filled with items meant to inspire a woman to “be brave and choose life for her baby.” Women in crisis pregnancies who are visitors to their website are invited to join a support group program for at least 12 weeks. You are also able to ask Embrace Grace to send an assembled Love Box to a local crisis pregnancy center, like Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center.

The Louisiana Regional Rep for Embrace Grace is Dawn Smith. Contact her for more information: helpher@embracegrace.com

Walking with Moms in Need

WalkingWithMoms.com: This program lays out its mission: “Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and neighborhoods. As Pope Francis reminds us, our parishes need to be “islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference.” Everyone in the parish community should know where to refer a pregnant woman in need.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops created thorough guidance for individual church parishes to fold this service project in their workload of existing ministries. They created an introductory webinar, a few different action guides for the person taking charge of this ministry, an inventory tool for all found and documented local resources, and a suggested timeline of completing this and publicly advertising as a source of comprehensive help for moms in need.

When a complete and simple inventory of their local resources are made, the USCCB asks these churches to assess the results and identify gaps, and plan and implement a parish response based on their findings.

Additionally, they have a prayer and encyclical reflections program so that their church parish can be made aware of this ministry and unite with the effort spiritually.

If churches are looking for a place to start gathering local resources for moms in need, first check with the pro-life coordinator of the local diocese. Many have already begun the process of encouraging their churches to implement this program and have gathered lists of resources. Additionally, visit FindHelpLA.com for local pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and many other private and public social services. Click the “Resources” tab for listings of statewide and national resource information. (Michele Beary is the executive director for Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center in Thibodaux.) BC

Papal Parenting Advice

By Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body (Elizabeth Stone). (Stone’s quote has always been my wife’s favorite way to describe being a parent.)

Just recently, Pope Francis offered some superb advice to parents:

How important it is for parents to reflect on God’s way of acting!

God loves young people, but that does not mean that he preserves them from all risk, from every challenge and from all suffering.

God is not anxious and overprotective.

Think about it: God is not anxious and overprotective; on the contrary, he trusts young people and he calls each of them to scale the heights of life and of mission.

We think of the child Samuel, the adolescent David or the young Jeremiah; above all, we think of that young 16 or 17 year old girl who conceived Jesus, the Virgin Mary.

He trusts a young girl.

Dear parents, the word of God shows us the way:

Not to shield our children from the slightest hardship and suffering, but to try to communicate to them a passion for life, to arouse in them the desire to discover their vocation and embrace the great mission that God has in mind for them.

It was precisely that discovery which made Elisha courageous and determined; it made him become an adult.

The decision to leave his parents behind and to sacrifice the oxen is a sign that Elisha realized that it was now “up to him,” that it was time to accept God’s call and to carry on the work of his master.

This he would do courageously until the very end of his life.

Dear parents, if you help your children to discover and to accept their vocation, you will see that they too will be “gripped” by this mission; and they will find the strength they need to confront and overcome the difficulties of life.

All love involves risk, letting go. Nothing is harder. Nothing. BC