October is recognized by the Catholic Church in the United States as Respect Life Month, with Respect Life Sunday being celebrated the first Sunday of the month – this year, on Oct. 5. This observation is an opportunity for Catholics and other people of good will to reflect on the dignity of life and to encourage advocacy in communities.
Bishops across the nation have led the way with Walking with Moms in Need, a United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ nationwide parish-based initiative, which marked its five-year anniversary in March. Honoring the protection of the unborn as well as the need to support mothers throughout pregnancy and parenting, the campaign “works to ensure that any woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances, can turn to her local Catholic Church and be connected with the resources she needs,” the website https://walkingwithmoms.com states. “Volunteers walk with moms throughout the motherhood journey, offering them authentic Christian friendship and ongoing support.”
To support Respect Life Month observances, the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities provides materials to help Catholics understand and value the gift of human life and help build a culture that cherishes and protects it. Action guides and other materials to introduce pro-life advocacy – including prayer cards, webinars and infographics – may be downloaded, printed, and reproduced for free for use in parishes, schools or ministries. For materials, visit https://www.respectlife.org/respect-life-month.
Respect Life events throughout Diocese of Trenton include prayer, support
Throughout September • Collections for Walking with Moms in Need, Madonna House • St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, New Egypt, is collecting receiving blankets, diapers (sizes 2, 5, 6), and pull-ups (sizes 3T and 4T) to assist pregnant and parenting mothers in need. Donations should be placed in the box marked “Walking with Moms in Need” during weekend Masses at Assumption Church, 28 Monmouth Rd., Wrightstown, and St. Andrew Church, 2489 Monmouth Rd., Jobstown; Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry, associated with shore parishes, is also collecting baby items throughout the year for Madonna House, Neptune. A detailed list is available in the St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish bulletin at https://www.scsmsl.org/bulletins.
Sept. 13 • Memorial Prayer Services for Unborn Children • Held nationwide on the 13th annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children, pro-life supporters will pray together at gravesites and memorials to the unborn. Services include: St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown: 10 a.m. in Mary’s Prayer Garden, 156 Maxwell Ave.; bring a lawn chair, prayer moves to community room if raining; Shore-area parishes: 8:30 a.m. at the Memorial to the Unborn at the Fatima Shrine, in front of St. Catharine Church, Essex Ave. and West Lake Ave., Spring Lake; St. Denis Parish, Manasquan: after 8:30 a.m. Mass at the Monument to the Unborn Garden outside the church entrance at 90 Union Ave.; St. Gabriel Parish, 100 N. Main St., Marlboro: 12:15 p.m. at St. Gabriel’s Memorial Site for the Unborn Lost to Abortion; St. Michael Parish, 800 Ocean Ave., Long Branch: 8 a.m. Mass with several concelebrating priests and musical accompaniment, with intentions for the unborn.
Beginning Sept. 24 • 40 Days for Life • This peaceful prayer vigil outside clinics providing abortion services will continue through Nov. 2. Begun in 2007, the campaign has been coordinated annually by pro-life Catholics in the Diocese and worldwide. A Vigil is planned outside Planned Parenthood, 69 E. Newman Springs Rd., Shrewsbury, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday/Sunday at will. For more information, visit https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/cherryhill or contact Monmouth for Life, Monmouth4life@hotmail.com. Vigil is also planned outside the Cherry Hill Women’s Center, 502 Kings Hwy. To sign up for vigil hours, visit https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/cherryhill. For questions, contact coordinator Claire Howson, claire@helpersnj.org, or 856-313-9861.
Sept. 30 • Good Counsel Homes Benefit Dinner • The “One Mom at a Time” Benefit Dinner for the Riverside home is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Stone Terrace at John Henry’s, 2275 Kuser Road, Hamilton. Dinner is $85 per person; registration and sponsorships are available at https://goodcounselhomes.regfox.com/sj-2025.
Throughout October • Pro-Life Flag Displays • Parishes and organizations will publicly proclaim the dignity of the unborn with flag displays representing the lives lost to abortion. Participating parishes and schools include: in late September through mid-October: St. Mary, Barnegat (Manasquan and Barnegat worship sites); early through mid-October: St. Gabriel, Marlboro; mid- through end of September: Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville.
Oct. 11 • Bocce Tournament • St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, is organizing a bocce tournament at Memorial Park, Neptune City, to raise funds for Madonna House, which ministers to needy infants, children and women. Cost is $25 per player ($50 per two-person team) and includes a shirt for each player. Contact David, dfurb@aol.com, for more details and to reserve a spot before Oct. 1.
Oct. 18 • Respect Life Mass and Rosary • The Dignity of Life Committee of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown, invites all to a Mass at 9 a.m. in the Church, followed by praying of the Rosary and refreshments.
Oct. 19 • Champion for Life Award Dinner • The Jersey shore-area parishes associated with Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry will host the 36th annual Champion for Life Awards Dinner at The Shore Club, 700 Hwy. 71, Spring Lake Heights. Reception is at 5 p.m.; dinner begins at 6 p.m. Honorees include 2025 Champion for Life Father Cesar Rubiano, priest in residence at Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, and Catholic chaplain in Jersey Shore Medical Center; and John Masurek, member of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, with the Lifetime Achievement for Courage Award. Reservations are due by Oct. 6. Dinner for adults is $75, and $35 for children. Checks should be made payable to “Church of St. Denis” with “Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry” in the memo line, and mailed to: Church of St. Denis, 90 Union Ave., Manasquan, NJ 08736. For more information, call or text Catherine Minall, 917-670-8333.
Oct. 26 • Pro-life talk • Following the 10 a.m. Mass in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Whiting, Rachel Hendricks – diocesan Respect Life ministry coordinator – will give a talk during a Communion Breakfast in the parish hall.