Parish collects 1,550 signatures against legislation
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By David Karas | Correspondent
The old adage of calling your congressman or representative about a piece of legislation is something that folks in St. Dominic Parish, Brick, take to heart.
Through the efforts of the parish Respect Life Representative, Marie Salvato, and a small army of volunteers, the parish was able to gather some 1,550 signatures of individuals expressing opposition to the current assisted suicide bill pending before the state legislature, the “Death with Dignity Act.”
“People have to be aware of what is happening, and this is the way we look at the Respect Life Committee in St. Dominic Parish,” said Salvato. “We educate people.”
Through the parish bulletin, posters and messages shared at weekend Masses, Salvato and other volunteers were able to collect the signatures to demonstrate opposition to the proposed legislation.
The bill, modeled after similar legislation in Oregon and Washington State, allows for Physician-Assisted Suicide in cases when doctors prescribe the method by which a patient can end their own life. It was introduced in the state Assembly as Bill 3328 in September, 2012, and was voted in February, 2013 by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee to be moved to the full legislative body for a vote.
In the State Senate, the legislation was introduced as Bill 2259 in October, 2012, and has since been referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
On Aug. 15, the parish presented the signed petition to members of New Jersey’s 10th Legislative District – State Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin.
“People were very anxious to sign,” she said. “We have a lot of older people in this parish, (and) there are a lot of abuses connected with this.”
Salvato said that, regardless of whether the piece of legislation will come up for a vote before or after the November election cycle, she wanted to take action in the immediate term.
“That is such an important thing,” she said. “I have been reading about it, and that is why we decided to do it. We do this when there is something happening.”
This was certainly not the first petition created and circulated by parish leaders – in the past, they have gathered signatures in opposition to issues like same-sex marriage.
The educational push that surrounds such a petition process is complemented by a weekly pro-life column in the parish bulletin, she said, all contributing to a constant process of educating parishioners on what is going on related to their faith.
“This is a spiritual thing,” she said, drawing a distinction from the petition being purely political. “Only God can give life, and only God can take it away – this is what people have to realize.”
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By David Karas | Correspondent
The old adage of calling your congressman or representative about a piece of legislation is something that folks in St. Dominic Parish, Brick, take to heart.
Through the efforts of the parish Respect Life Representative, Marie Salvato, and a small army of volunteers, the parish was able to gather some 1,550 signatures of individuals expressing opposition to the current assisted suicide bill pending before the state legislature, the “Death with Dignity Act.”
“People have to be aware of what is happening, and this is the way we look at the Respect Life Committee in St. Dominic Parish,” said Salvato. “We educate people.”
Through the parish bulletin, posters and messages shared at weekend Masses, Salvato and other volunteers were able to collect the signatures to demonstrate opposition to the proposed legislation.
The bill, modeled after similar legislation in Oregon and Washington State, allows for Physician-Assisted Suicide in cases when doctors prescribe the method by which a patient can end their own life. It was introduced in the state Assembly as Bill 3328 in September, 2012, and was voted in February, 2013 by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee to be moved to the full legislative body for a vote.
In the State Senate, the legislation was introduced as Bill 2259 in October, 2012, and has since been referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
On Aug. 15, the parish presented the signed petition to members of New Jersey’s 10th Legislative District – State Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Greg McGuckin.
“People were very anxious to sign,” she said. “We have a lot of older people in this parish, (and) there are a lot of abuses connected with this.”
Salvato said that, regardless of whether the piece of legislation will come up for a vote before or after the November election cycle, she wanted to take action in the immediate term.
“That is such an important thing,” she said. “I have been reading about it, and that is why we decided to do it. We do this when there is something happening.”
This was certainly not the first petition created and circulated by parish leaders – in the past, they have gathered signatures in opposition to issues like same-sex marriage.
The educational push that surrounds such a petition process is complemented by a weekly pro-life column in the parish bulletin, she said, all contributing to a constant process of educating parishioners on what is going on related to their faith.
“This is a spiritual thing,” she said, drawing a distinction from the petition being purely political. “Only God can give life, and only God can take it away – this is what people have to realize.”
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