NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE FOR LIFE
WITNESSING THE GOSPEL OF LOVE AND THE GOSPEL OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY
c/o St. Clare Friary
440 West 36th Street New York, N.Y. 10018-6326
Voice: 212.868.1847
email: tnbcalife@aol.com

June is Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month
in the African American and African Community 2009

 News Release                                                              News Release

 May 11, 2009

 Prepared by:  Therese Wilson Favors
Director African American Catholic Ministries
Archdiocese of Baltimore
NBCAL Board of Consultants Member

June Is Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month

Somewhere in America, someone is receiving the painful account that their loved one has been struck down in violence. The reality that this tragedy is being repeated over and over again in our community has become a deep wound and it hurts so bad. Oftentimes, we go to bed haunted by the cries of mothers and fathers, sons and daughters of those brutally taken from us and now we hold their voices within our souls. Someone is missing among us who makes the family more complete. That act of violence or abortion robs us of God’s giftedness among us.  Abortion and this culture of death warrants our attention. The escalating acts resulting from this “culture of death” perpetuating within our society is why the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life (NBCAL) stays vigilant in it’s mission to pray, proclaim and stand boldly for an end to abortion , all acts of violence, evil and injustice that destroys the sacredness of life. 

All life is sacred. Thus the NBCAL has called for the establishment of June as “Abortion and Acts of Violence Awareness Month” an opportunity to raise the message of the sanctity of life through prayer and action. According to Dr. Beverly A. Carroll, (of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church- Assistant Director of African American Affairs)  “June is a good time to raise up the importance of life and denounce violence. As Pope Benedict XVI said, violence and cynicism so often seems to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts.” 
Franciscan Father James Goode, OFM, serves as the President of NBCAL and calls this effort “a prayerful, conscious awareness, sustained effort of converting hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life – one life at a time.” Fr. Goode, also quoted Pope Benedict XVI from his historic visit last year (2008) to the United States, “the Church is called to proclaim the gift of life,
to serve life and to promote a culture of life”.

The National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life asks you to “report for duty” in its efforts to stop the violence and end abortion. Here are ways in which we can work in one accord…
 

• Encourage prayers for peace and an end to abortion during intercessory prayer at Mass and say the “Prayer for Life” daily. See website www.blackcatholicsforlife.org to obtain a copy.
   
• Sponsor a special forum for Youth to discuss abortion, an end to violence, gangs and gang activity through Parish and Diocesan Youth Ministry initiatives and/or Jr. Knights and Daughters of
  St. Peter Claver, St. John, etc.
   
• Offer initiatives with and among Youth that foster self-esteem and family-hood especially through Retreats, Service Ministry, etc.
   
• Support Neighborhood Watch Groups that encourage peaceful resolutions to Community issues.
   
• Contact and become acquainted with efforts sponsored by your local Respect Life Office.
   
• Contact the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life  tnbcalife@aol.com   to share the efforts
  you pursue this month or for more information go to www.blackcatholicsforlife.org
   
• Link to June Is Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month 2009 Flyer
   

"When we promote the beauty and sanctity of human life, it is necessary to promote life in all of its facets- Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD. “Choose life, that you and your descendants may live”
(Deuteronomy 30:19).

The National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life was inaugurated in the fall of 1997, with the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and the Franciscan Solid Ground Ministry as sponsors and with the support of John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York and the Archdiocese's Office of Black Ministry.