The Respect Life Committee exists to restore the sanctity of life from conception to natural death and meets the second Wednesday of each month.

We educate ourselves on the life issues to promote a "culture of life" which respects life and allows it to flourish.  We stand against all abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research and cloning which destroy human life and define a "culture of death."

Information from Archdiocesan workshops, speakers at pro-life events and truthful pro-life organization newsletters and publications is shared with the parish by means of literature tables on Respect Life Weekend in October, and brochures int he wall racks at all church entrances.

We sponsor speakers from Human Life Alliance, Prenatal Partners for Life, Priest for Life and Pro-Life Action Ministries who educate parishioners from our parish.  We also have hosted Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) Pro-Life Evenings to which other parishes and local area churches have been invited.

We act with the parish on this information by offering state and national petition signing on crucial pro-life issues and by posting legislation in the Respect Life column of the weekly bulletin, so parishioners can practice faithful citizenship by responding with phone calls and e-mails and letters to legislators.

Every January 22, we take a bus to the Annual Prayer Service for Life at the Cathedral of St. Paul and MCCL's March for Life at the State Capitol to commemorate the millions of unborn children whose lives have been lost to abortion since Roe vs. Wade in 1973.  We also carpool or take a bus tot he ongoing 40 Days for Life peaceful prayer vigil at Regions Hospital in St. Paul to stop abortions and the training of medical students from the University of Minnesota to do abortions there.

Our committee sponsors a Respect Life booth at our Parish Festival in early August.  We have excellent fetal models on display which show the development of the unborn child from conception through the first seven month of pregnancy.  These are educational and of interest to people of all ages.  We offer a large selection of literature and some pro-life pins and stickers.  Our presence at the Parish Festival makes it clear to everyone that St. Raphael's in a pro-life parish.

Regular Respect Life committee members attend monthly meetings to discuss information and plan activities within the parish and community, and Respect Life volunteers help at these events throughout the year.

Fundraising is accomplished by making donations for corsages and flowers at all Mother's Day weekend Masses and by donation anytime during the year.

Members gain knowledge of important current life issues and feel part of the parish community as we unite to help restore the sanctity of God's most precious gift of life.

For more information contact chairperson Craig Johnsen at 763-424-9825.

A Community Caring for Life (ACCL) seeks to promote the "culture of life" by welcoming the woman in a crisis pregnancy with friendship and child with joy.  We do this by offering the mother encouragement and practical aid in the form of a "pack-and-play" voucher and layette of basis baby items.  The "pack-and-play" costs less than a crib, is safe, and the mother can more easily take it with her if she needs to move.  We can also refer the mother to other resources and pregnancy care centers.

ACCL hot line workers take two-week turns answering recorded calls after 5:00 pm each day.  A one page application is filled out over the phone.  If approved by the Archdiocesan Life Fund, the mother meets the hot line worker at the church to sign the application and receive the "pack-and-play" voucher which can be redeemed at one of several participating stores.

Parishioners donate new and gently used baby items, and some talented women sew, knit or crochet wonderful quilts, hats, receiving blankets, afghans and baby outfits.  ACCL meets as needed to collect the donated items from bassinets located around the church.  The donated items are made up into boy, girl and neutral layettes of sizes 0-12 months.  Additional needed items are purchased at garage sales in the spring and fall or from local thrift stores.

Members enjoy the friendship of co-workers and sometimes are humbled by witnessing great faith of the mothers who desire to take good care of the precious gift of life God has given them.

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The following are Pro-Life articles of interest:

Life Issues Forum - Inside Repeat Abortions - October 2, 2009

Life Issues Forum - Inside Repeat Abortions - October 6, 2009