Pro-Life Ministry fosters a respect for all life from conception to natural death. Pro-lifers both talk the talk and walk the walk, by educating about the sanctity of all lives, especially those threatened by abortion and other lethal violence such as euthanasia, war, and capital punishment, and by striving to directly help people in danger and need.
The St. Ignatius parish community supports the pro-life cause in many ways:
" Members of St. Ignatius are very active with the Wilkes-Barre Pro-Life Center, which provides material and moral support to expectant and new mothers in need and their babies and families, helping them to choose life. This all-volunteer ministry receives no government or diocesan funding. They get their funding from their yearly rummage sale, baby bottle collections, the Mothers' Day carnation sale, and donations. As a parish we support the Center in these ways:

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• St. Ignatius holds an annual baby bottle collection to raise donations for the Center. Parishioners can take a bottle home and return it filled with change.

• We participate in the Mothers' Day Carnation sale where people can buy carnations for a living or deceased mother, grandmother, or other loved one. Proceeds benefit the Pro-Life Center.o

• We hold a baby shower in the winter. Parishioners may contribute baby clothing, diapers and other baby needs for the Center to distribute.

• Parishioners are also very active in peace groups such as the Wilkes-Barre Interfaith Resource Center for Peace and Justice, and the Consistent Life Network, an international pro-life, pro-peace-consistently pro-life-coalition that promotes respect for life at all stages."

• As a parish community, we pray during Mass in the general intercessions for respect for unborn life and all life, and for world peace. We promote the dignity of lives not always respected by society through our prison ministry, and our shawl ministry which provides prayer shawls and lap robes to nursing home guests and others needing comfort."

Note: The Wilkes-Barre Pro-Life Center's annual banquet takes place every fall at Genetti's. The banquet isn't a fundraiser but purely a celebration of life and an acknowledgement of the great work of its volunteers, and the donors and prayer supporters who make the work possible. There's music, rousing speeches by nationally known pro-life heroes and heroines, and prayer led by priests and other local faith leaders from different traditions.
The Wyoming Valley Chapter of Pennsylvanians for Human Life announced its 35th annual Respect Life Banquet for Monday, February 17, 2020 @ 6 p.m. at the Woodlands Resort. Tickets are $35 per person. Mail payment of $35 (include a phone number) to PHL, 31 Hanover St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702, by February 12, 2020.