October is Respect Life Month for Catholics in the United States. 

Everyone is encouraged to pray and work for the respect of human life and dignity, from conception to natural death. 

Parishes across the Diocese of Madison have opportunities to pray, volunteer, and contribute in order to help those in need and build a culture of life.

Walking with Moms in Need

One of the programs in the diocese that offers support to women and children is Walking with Moms in Need.

“Our goal is that any pregnant or parenting woman who reaches out to a Catholic parish in our diocese can find the help, support, and accompaniment she needs,” said Melissa Kelley, program supervisor at Walking with Moms in Need for Catholic Charities of Madison. 

“Walking with Moms in Need helps us work toward that goal by equipping people at the local parish level to recognize a need, respond with compassion, and help connect women and families with appropriate resources and support.” 

Walking with Moms in Need is a national initiative from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), but it operates through local parishes, run primarily by lay volunteers, with the pastor’s approval. 

In this diocese, resources and support for volunteers are available through Catholic Charities of Madison. 

“Volunteers would not be expected to figure this out on their own,” said Kelley. 

“The materials and resources are already in place, and Catholic Charities accompanies parish volunteers throughout the process. While volunteers serve women and families at the local level with just a few hours per month of their time, they are also part of a much larger ministry and network of support . . . Our goal is to be with our volunteers every step of the way, so no one has to feel overextended or as though they have gotten in over their heads.”

It’s also a program that can be tailored to the specific needs of the parish. 

“It doesn’t have to look exactly the same in every community,” said Kelley.

If you’re interested in volunteering with Walking with Moms in Need, check if your local parish has a group, or reach out to Kelley at 608-826-8003 or psm@ccmadison.org to find out ways you can help.

Other opportunities

In addition to Walking with Moms in Need, there are dozens of other ways to witness to human life and dignity in the area.

Prayer is, of course, first. 

Some parishes offer pro-life Rosaries or other specific prayers this month, such as St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish hosting the Rosary on the Bridge on Saturday, Oct. 17, in downtown Fort Atkinson, on the corner of Main and Water Sts.

Another invitation to prayer is addressed to those grieving a child lost through miscarriage, abortion, or stillbirth. The Mass of Hope and Healing, celebrated by Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, will be offered on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m., at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 5101 Schofield St., Monona.

Another resource in the diocese is Project Rachel, which offers help to women and men who’ve been impacted by abortion. 

Retreats are offered twice a year in the diocese; the next one is Friday to Sunday, Nov. 6 to 8, and confidential assistance is available all year round. See madisondiocese.org/Rachel to learn more.

There are many ways to volunteer this month, such as keeping vigil with 40 Days for Life, volunteering to serve the elderly or disabled, or assisting organizations that serve women in need, such as the Women’s Care Center in Madison, the Elizabeth House in Marshall, Pregnancy Helpline and Resource Center in Janesville, Pregnancy Resource Center in Portage, and Gianna’s Joy in Lake Mills.

This month is a great time to pursue further knowledge if there are bioethical or pro-life questions you don’t know the Catholic answer to. The USCCB Respect Life website offers answers to many of the essential questions, in both English and Spanish, at usccb.org/prolife.

For those wanting a deeper dive into the scholarship, the National Catholic Bioethics Center offers further resources on their website.

Another idea is to research candidates for November’s election and determine where they stand on the issues of abortion, euthanasia, and other questions of human life and dignity.

This month is also a great time to register with Pro-Life Wisconsin to participate in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., which occurs on January 22, 2027. 

Pro-Life Wisconsin coordinates bus transportation to and from Washington, D. C. from multiple locations in Wisconsin; learn more at prolifewi.org/marchforlifedc.

Local parish efforts

While elections are important, the work of defending human life is first and foremost a question of changing hearts and helping the vulnerable. 

That happens at a much closer level than statewide or national.

Some parishes in the diocese have dedicated Respect Life teams or pro-life committees that would be happy to have your help this month.

In addition to prayer events or direct volunteering, some parishes are running donation drives this month, collecting resources for pregnant women in need.

This can take the form of material donations, such as infant clothes, like at Epiphany of the Lord Parish’s collection in the Sun Prairie area, the Ray of Hope Chest at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison, or the Crib Fill at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison.

Or it can take the form of collecting funds, like at St. John Henry Newman Parish’s baby bottle fundraiser in the Portage area; the bake sale being held after Masses on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18, by the pro-life commission at St. John Paul II Pastorate in the Wisconsin Dells area; “Baby Bottle Boomerang” at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in the Watertown area; or St. Cletus Parish’s newly combined Works of Mercy collection in the Oregon and Stoughton area, which includes pro-life efforts.

Reach out to your parish or check your bulletin to find out how you can be part of its efforts this month. 

If your parish doesn’t have a donation drive, the Diocesan Respect Life Collection — which was held the weekend of October 4 — continues online at madisondiocese.org/respectlife.

Catholics are called to honor human dignity in every person, from before birth all through the person’s life. 

To choose to see the person in front of you, recognize their dignity, and rejoice that they are alive, that God loves them, can be a countercultural decision. 

Sometimes it comes naturally to us; oftentimes, especially when the person is at odds with us, it does not. 

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to draw us to conversion, to teach us to welcome the other person, and to fire up our hearts, that we may have courage to witness to life.

Already victors in Christ, let us embrace our role as protectors of the vulnerable and expand His Kingdom of life to every corner of the earth.

This month, pick one doable step to take to honor human life and dignity and contribute to building a culture of life.

Mary, Mother of Life, pray for us!