Are you as fired up from the last few days as I am?? The March was amazing. The speakers and programming were powerful. Now comes the hard part: going home and living out the commitment we made on Friday night. As Fr. Fallon emphasized, the March for Life should not be the only pro-life thing you do this year. Generation Life should be just the start of living out the Gospel of Life. Are you looking for some ways to get active?

Here are just a few ideas of things you can do to begin proclaiming the Gospel of Life:

Participate in a Monthly Pro-Life Witness at Home

Was one of the highlights of Generation Life participating in the public witness of the March? Did you enjoy praying with others for life?

You can do the same thing every month in St. Louis! Every third Saturday of the month, there is a pro-life Mass at the Cathedral Basilica followed by a Rosary walk to Planned Parenthood and back. Called the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants Mass, this monthly event is organized by the Respect Life Apostolate.  This is a great way to keep living out the Generation Life experience with others. Grab some of your new friends who came with you on the Generation Life pilgrimage or some friends from school or youth group, participate in the Mass and Rosary, and then stop for coffee and breakfast in the Central West End. It’s a fantastic way to start your weekend! Click here to get active in this way.

Organize a Collection Drive for Babies and Families in Need

Do you like organizing events? Are you ready to offer tangible help to families in need?

Good Shepherd Children & Family Services has a program called “Collect to Connect.” You can take a tour of Good Shepherd and learn about their work assisting women in crisis pregnancies, children in foster care, and adoption assistance. Then coordinate a collection drive for one or more of their programs at your school or parish. Items often needed include diapers and baby clothes. This activity would be a great opportunity for your youth group or respect life club to be a tangible way to live out the corporal works of mercy. To get active this way, click here.

Serve Those From a Different Background

Is jumping into an arranged pro-life opportunity more your speed? Do you feel called to serve those from a different background than you?

Project Life is a week-long event for teens to come to know and recognize Jesus in themselves and in the people they serve. This program, offered by the Office of Youth Ministry, is an amazing opportunity for service at different locations throughout St. Louis, spiritual growth, and, of course, getting to know other teens interested in serving those in need. Project Life takes place in June so it’s a great chance to dive deep over your summer break. If you’re interested in getting active in this way, click here.

Another option is to volunteer at the St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store. The store provides material goods to neighbors in need such as when people lose their homes due to a fire or storm or when people need to escape domestic violence. Money earned from the store helps fund programs for the poor such as helping pay rent and utility bills. Volunteers are needed to help sort donations, stock shelves, and other store upkeep needs. Volunteering here gives you the chance to help out in a retail environment while helping out an organization that does tremendous good. In 2014, the St. Vincent de Paul Society  in our Archdiocese helped over 260,000 people, provided $6.3 million in direct aid and $6.1 million in in-kind goods to those in need. Click here to get involved in this way.

 

These are just a few of the opportunities available to get active. There are even more opportunities under the “Get Active” tab on the Generation Life 365 page. Check back often as new opportunities will be posted.

Admittedly, proclaiming the Gospel of Life requires taking a risk. Maybe your friends at school won’t understand why you are pro-life. Perhaps they will even give you trouble for wanting to get active. Hopefully being on this pilgrimage will help you realize you are not alone. Hundreds of thousands of other young people across the country – and over 2,000 from our Archdiocese – are standing with you. You may be a force of one, but you are not alone!