Schools in diocese help promote life during Respect Life Month

By JAMIE MCCLURE, Globe reporter
Oct. 11, 2007

During Respect Life Month, Catholic Schools throughout the Diocese of Sioux City find various ways to promote life.

BISHOP HEELAN HIGH SCHOOL

At Bishop Heelan High School, they will adopt grandparents from Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City and collect items for babies, giving half to Cathedral of the Epiphany and half to the Birthright of Siouxland Center. They are starting the baked goods collection the week of Oct. 9.

They are also getting their life core group together, which is their Living In Faith Enthusiastically Group, to go to Mass at Cathedral of the Epiphany on Oct. 14 for the Disabilities Mass.

"The students reactions are good to the projects," said Kathryn Fairchild, director of campus ministry at Bishop Heelan.

On Oct. 2., the life core group also drew phrases on the sidewalk including 'honor those who gave life you life,' 'respect life' and 'everyone counts'.

"The kids had a lot of fun," said Fairchild.

GEHLEN HIGH SCHOOL IN LE MARS

At Gehlen High School in Le Mars, they plan to host the second Cluster Right to Life liturgy on Oct. 24. Their first liturgy was Oct. 3.

"It is important to incorporate students into Respect Life Month because in order for our students to be able to exemplify the four pillars of the Catholic Church, we at Gehlen feel that we need to do everything we can to help individuals understand the church's lessons on respecting life whether it is for the unborn or for individuals who are facing life-threatening illnesses," said Lisa Niebuhr, development director for Gehlen.

In the past, Gehlen has done a liturgy at their school. Niebuhr also said the school felt it was important to invite the whole cluster to join them as they demonstrate the church's standing on morality.

"The kids are very excited about being involved in Respect Life Month and the director of campus ministry for Gehlen is exploring the possibility of some of the students going to Washington D.C. to lobby and show their beliefs on right to life," said Niebuhr.

The Director of Campus Ministry for Gehlen, Lisa Sitzmann said the students would be teaming up with Remsen St. Mary School to protest at Planned Parenthood on Oct. 23. She also said the school is inviting people to talk about pro-life issues in some of their theology classes.

"We carry over Respect Life Month into November, which is Homeless Awareness Month," said Sitzmann. "We are going to have a cardboard box sleepover on Nov. 7. The students will sleep in their boxes overnight and go straight to school the next day."

She also said all students K-12, faculty and staff will be eating porridge, which she said is a majority of what the world eats on a daily basis.

"We promote a lot of service here at Gehlen and we support the mission trip to Honduras," said Sitzmann. "We try to teach the students respect life to the poor, helping to feed them and collecting money throughout the school year."

Sitzmann also said, "It is extremely important to teach students in every facet of life from conception to natural death. Life is to be respected and the students have to learn that at a young age, and also learn that it will never change throughout their lifetime."

Last year, Gehlen had a Respect Life Liturgy and a prayer service where pins were passed out to wear on everyone's shirts. This year, they are going to invite a pregnant mother/expectant mother, someone who just delivered a baby and some of the disabled to celebrate Mass with them.

"We have high energy here at Gehlen and our kids take an idea and run with it," said Sitzmann. "I am so proud of their energy towards positive things in their life."

SACRED HEART GRADE SCHOOL IN BOONE

At Sacred Heart Grade School in Boone, they start their week of in October with prayers led by the students. They also have in front of their entrance baby shoes, which are placed around their Statue of Jesus with signs talking about how many lives are lost because of abortion. There is another display set up by the schools St. Theresa Statue.

"We are using different Respect Life themes during the four weeks of October," said Principal Jeff Lynch.

Posters line the hallways, featuring weekly themes such as, 'respect family,' 'respect life,' 'respect our country' and 'respect our neighborhood.'"

"We have posted posters in the hallways that say something like respect family, respect our country and respect our neighborhood. Each week is centered on a different theme."

Through these projects, Lynch said students learn the importance of respecting life in all stages and the value of every life.

ST. ROSE OF LIMA GRADE SCHOOL IN DENISON

At St. Rose of Lima Grade School in Denison, students and faculty will be learning how to make a pro-life string bead rosary. On Oct. 12, the students will gather to learn how to tie the knots and string the symbolic color-coded beads established for pro-life prayers.

"This event is scheduled one day before the 90th anniversary date of the Miracle of the Sun, Our Blessed Mother's promised miracle during her appearances at Fatima, Portugal," said Kathleen Eckerman, a teacher at St. Rose of Lima.

On Oct. 17, Father Paul Kelly will bless the children's rosaries during the weekly school Mass.

The students will come together again on Oct. 22 to recite a pro-life rosary. They will gather in the parish mediation yard near the newly dedicated monument the Unborn Child.

"Children, teachers, classroom prayer partners and parish members are invited to join in saying the rosary, hear Mary's messages and learn why respecting all life is so important," said Eckerman.

She also said, "It's important to incorporate students into Respect Life Month because it's such an important issue both from the unborn child all the way to natural death. I think there is such a cultural death in the world that we need to start teaching to the kids at a young age about respect for life."