Promoting life and well-being
As we parishioners of St. Peter Catholic Church boarded a charter bus on Friday, January 24th, many of us were considering the proposition that "words mean something." We remembered words recently written by our pastor, Fr. Beres, reflecting on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade: “Jesus declared to His apostles on one occasion that He is the way, the truth, and the life. On another, He declared that He came that we might have life and have it to the full.”
We also considered other words that hold great meaning: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
As we well know, words also have consequences. The bus ride to Washington, D.C. and marching for Life behind the banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Supreme Court is the direct consequence of our belief in the words that reflect the will of our Creator.
The consequences and obligations of these words are enduring. So, we will make this bus ride and march until Roe vs. Wade is no more.
We will also heed the encouraging words of our pastor “to aid both with time and treasure the crisis pregnancy centers in the surrounding counties, the Rappahannock Food Pantry, and the Rappahannock Benevolent Fund.”
And we will work with our community to “promote the health and well being, both physically and spiritually of all those in our midst, especially those most vulnerable and in need.”
And that would explain why, just one day after the March for Life, eight Knights of Columbus from St. Peter’s washed dishes, stacked chairs, and helped clean up late at night after the Benevolent Fund Dinner.
The writer is Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council No. 14755.