In the year 2000, the Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities. Parishes were asked to develop Respect Life Programs as outlined by the USCCB .

The main goal of St. Mary's Respect Life group in response to the USCCB Pastoral Plan is to provide activities and materials for our parish to work to restore the sanctity of all life which has been attacked and infiltrated by a culture death. Many of the laws that have nurtured the culture of death have been fostered by organizations that provide lucrative social programs that are immoral and clearly against God's laws. Working with the Archdiocese of New York Respect Life/ Family Life Office, we obtain materials directed towards attaining the above stated goals.

We meet the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM in the previous convent building meeting room. We pray the rosary to begin our meetings.

Parish activities that we have initiated and promoted in/for our parish follows:

• Pro-Life Sunday is the first Sunday in October during which we participate in a Life Chain along Route 9 in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Other parishes also hold Life Chains in their town near their church on this day. This is the kick-off of pro-life activities for the next 9 months.

• Spiritual Adoption program ,which we have conducted twice in our parish, provides an avenue to involve our entire parish to participate. Once signed up to spiritually adopt a baby, participants are asked to pray a short prayer daily for unborn babies targeted for abortion. This runs for 9 months with the progress of the baby's development noted in the bulletin and displayed each month. At the end of the 9 months, a parish wide “baby shower” is conducted. The baby gifts are donated to local pro-life facilities to aid their efforts to actually help mothers who may be pregnant with already young children in the household and to counsel them if they are tempted to seek an abortion.

• Bus trip to Washington D.C. To participate in the annual March for Life we charter a bus for our parish and others in Dutchess to travel to D.C. on January 22, the anniversary of Roe v Wade. We take up one pro-life canister collection each fall to use to defray the individual cost of the bus to D.C. Students have reduced fees. Again, we work with other parishes to fill the bus(es) to D.C.

• Local Rosary Procession. For those not going to Washington D.C. on a bus , a local rosary procession is conducted around Planned Parenthood after Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in a Local Church. This may coincide with bus to D.C. or it may be conducted on the nearest available day to the 22nd of Legislation for/against life When we are made aware of proposed State or Federal legislation which will affect the culture of life, we investigate as to what pro-life position we should take and pass it on to our parishioners for them to take action with their representatives. Again, we will work with the Archdiocese of NY to follow the best path in this effort.

• National Night of Prayer for Life This is usually scheduled on December 8 from 9 PM to 1 AM , the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The purpose is to unite our prayers with Catholics throughout the country in an effort to help bring back the world to Christ and to bring an end to abortion.

• Divine Mercy Sunday We support and arrange the Divine Mercy service in church on the afternoon of Divine Mercy Sunday. There is a special Divine Mercy novena which is recommended to be prayed starting on Good Friday and ending on this Sunday. A special indulgence can be obtained provided normal requirements for this indulgence are followed. We have a beautiful Divine Mercy Image which was donated by a member several years ago. It is used during this service.

• Expectant Family Service Cardinal O'Connor started this service with prayer cards, medals and special prayers for the expectant families. A few times a year we post in the bulletin a request for expectant mothers to join us in this celebration of their unborn babies at a Sunday Mass for the safe pregnancy and delivery of the baby. The entire family is included in this service. A red rose is also given to the mother. A small reception is provided by our group after the Mass.

• Forty Days for Life This program which is conducted twice a year in Dutchess County (and Nationally) gives us a concerted effort to address abortion in a peaceful legal way at Planned Parenthood. Web sites are available for prayer and life chains during these time frames. Forty Days for Life is an international Christian program. Most Parishes participate in this effort with prayer and fasting at Planned Parenthood. It requires financial aid and leadership support to participate. Web sites are available with information on Forty Days for Life.