Program culminates with collection of baby items to assist local mothers in need.

On May 11, 2018, John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School held a “baby shower” as part of their participation in the Spiritual Adoption Program. The items donated included diapers, wipes, onesies, outfits, blankets, burp cloths, pacifiers, bottles, lotions, and a baby stroller.  These items will be given to Guiding Star Ministries and the Sisters of Life – both based in Philadelphia.

At the beginning of the current school year, under the guidance and leadership of Father Christopher Lucas, the school minister, John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School students, pledged to pray for their spiritually adopted children throughout the course of the nine months. Each month, a new poster was displayed with information about the development of the child within the womb.  Students and faculty visually followed the growth of the unborn at each stage of development.

Denise Kassekert, President of John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School, said, “This was a positive opportunity for our school community to support life and the efforts of new mothers to raise their children.”

The Spiritual Adoption Program, initiated in 1991, provides an opportunity for children, teens, adults and senior citizens to prayerfully intercede on behalf of mothers and unborn children threatened by abortion. Participants in this program adopt a baby known by God to be at risk of abortion by pledging to pray the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen prayer daily for nine months. The prayer is “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of [baby’s name] the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.”

The goal of the program is threefold: to encourage prayers for babies in danger of abortion and for their parents, educate students and adults about the development of babies in the womb, and to provide material assistance to mothers in need through a “baby shower” or “birthday party” at the conclusion of the program.

Guiding Star Ministries is a home for single pregnant women and their children located in Philadelphia. Through counseling, group meetings, and a nurturing faith-based environment, residents work toward total independence.  During their stay, mothers must pursue employment or education.  Guiding Star Ministries aim for every resident is to build a solid foundation of faith and responsibility that will help them become successful.

The Sisters of Life are a contemplative and active religious community of women founded in 1991 by the late Archbishop of New York, Cardinal John O’Connor for the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life. Like all religious communities, they take three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They are also consecrated under a special, fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. The Sisters offer the women encouragement and support, accompanying them to doctors’ appointments and hospitals, referring them to local resources and by lifting up the city in prayer.

For information about John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School please visit, http://jwhallahan.com/.

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Editor’s Note:
For more information about Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit www.aopcatholicschools.org/. For information about Faith in the Future, please visit http://faithinthefuture.com/.

 

Contact:

Meredith Wilson
Media and Events Specialist
215-587-3747