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Remembering the Fallen on 9/11, Patriot Day
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 September 11th, 2015, marks fourteen years since the worst attack on American soil took the lives of almost 3,000 people. Today, on Patriot Day, we remember and honor those who fell.
In remembrance of this tragic day, the U.S. Congress asks that government entities and other interested organizations lower the flag to half mast and observe a moment of silence for those who have fallen. The USCCB has issued statements and provided materials for liturgical use and reflection. Find these materials and more ways to participate in remembrance here. |
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Stand Up for Life Rally
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 Pro-life supporters and advocates will rally at the Missouri State Capitol on Tuesday, September 15, 2015, from 3-5 p.m. to honor legislators who have taken a stand for the unborn and to encourage MU to cut ties with the abortion industry. The rally will feature a variety of speakers including state senators, MU students, a Missouri Baptist representative, a Missouri Right to Life representative, and MCC Executive Director Mike Hoey.
Participants are invited to sign letters during the rally and will receive materials to act upon from home and to further distribute. The community is encouraged to join this event that will shine the spotlight on those who are working toward ending abortion and encourage those who need to find a way out of the abortion business.
Please join pro-life advocates from around the state at this important rally! This flier can be copied and distributed to encourage attendance and pro-life action. See you on Tuesday, September 15th! |
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Mizzou Abortion Controversy Affects Entire State
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 Mizzou's tie to the abortion industry is not just a concern for people in Columbia or central Missouri. Over 24,500 in-state students attend MU's flagship campus in Columbia, many from metropolitan areas, such as St. Louis and Kansas City. MU was founded in 1839 in Columbia as the first public university west of the Mississippi River. See MU Facts for more.
The University of Missouri is an historic institution that Missourians want to be proud of. To restore the pride and glory of Mizzou the ties with the abortion industry must be broken. If you have not yet contacted MU Chancellor Loftin or the Board of Curators, do so now! Click Action to send a brief pre-composed message. |
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Evidence Emerges that Planned Parenthood in St. Louis May Not Be Involved in Sale of Fetal Tissue
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 Testimony obtained by the Missouri Senate Interim Committee on the Sanctity of Life raised a question about what was happening to fetal tissue from abortions performed at Planned Parenthood in St. Louis. The Missouri Department of Health disclosed, after some delay, that tissue from those abortions is being sent to the St. Louis lab Pathology Services, Inc. for microscopic examination in accord with state law. Questions about what happens to the tissue after this examination were left unanswered.
In a recent interview conducted by St. Louis Review reporter Jennifer Brinker with the operations director at Pathology Services, Inc., the lab says it is not engaged in trafficking fetal body parts. According to the interview, the lab receives the tissue in a container filled with formaldehyde preservative. The tissue is examined and then turned over to a licensed biohazard firm for disposal. The director believes that Pathology Services, Inc. receives all the tissue from the abortion procedures, not just a sample for examination under the microscope.
Pathology Services, Inc. also examines human tissue specimens from non-abortion related surgical procedures to examine them for abnormalities. It serves doctors and hospitals in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa. No evidence has emerged so far that Pathology Services, Inc. receives tissue from abortions that is usable for research. Read more in this St. Louis Review article.
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Prenatal Care Program Slowly Moves Forward
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 A St. Louis Post-Dispatch article this week reports on how the Nixon administration is finally moving forward with the Show-Me Healthy Babies program, which is designed to provide affordable prenatal care to women who do not qualify for Medicaid. The work of the Missouri Catholic Conference in mobilizing citizens is noted as one factor for the decision to move forward. Again, thanks to all MCC Network members who responded to our alerts this summer.
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Pope Calls Upon European Churches to Welcome Refugees
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 Pope Francis this week called upon Churches and religious communities across Europe to take in one refugee family. He has promised to do the same at the Vatican. Europe is facing the greatest displacement of persons since World War II with 4 million people leaving Syria alone due to the civil war there. In the coming year of Jubilee, Francis wants to welcome those fleeing unlivable situations as a way of showing the mercy of Christ. You can read more about the Pope's call to action in this article. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, KY, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a similar call. Read his statement here. |
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Compassion Urged for Immigrants in College Scholarship Program
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 The Missouri General Assembly will convene next Wednesday for its annual veto session, which gives legislators an opportunity to override any veto of Governor Nixon. There is one bill vetoed by the governor - SB 224 - that the MCC hopes will stand. As passed by the general assembly, this bill would bar certain immigrants from receiving A+ college scholarships.
In a letter to legislators the MCC acknowledged the frustration with the fact that A+ funding has slipped recently so that A+ students cannot receive as much scholarship help as in past years. The MCC also noted that A+ does not allow graduates of nonpublic high schools, including Catholic high schools, to receive A+ assistance. But the MCC noted that immigrant students are not to blame for the current problems.
In the letter to legislators, the MCC said creating a just and better-funded A+ would not be accomplished by barring the participation of undocumented students. The MCC said these students are not to blame that they were brought to this country as children and now call Missouri their home. The MCC concluded with a call for compassion: "These young people are just trying to do the right thing: get an education and become productive members of our society. Let's not penalize them for these aspirations, which we all share."
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Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray For Us
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 On the same day as the pro-life rally - next Tuesday - the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. How fitting to reflect on Mary's courageous endurance of suffering while we pray and act to save unborn children from suffering death through abortion. Here is a short audio on Our Lady of Sorrows prepared by the Franciscans. Also see this short video from Gloria.TV. |
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Melissa Ohden of Gladstone, MO testified this week before Congress at hearings investigating the sale of fetal tissue by Planned Parenthood. Ohden, who survived a saline abortion procedure in the 1970's, told her powerful and horrifying story and asked that Congress defund Planned Parenthood. You can view a video of her testimony 
A new video jointly produced by the U.S. Catholic bishops and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) offers a brief primer on what Catholic teaching has to say about our responsibility to care for God's creation. Click