CHERRY HILL – Holding her 3-month-old, Lauriella Rose, Tonya Riggins recalled her own mother making a life-affirming choice.
“When she married my father, she was seven months pregnant with me,” Riggins explained. As her mother was pregnant and out of wedlock, others told her to abort the child, but her mother didn’t listen.
Riggins, inspired by her mother’s love, is now co-leader of the Respect Life Ministry at Church of the Holy Family in Sewell. She and three others from her parish were among the 30 people to attend the “Building a Culture of Life” event held Oct. 3 at Saint Thomas More Parish.
The evening, she said, was “an opportunity to learn more.”
Presenters from pro-life groups Generation Life and Embrace Grace spoke on their work and the importance of creating a culture of life in parishes, homes and neighborhoods.
“We teach students and youth the joyful message of chastity and how good God has created them,” said Lisa Eshleman, from the nonprofit Generation Life.
An organization of young women and men who educate on pro-life and chastity, and seek to end abortion, Generation Life engages their peers in schools across the Diocese of Camden, the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond.
“We’re not only living in a culture of death, but a cycle of death,” Eshleman said, adding that her group aims to let youth know that “they can break free of that cycle and pursue virtue every day of their lives. We talk to them [young people] about the reality of abortion and the joyful wonder of the human person, and affirm not only the dignity of others, but ourselves.”
Faith Schnaak, executive director of Generation Life, affirmed attendees in their own pro-life work. “God bless you for being here, because your dedication and prayers are making [the pro-life] mission possible. Your prayers matter, and your work matters.”
Francesca Dominguez explained the work of the Embrace Grace ministry; she is co-leader of the chapter at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Williamstown.
“We come alongside pregnant women, walk them through their pregnancy and love them,” she explained of their work, which includes an in-person support and encouragement group for pregnant women, and a gift-laden baby shower.
Mentioning that the women Embrace Grace helps more often than not come from “a cycle of broken relationships and broken hearts,” Dominguez said, “[They] don’t have the voices around them to say, ‘You’re worthy. You mean something. God loves you.’”
Every woman she and her group come into contact with, “We’re going to show them how God sees them,” Dominguez said. “We give each of them a mirror, and we have them write alongside it ‘worthy, valued, loved,’ so that when they look in the mirror, they see these words and believe them.”
In the midst of football, and baseball playoff season, she used a sports metaphor to express how vital it is to stand up for life and dignity. “We need to show the world that as Catholics, we want to get in the game, and we’re going to be there for every play.”
After the presentations, attendees visited with one another and the guest speakers, discussing plans to bring the missions of Generation Life and Embrace Grace back to their communities.
“The young Church needs to hear their messages,” said Lois Dark, coordinator of the Pro-Life Ministry at Saint Simon Stock Parish, Berlin.
“I’ve already booked Generation Life to speak next year at my parish during Respect Life Month 2024,” she continued excitedly, adding that she’s hopeful they can soon address the parish youth preparing for confirmation. “We want to get them before they go off [to higher education].”
Dark was also appreciative of the opportunity to “be with other pro-life leaders just as engaged.”
The Saint Simon Stock Pro-Life Ministry, she said, has been busy this month with a baby bottle drive and spiritual adoptions, where participants pray for an unborn child.
Dr. Michael Sims, the Diocese of Camden’s director of Life and Justice, which sponsored the event, noted that the “infectious enthusiasm of the speakers … energized and challenged all … to make connections with youth on authentic love and journey with pregnant women in crisis.”
“Awareness was heightened, and in-roads were made,” he said.
Sister Ann Byrnes, RSM, Saint Thomas More’s pastoral associate for Lifelong Faith Formation, said it was important to showcase “these important groups that do so much to build a culture of life.”
What was brought forth that night, she is confident, will bear much fruit. “We learned, and we’ll share it with our children and grandchildren,” she said.
Riggins, present with the youngest of her seven children in the parish hall, said she recognizes the blessings of life, and was pleased to hear from leaders who espouse “a joyful, peaceful approach to the sacredness of life, and show God’s love and mercy.”
“I want to bring the message of human value and dignity, and the importance of living and loving fully as God intended us to, to my children and all those around me,” she said.
For more information on Embrace Grace, visit embracegrace.com. For more information on Generation Life, visit generationlife.org.
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