Office of Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Gary, Indiana

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States legalized abortion. The Office of Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Gary, Indiana has implemented a pastoral plan for pro-life activities, a campaign in support of life, and is supported by the U.S. Catholic Bishops.

Ordained a priest in May of 1967, Rev. Theodore J. Mens has been the Director of Pro-Life Activities since 1973 and pastor of St. Mary Church in Griffith since 1993.

The program consists of:

I. Public Information and Education - includes the Catholic Community and the general public.

II. Pastoral Care - includes pregnancy services, post-abortion healing and reconciliation; care for those who are chronically ill, disabled or dying; care for prisoners, those on death row; and victims of violent crime.

III. Public Policy Program - includes laws less than perfect; working with the Indiana Catholic Conference.

IV. Prayer and Worship

Implementing the program with the help of the following:

Project Rachel/Rachel's Vineyard Retreats for post-abortive women
Gabriel Project/to assist women in crisis pregnancies
Birth Choice/offering counseling
Children of the Rosary/spiritual healing
Natural Family Planning
Pro-life political efforts/March for Life, Washington D. C. (see the photo collages below)

Education in:

Theology of the Body/chastity program
End of life issues/euthanasia
Stem cell research and human cloning

Recent information:

Read the May 29, 2010 article "New foundation will fund pro-life activities: James Purcell family establishes charitable organization" at the Times newspaper website: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_a8a8f3e9-6b89-55d2-b3d5-bbfdab1fa2fb.html

Websites:

Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary website: http://www.dcgary.org/
The Diocese of Gary, Indiana is part of the Great Lakes Gabriel Project: http://www.glgabrielproject.org/ The Rachel's Vineyard website is at: http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/
The March For Life website is at: http://www.marchforlife.org/

Below is a photo collage from the 2010 March For Life in Washington, D. C.

Led by Reverend Theodore Mens, 105 people including chaperones and eighth graders from St. Mary School in Griffith as well as 54 Knights of Columbus representatives from across Indiana left on January 20 to participate in the 37th annual March for Life in Washington, D. C. on January 22, 2010. While there, we also met with Congressmen Pete Visclosky (Indiana's First Congressional District) and Joe Donnelly (Indiana's Second Congressional District).

Click HERE and a separate window will open where you can view the February 3, 2010 article "St. Mary students join March for Life" at The Times newspaper website.

Below is a photo collage from the 2008 March For Life in Washington, D. C.

Led by Reverend Theodore Mens, the Pro-Life Director for the Diocese of Gary and Pastor of St. Mary Church, 57 people from across the Diocese and the 8th grade class fron St. Mary School in Griffith attended the 35th Annual March for Life in Washington DC. On January 22, 2008, the day 35 years ago that the Supreme Court ruled abortion as legal, this group marched with about 200,000 other people on Capitol Hill with the hopes of some day overturning the Roe vs. Wade decision. The group met with Representative Pete Visclosky on the steps of the Capitol. For some it was their first airplane ride.