Each October the Catholic Church throughout the United States observes Respect Life Month. Beginning on Respect Life Sunday, Catholics across the nation join together to witness the inherent equality and transcendent value of every human being from the moment of conception to natural death. We voice our opposition to the injustice and cruelty of abortion on behalf of those victims whose voices have been silenced; while at the same time we remind the living victims of abortion—the mothers and fathers who grieve the loss of an irreplaceable child—that God’s mercy is greater than any human sin, and that healing and peace can be theirs through the sacrament of reconciliation and the Church’s Project Rachel Ministry. The Respect Life Collection is a means by which the People of God in the Diocese of Madison seek to build a culture of life and extend the love of Jesus Christ to protect the weak, the defenseless, and those in special need both locally and internationally. Support is provided through much-needed assistance for vulnerable women including pre-pregnancy and post-birth health services, counseling, and family day-to-day essentials. Educational efforts are also supported which seek to proclaim and witness the moral truth regarding the sanctity of human life in our culture which on the contrary often—with the assistance of government—promotes values inconsistent with the happiness and true good of individuals and society. Past grant recipients have included Elizabeth House of CareNet, the Women’s Care Center, Pregnancy Helpline, Stateline Pregnancy Clinic and the St. Hermine Home for the Destitute in Tamilnadu, India. We ask for your substantial assistance in helping such services of charity and social educational efforts to build a culture of love and life in the Diocese of Madison and beyond.

The International Combined Collection started as a way to help several worthy and needy causes through one single appeal. Your support to this collection will support mission and ministry throughout the world! From building a chapel in the Fiji Islands, to evangelization efforts in Africa, or providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief, the impact of your gift reaches the most remote places of the world, where sometimes help is scarce. With your help and that of others, we can make a difference in the lives of many. Below you will find information on the important causes this collection supports.