“Every life has dignity”

Archbishop Coakley celebrates 2020 Sanctity of Life Mass
 
More than 2,000 faithful participated in this year’s Sanctity of Life Mass at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City and via livestream broadcast to five parishes around the archdiocese.
 
The Sanctity of Life Mass is held every January to coincide with the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court case that made abortion legal.
 
During his homily, Archbishop Coakley called on Catholics, most especially youth, to celebrate life and defend the dignity of every human person from conception to natural end.
 
“God has placed within each one of us an inalienable dignity. … The account of creation reminds us that God created us in his image and in his likeness; that is what gives our lives priceless value. It’s not the state that bestows dignity and value upon us. It’s not the government, it’s our creator,” Archbishop Coakley said during his homily.
 
“We are stewards of this gift of life and it is our responsibility to receive that gift gratefully – to protect and preserve and to cultivate it, especially for the least of our brothers and sisters.”
 
Archbishop Coakley spoke about several pro-life issues in Oklahoma, including abortion, immigration, euthanasia, end of life care and the death penalty.
 
“Be well-informed, be passionate, in order that we might be effective witnesses for the sanctity of life – not just this life or that life. Not just the life of an unborn child, not just the life of a migrant, not just the life of a person on death row, but all life.”
 
Mass was followed by an event called Ignite, which offered a time for reflection, praise and worship for the entire family. Ignite was held simultaneously at the cathedral, Saint John in Edmond, Saint Francis Xavier in Enid, Saint Peter in Woodward, Saint Peter in Guymon and Holy Family in Lawton.
 
Respect life coordinators for the archdiocese, Noelle Garcia McHugh and her husband David McHugh, led the event, which included speaking and music. Archbishop Coakley led the participants in Eucharistic adoration.
 
Diane Clay is editor of the Sooner Catholic.

To find more resources for expectant mothers and families, go online to archokc.org/resources. 
To learn more about the archdiocesan Respect Life Ministry, go online to archokc.org/respectlife.

Photo: Archbishop Coakley blesses a child during the Sanctity of Life Mass Jan. 15 at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City. Photo Cara Koenig/Sooner Catholic.