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August 27, 2020The first official archdiocesan Luncheon 4 Life was held on Aug. 6 in Oklahoma City. Luncheon 4 Life is a “grassroots luncheon designed to bring together like-minded, life-affirming people.”
Despite the challenges of COVID, masking and social distancing, the local pro-life/respect life community gathered to eat, pray and network. This ecumenical event brought together representatives from the high school Respect Life clubs from all three Catholic high schools, Willow Pregnancy Support, Catholic Charities, Project Gabriel, GoLife Mobile Ultrasound, Knights of Columbus, Gospel of Life Dwellings, Rachel’s Vineyard post-abortion healing retreat teams (Tulsa and Oklahoma City), Life for All International, Grace Home, 40 Days for Life, and many other pastoral leaders from the Oklahoma City area.
Participants heard from Stephanie Simpson from BraveLove, who spoke about the need to de-stigmatize a woman’s decision to place a child for adoption. Simpson shared the importance of changing the language surrounding how pro-lifers discuss adoption – they should honor this choice as a brave and selfless decision on the part of the woman. She said no one should say the woman is “giving up her child” but instead say that she is “making an adoption plan” or “placing” her child with an adoptive family.
Simpson shared her story of discovering she was pregnant at a young age, knowing this was the decision she needed to make for her child.
The next Luncheon 4 Life will feature Luis Soto, assistant executive director of the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis, who will speak on “The Challenges to Life Faced in the Hispanic Community.” This free event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 3 will be catered. Space limited. RSVP to respectlife@archokc.org.
Noelle Garcia McHugh is coordinator of the Respect Life Ministry for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
Luncheon 4 Life - Sept. 3 - Free
RSVP respectlife@archokc.org
archokc.org/prolife-events
Photo: Stephanie Simpson speaks to participants at the first Luncheon 4 Life on Aug. 6 in Oklahoma City. Photo Suzanne Gaytan.
