Every human life is precious, created uniquely by God. St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church invites you to proclaim Christ through our Respect Life Ministry. From regular prayer to public demonstrations to service and giving opportunities, we hope your whole family will find a way to support a greater respect for life from conception to natural death.
October is Respect Life Month! Use the menu below to browse activities to promote a greater respect for human life.
Friday, April 11th
40 Days for Life is a national campaign designed to unite the Body of Christ with a common focus on protecting lives from the evil of abortion. The community will unite in a 40-day, non-stop, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside Planned Parenthood in a peaceful demonstration that every life matters.
Learn more about the national 40 Days for Life Campaign.
You can participate at home, in our adoration chapel or on-site at the Bellevue Abortion Clinic at 1002 Mission Ave. Bellevue, NE.
Sign up to pray & advocate for the unborn using the link below. More information included in the signup.
Wednesday, April 9th
Join us for the 11th Annual Catholics at the Capitol on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, from 8 AM – 3 PM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in downtown Lincoln! This is your chance to live out your faith in action, learning how to advocate effectively for policies that protect life, uphold family values, and promote justice for the common good.
This year’s theme, “Courage of the Saints,” reminds us that we stand on the shoulders of countless faithful who boldly defended truth in the public square. Their strength inspires us to engage in advocacy with both conviction and charity.
Venerable Fulton Sheen encouraged the faithful to spiritually adopt someone who was vulnerable and pray for them. Here at St. Stephen the Martyr, we are doing a Spiritual Adoption Project for unborn children.
Many parents experience the sad loss of a child before birth, due to miscarriage or even to abortion. We invite you to pray a child to birth – asking God for health of the baby, and to give the parents of these children the grace they need. Only God knows which child needs your prayers, but your prayers are powerful!
Sign up to commit to praying for nine months from January-October. Monthly resources will be emailed to help you pray for the child! You can still join the project here: Sign Up Here
I, ____________________________, will pray daily:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
I love you very much.
I pray to you for the unborn child
that I have spiritually adopted
whose life and health is in danger.
Baby’s Name: _____________(choose a name for your baby)
Due Date: Our Spiritual Adoption Program will end in October, capped with the many pro-life activities during Respect Life Month.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to protect our named baby in its mother’s womb. Please give the parents of these children the help they need to keep their babies strong and healthy. Amen.
Your spiritually adopted baby has been making progress developing his/her external features and internal organs. His/her brain is functioning at 40 days. His/her mother can hear the heartbeat now on an ultrasonic stethoscope. His/her milk-teeth buds are present at 6 1/2 weeks.
And it has been reported that a tw0-month old baby can suck his/her thumb. From this moment onward, your spiritually adopted baby grows and refines his body.
But everything he/she needs to survive once he is born is already present by the end of the eighth week. At 2 months the fetus is about 1 inch long and weighs less than 1/3 ounce. He/she begins to move, although the mother cannot yet feel it.
This fetus is a distinct human being with a unique genetic code, and therefore possesses inherent dignity and the right to life! Thank you for praying for my precious life to be spared!
Thank you for spiritually adopting and praying for your unborn baby.
Join in praying during the 9 Days for Life, a novena for the protection of human life held Jan. 16th-24th. Each morning at 7:45 AM (8:30 AM on Sunday), the Knights of Columbus will lead the prayer in the Worship Space. Can’t attend in person? Use the link to receive daily prayer reminders to pray the Novena at home.
Join Catholics throughout the country on Wednesday, Jan. 22nd as the Church in the United States observes the annual “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” This day is set aside to pray for the legal protection of human life and to do penance for the violations to human dignity through abortion. We are called to observe this day through prayer and penance. Learn more at: respectlife.org/january-22.
First Monday of each month | 7 PM | Worship Space
Each first Monday of the Month, Respect Life Ministry will host a Respect Life Holy Hour to pray for a greater respect for human life. Exposition, Adoration and Benediction will be held at 7 PM in the Worship Space. Join us for as little or as much time as possible. Thank you for praying for this intention!
School & RE students in grades 3-6: submit your “Culture of Life” themed artwork to the state-wide Knights of Columbus Pro-Life Art Contest! Information was sent home with your student, or visit nebraskakofc.org/programs/culture-of-life-art-contest.html.
September 11 – November 3
Join your parish family in praying for Life in Nebraska. The 54-Day Novena of Life, offered through Mary in Christ, is a very powerful prayer. As we are alive in the body of Christ, our prayer together inspires conversation. Please join us and invite your friends and families as we continue to “Fight Like Heaven” to get the word out on the upcoming ballot initiatives in November.
For more information and how to pray the Novena, visit 54daynovenaforlife.com
Join the St. Stephen the Martyr Respect Life Ministry Flocknote group to stay connected with the Ministry’s work and all of the latest Respect Life news.
Complete the form below to sign up!
Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and our neighborhoods. As Pope Francis reminds us, our parishes need to be “islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference.” Everyone in the parish community should know where to refer a pregnant woman in need.
The 25th anniversary of Evangelium vitae gave us a wonderful opportunity to begin to assess, expand, and communicate resources to pregnant moms and families in need. Parishes are invited, through the support of their bishop and pastor, to join this nationwide effort entitled, Walking with Moms in Need.
Nebraskansembracinglife.org website contains a comprehensive directory of pro-life organizations and resources. Click here to view the Nebraska Pro-Life Directory
Sunday, Oct. 6th | South side of Dodge from 82nd-90th streets
Own the message. Let Omaha know that Pro-Life is pro-love, pro-woman, and pro-information! This will be a peaceful prayer demonstration where parishes across the archdiocese unite in prayer for one hour to
Join in the Life Chain on Sunday, October 6th from 2-3 PM. Parishioners and school families are asked to gather on the south side of Dodge from 82nd-90th streets. Meet at 1:15 PM in the Gathering Space to carpool. Signs will be provided.
Especially as we prepare to protect Life at the polls in November, the Archbishop has encouraged all to come out in record numbers this year with parish families and friends to positively pray, sing, wave, and smile to continue to defend life & truth.
