The Joy for Life Reaches Many New Hearts

From the start, Love Life’s primary goal has been to help college students build values for a culture of life, supporting the dignity of human life and helping those in crisis pregnancies on campus find the resources they need. Since then, Love Life has reached tens of thousands of college students with the gospel of life, and it has sent hundreds of missionaries to share that message with those most in need of love and support — particularly those in the difficult situation of an unplanned pregnancy.

In our nation, the respect for life touches all corners of society. The defense of the family, adoption, end-of-life care and the physically and mentally handicapped goes hand in hand with the effort to love and convert those participating in abortion, suicide, capital punishment, human trafficking and other practices which negate the true worth and purpose of every person.

On campus, FOCUS has and continues to work to support life in all stages. This past year, Love Life has made great strides in helping college students choose and support life.

40 Days for Life

Regarding building a culture of life, FOCUS hopes to practice what it preaches. This past October, FOCUS staff and their families participated in the local 40 Days for Life campaign. For one of the 40 days which they adopted to volunteer, FOCUS’ Denver Support Center staff prayed and were available for support outside the gates of Planned Parenthood from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mass was celebrated on site with community members as well. It was a beautiful and unitive experience that led to lives being saved.

During the 4:00 hour one afternoon, a woman walked out and approached a FOCUS staff member, saying that her mother dropped her off in the morning and she had been going through preliminary screening and exams all day. After seeing so many families and children walking around outside, though, she said she couldn’t go through with the abortion. Thanks to the loving witness of those outside the facility, two lives were saved that day — and each of those souls will impact all of eternity with their future choices on behalf of life.

2016 Student Leadership Summit

SLS16 was an amazing opportunity for Love Life. Sharing a booth with the Sisters of Life — who are dedicated to the protection of the sanctity of life and who recently brought their convent to Denver — Love Life was able to provide a space for students and other conference attendees to experience a culture of life. Love Life also hosted a lunch session with about 100 students in attendance, where they heard the vision for a pro-life worldview and discussed ways to live out a pro-life lifestyle on campus.

One young woman shared that she always uses her communication classes as an excuse to give a speech about a pro-life topic. She argued that, for those minutes, she has a chance to share the message with her classmates — so woe to her if she should not share the gospel of life! Some additional feedback from SLS was that students are eager to know more about having those essential pro-life conversations on campus, ready to help their peers choose life.

The Life App

One resource for students and the public at large is the Life App, created specifically to help students on campus. A student in crisis (whether it be an unplanned pregnancy, an eating disorder, suicide or another serious issue) is more likely to share their pain with a fellow student than with a missionary or priest. Knowing this, Love Life’s hope is to equip students to be a first responder in this situation and to give their friends the encouragement they need to make the life-saving decision. With the help of the Sisters of Life, the app has been filled with short videos from the Sisters about multiple pro-life topics and guides, such as how to counsel a person in crisis.

One of the most useful sections of the Life App is a crisis pregnancy locator. One reason Planned Parenthood is so successful is because they are branded well, and any student in a pregnancy knows how to find a facility. Depending on the region, it can be difficult to find smaller crisis pregnancy centers, so this locator will simplify that process so students can search their zip code and find the nearest clinic. The app will be continually improved with new and updated content.

Touching Lives and Changing Hearts

The defense of life in all stages begins with and continually returns to the example given to us by God Himself, Who in the greatest act of love made every sacrifice to save us from death and to experience the fullness of life with Him in eternity. The message of a sanctified life in union with Christ has always been FOCUS’ singular goal — and through Him, the Love Life initiative hopes to continue to save lives and souls, one person at a time.

If you would like to help Love Life touch the hearts and lives of college students in defense of the dignity of life, please share the Life App with those you know (search “life app catholic”).

To learn more about how you can help spread the message of life to college students across the nation, visit us at focus.org/lovelife today!


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