Oct 8, 2025 11 min read

September & October 2025 Newsletter

October is Respect Life Month

Featured article: "What Homeschoolers Can Do?"

Rachel Piazza, Employee of the Charlotte Lozier Institute

As homeschoolers, have you ever been asked “how do you make friends?” or “I don’t think I could survive without social interaction”? Me too. I don’t know about you but as a homeschooled high schooler, I never felt segregated or like I had no social life. The only disadvantage I thought I had came from a burning passion to contribute to the pro-life movement, but I had no idea where to start. Sound familiar at all?

Maybe it’s not the pro-life movement that gets you fired up. Maybe it’s second amendment rights, free speech, or tax issues (are high schoolers interested in tax issues? Economics still bore me but you do you). Whatever it is, a lot of gen z seems to gravitate toward some area of policy they wish they could do something about. But as a teenager, “stuck at home with no social interaction,” what are you supposed to do about it? Think about it this way: as a homeschooler, you actually have a special advantage over your brick-and-mortar-schooled peers. Despite the claims that homeschoolers are so secluded from society, your greatest advantage as a homeschooler is actually how integrated you are and how flexible your schedule can be! I think there’s something funny about the “homeschooler” stigma that they don’t have experience in the real world. After all, it’s much more real-world to be going to the grocery store with your mom, to be involved in church activities, and to spend time with people of different ages than it is to be in a classroom with the same people every day. When it comes to making a difference, your integration is your greatest advantage.

You’ve probably been encouraged to do proactive things, like writing a letter to your state representative, or being present at a campaign like the March for Life. And don’t get me wrong: those are outstanding things you can do to change policy! But at least in my humble opinion, that is not actually the most productive way.

So, what is the best way? Well, it’s actually something that you as homeschoolers have quite a bit of influence over. The best way to change policy is by changing culture. Believe it or not, a conversation with someone in the grocery store is more powerful than a constituent letter. Why? Because you don’t change minds with politicians. You change minds by changing hearts. Let’s take the pro-life movement, for example. Most abortions happen when the mother doesn’t know what to do and her family pushes her toward abortion, convincing her it’s the only way. How many babies would be saved if hope was normalized and reflected in our society? And how do we normalize anything except by making it part of our culture?

But what even is a culture? Saying we need to change culture is so vague! True. Let me break it down. When something is truly a part of our culture, it is included in normal everyday vocabulary. It is expressed in our current art: in stories, movies, and TV shows. You see it on social media and don’t even bat an eye since it’s just a normal thing to come across. Now imagine if it is messages of life that are the subject of current movies. Imagine people saw a pregnant woman in public and congratulated her instead of asking her if she’s going to keep the baby. That’s the kind of world you can help create.

God gave each of you a gift, a skill. It could be writing, public speaking, cooking, sports, etc. Don’t fight it. Use it to normalize a culture of life. And be creative, let people see you. Wherever you are (grocery store, church, on a walk, at a coffee shop, thrifting), show the world, one little act at a time, how love is what drives the pro-life cause. That’s how you change culture. That’s how you change policy.

Featured Article: "To Be Like a Child"

Melia Sanfelice

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

What is it about little children that Jesus is referring to? Whenever I would read that verse, I always thought that I didn't want to grow up, if doing so would make me unable to enter Heaven. But, as I learned, it is not the age that Jesus is talking about: it is the child's actions and dispositions that He requires. What, specifically, is Jesus pointing out? In contemplating this question and how it applies to the pro-life movement, I was surprised to find that there are striking similarities between what children embody and what we, who desire to fight for life, need. The first of a child's qualities necessary to enter Heaven is belief. Children believe everything they are told; for example, that a man in a red suit really does fit down the chimney. However, they don't only believe things that we tell them, they also believe what they know from their own experience or discovery to be true. I will demonstrate this with a story. My mom is going to have a baby, and my two and a half year old brother Sebastian knows that there's a real, live baby in my mom's stomach – something that many adults miss. Furthermore, he has named this baby. One day we were discussing how the name Benedict would be a great name for the baby if it is a boy (we don't find out till it's born) and then the nicknames Dick and Dicky were suggested. Not missing a beat, Sebastian, who had just recently started talking more, turned around and said to the baby “Hi Dicky!” Now whenever any of us asks him, “What's the baby's name?” he says “Dicky!” He knows that the baby is worthy of a name, and, what's more, life. Children believe.

Another thing that comes naturally to children is telling the truth, in any circumstance. A few years ago one of my other brothers, who was almost four at the time, came across a very tall man who was bald. My brother looked up at him and said, “Mama, that man has no hair!” It was very funny for us (but probably not for the man). Kids don't dance around the truth.

A third admirable characteristic about children is that they trust completely. I will demonstrate this with one more story. At any time, you can pick up my little brother, set him on a high table, stand in front of him and say, “Come!” He will then fall into your arms, not counting the cost, not worrying if you can catch him, just trusting that since you told him to come, you will take care of everything else. I think that as we age, we lose that trust, in those around us and in God. Why? Is it because they have proven themselves untrustworthy?

Maybe the people around us act unfaithfully, but never God. He is always there, ready to catch us if we trust Him enough to jump. We need all these qualities. We need to believe in what we are fighting for; we need to be able to tell the truth to others even when it's hard; and we need to trust Jesus. He has called us to protect the unborn, and we must be willing to do it, not counting the cost, not worrying if we will be able to accomplish everything, just trusting that since God called us to do it, He will take care of everything else. To be like a child doesn't end when we grow up – in reality we should never stop being like them, trusting our good Father when our strength falls short as we continue to advocate for life.

Prayers

O Jesus, you came that we might have life—and have it in abundance. Together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, you form us in our mothers' wombs and call us to love you for all eternity.

As your most precious gift of human life is attacked, draw us ever closer to your Real Presence in the Eucharist. Dispel the darkness of the culture of death, for you are the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

By the power of your Eucharistic Presence, help us to defend the life of every human person at every stage. Transform our hearts to protect and cherish all whose lives are most vulnerable.

For you are God, forever and ever. Amen.

Heavenly Father, in the sacrament of Baptism, you have given us the gift of new life. Through your son our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, you have made us your own.

Help us to recognize the gift of human life as a sign of hope in our world.

Reveal to us the places where your precious gift of life is most in need of protection and strengthen us to defend life in all stages and circumstances, from the child in the womb to the elderly and dying.

Guided by your Holy Spirit, guard us from discouragement and give us the grace to be messengers of hope, filled with confidence that nothing can separate us from your love.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Quotes

"But responsibility likewise falls on the legislators who have promoted and approved abortion laws, and, to the extent that they have a say in the matter, on the administrators of the health-care centers where abortions are performed. In this sense abortion goes beyond the responsibility of individuals and beyond the harm done to them, and takes on a distinctly social dimension. It is a most serious wound inflicted on society and its culture by the very people who ought to be societys promoters and defenders." – Saint Pope John Paul II, Evangelium vitae (1995), no. 59.

"Christ needs you to enlighten the world and to show it the "path to life" (Psalm 16:11). The challenge is to make the Church’s "yes" to Life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!" – Saint Pope John Paul II, Homily on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1993

"Every individual, precisely by reason of the mystery of the Word of God Who was made flesh (cf. Jn 1:14), is entrusted to the maternal care of the Church. Therefore every threat to human dignity and life must necessarily be felt in the Church's very heart; it cannot but affect her at the core of her faith in the Redemptive Incarnation of the Son of God, and engage her in her mission of proclaiming the Gospel of life in all the world and to every creature (cf. Mk 16:15)." – Saint Pope John Paul II, Evangelium vitae

"As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live." – Saint Pope John Paul II, Homily, Perth, Australia, Nov. 30, 1986

"No Catholic can responsibly take a "pro-choice" stand when the "choice" in question involves the taking of innocent human life." – Resolution on Abortion

Memes

News

Jeremiah Drake

The Latest on the "Human Life Protection Act" in South Carolina

Students for Life Action has been hard at work lobbying, testifying, and advocating for life in South Carolina, especially in support of the "Human Life Protection Act", which would end all abortions in the state. Sadly, the bill has been held up by legislators who claimed to be pro-life, one of whom even co-sponsored the bill. Read Kristan Hawkin's letter to the South Carolina General Assembly below.

California Lawmakers Pass New, Far-Reaching Shield Law

SFLAction reports that California has passed a new shield law that will allow California abortionists to anonymously mail Chemical Abortion Pills, protecting criminals and abusers from any prosecution or accountability. Highlighting the fact that most Abortion Pills in the country are shipped from California-based pharmacies, SFLAction warns that this far-reaching bill will endanger the very fabric of the Union. Additionally, the bill fully removes all parental consent requirements for minors seeking abortion.

Texas Legislature Passes Revolutionary "Women & Child Protection Act"

According to SFLAction and Kristan Hawkins, loopholes have enabled Chemical Abortion distributors to illegally mail these deadly pills into states that prohibit their sale. The groundbreaking, first of its kind, "Women & Child Protection Act" recently passed in Texas allows local prosecutors to take action, offering awards of up to $100,000. The bill stalled during the regular session and a special session before passing in a second special session. In her Townhall op-ed, Hawkins highlights the many dangers of Chemical Abortion, including serious adverse side effects, coercion, water pollution, and the death of unborn babies. Hawkins mentions that SFLAction testified, lobbied, and rallied in support of the bill, which could save the lives of 13,000 babies each year.

Pray the Respect Life Month Novena

Join thousands of Catholics nationwide in praying a Respect Life Month novena Wednesday, October 22 – Thursday, October 30. Get daily prayers, reflections, and more. Click below or visit respectlife.org to sign up today!

Upcoming Events

Rosary for Life: October 7th @ 7pm

Apologetics Night: October 14th @ 7pm

Monthly Meeting: October 20th @ 7pm

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