The problem.

As a parent in today's world, you are no stranger to the daily battles within your heart, home, and communities waged by an enemy whose weapons are seeds of doubt and confusion about God's perfect love. Over time, we have seen these seeds sow rotten fruit that systematically deny the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person.

Today, abortion numbers exceed 61 million and abortion pills are now available at our local pharmacy; physician-assisted suicide laws are legal or pending in 14 states, including our nation's capital; slavery is at its highest in recorded history, with sex trafficking a billion dollar "industry" and the United States as its largest consumer. Body mutilation in the name of "gender-affirming care" pushes gender hormone therapy and mastectomies for minors. These are just a few more overt ways this battle is waged; however, on smaller battlefields in every neighborhood, every day, we deny the dignity of the human person in thousands of less obvious ways—death by a thousand tiny cuts is still a death.

By replacing the unselfish love of God with hedonistic desire, denying objective truth, and foolishly dismissing natural law, we have developed a culture hostile to life, love, and truth. This is the tragedy of our time.

A solution.

In her wisdom, the Church has responded to this tragedy with a Pastoral Plan for Pro-life Activities in the United States that calls the faithful to unite in an unprecedented effort. The United States Council of Catholic Bishops initiated a campaign in support of life to put forth “a precise and vigorous reaffirmation of the value of human life and its inviolability, and at the same time a pressing appeal addressed to each and every human person, in the name of God; respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life.” By organizing this initiative into four major areas, 1) education, 2) policy, 3) pastoral care, and 4) prayer and worship, the faithful can focus intentional efforts on reawakening a culture life together.

The starting line.

The Venerable Fulton Sheen once said, “Nothing ever happens in the world that does not first happen inside human hearts.” Family is the building block of society and the heartbeat of our culture. We know this because the Church teaches that the mission of the family is to guard, communicate, and reveal God’s love. Through God’s perfect design, family life is where human hearts first receive His love and learn how to share it. For this reason, the day-to-day of family life is the initiation into society, and therefore to reawaken a culture of life—to respect, protect, love, and serve every human person—we must first begin in our home.

The Pelican Project.

Utilizing the USCCB initiative to inform our effort, The Pelican Project focuses on the role of parenthood and God’s desire for the domestic church to reawaken a culture of life through education and prayer and worship.

Education: Our resources help to deepen an understanding of the sanctity of human life by unpacking the why behind what the Catholic Church teaches about the dignity of the human person through a biblical and theological foundation. Our resources equip parents to communicate the truth of God’s design for life and love and invite the entire family to witness to the Gospel of life. 

Prayer and Worship: Our resources unite the efforts of education with its necessary cornerstone, prayer and worship. The Church reminds us that “only with prayer—prayer that storms the heavens for justice and mercy, prayer that cleanses our hearts and our souls—will the culture of death that surrounds us today be replaced with a culture of life.” (USCCB) Prayer combined with intentional participation in the sacramental life is the nourishment necessary for the mission of the family to flourish as a witness to God’s love.

We pray that families within homes, parishes, and dioceses around the country link arms in reawakening a culture of life with The Pelican Project. Through the day-to-day of family life we can restore a reverence for the dignity of every human person everywhere, together. To God be the glory!