www.prayforlife.ie

“I hope the Pray for Life Novena will help people to celebrate and protect the gift of life and to be more conscious of the practical support that they can offer to women for whom pregnancy is experienced as a crisis.” – Bishop Kevin Doran 

The Council for Life of the Irish Bishops’ Conference has today launched a nine day Novena of Prayer for Life which will run from Monday 23 May until Tuesday 31 May (Feast of the Visitation). ThePray for Life Novena and its associated website www.prayforlife.ie will give people an opportunity be an active part of this new initiative to pray for the protection of human life and to build a culture of life. 

Launching the Pray for Life Novena, Bishop Kevin Doran, chair of the Council for Life, said, “The Feast of the Visitation has particular significance when it comes to celebrating and giving thanks for the gift of human life. It is a moment of encounter between two women (Mary and Elizabeth), each of whom is unexpectedly pregnant. It is an encounter in which each woman is supported by the other in facing the challenges of pregnancy. It is a graced moment in which each woman acknowledges the child in her womb as a gift from God. 

“The Council for Life, drawing on resources originally prepared by the US Bishops’ Conference, has developed an online Novena around the days leading up to the Feast of the Visitation. Every one of us has a right to life. The direct and intentional taking of human life at any stage is gravely wrong and can never be justified. We hope the Pray for Life Novena will help people to celebrate and protect the gift of life and to be more conscious of the practical support that they can offer to women for whom pregnancy is experienced as a crisis. We invite you to join people across Ireland during this last week of May to pray for the protection of human life.” 

The Council for Life is inviting people to sign up on www.prayforlife.ie to receive the daily prayers and actions which will focus on themes such as expectant Mothers and Fathers, unborn Children, for those who defend life and for an end to abortion.  

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

• Bishop Kevin Doran is Bishop of Elphin and chair of the Bishops’ Council for Life. 
• The Council For Life is an initiative of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. It promotes the Catholic Church’s teaching on the dignity and value of every human life. The Council offers dioceses, parishes and members of the faithful pro-life material and resources to encourage discussion in families on the value of every human life. See www.councilforlife.ie for more. 
• A novena refers to nine days of prayer, asking God for a specific intention, often through a Saint’s intercession. The word “novena” is derived from the Latin word for nine, or “novem.” Many of the most popular and widely-prayed novenas begin or end on a Saint’s Feast Day.
• You can follow the Pray for Life Novena on social media by using the hashtag #PrayForLife and by following @ChooseLifeIRL on Twitter and Council for Life Ireland on Facebook. 
• You can also join the Pray for Life Novena on www.prayforlife.ie and receive a daily email. Each email is GDPR compliant and provides an unsubscribe button for when the Novena concludes.

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office, Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm +353 (0) 87 310 4444