Dear Friends,

We address this to all women and men who struggle with a crisis pregnancy. We want you to choose life instead of abortion, and we stand ready to try to the best of our ability to help you find the services you need.

• If you are young and afraid to tell your parents you are pregnant, we will go with you and help you tell them.
• If you are under pressure from someone else to get an abortion, we’ll stand with you to help you take the pressure.
• If you don’t have transportation to get to a doctor for prenatal care, we’ll drive you there and stay with you.
• If you can’t pay for the medical services you need, we’ll investigate ways to help you.
• If you want to place your child for adoption, we’ll help make the connections.
• If you don’t know how you will care for your child afterward, we’ll help put you in touch with an agency to assist you.
• If you have family problems, we’ll work with your family to deal with them.
• If you feel alone we will pray for you and with you to share God’s love for you and your child.

You may not know about services that are available, and we’ll help you find them. We have many agencies, such as the Catholic Family Center Adoption Services, Catholic Charities Offices in the Finger Lakes, Livingston County, and Southern Tier, Bethany House, Birthrights in six counties, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Faith Haven, Catherine McAuley Housing, and the Problem Pregnancy Help Center. This parish will also try to help you and assure confidentiality at all times. If you prefer just call Birthright 24 hours a day at 1-800-550-4900.

We’ll also work together to get the legislation and programs and services that mothers and fathers and children and families need. We’ll work on the underlying causes, including policies and attitudes toward women.

If you don’t believe us, try us. We have the heart for it. We’ll do what we can to help. We have many people in our community and others willing to come forward and volunteer.

We believe that every human life is worth more than the flowers of the field, the birds of the sky. And that includes your life. If you have had an abortion and are struggling with guilt, we’ll help you too, because we care about you. (Call Project Rachel 1-888-9RACHEL.) Or if you have been abused and are still troubled by that experience, we’ll try to help you.

Whatever your problem, we’ll try to confidentially put you in touch with a solution.

Sincerely,

The Community of …

Pledge Signers   as of October 27, 1999

Birthright, Rochester and branch offices

Blessed Sacrament, Rochester

Church of the Annunciation, Rochester

Church of the Assumption, Fairport

Church of the Epiphany/Mission of St. Rose, Sodus

Church of the Resurrection, Fairport

Church of the Transfiguration, Pittsford

Corpus Christi, Rochester

Eastside Catholic Parish, Elmira

Feminists for Life of New York

Guardian Angels, Henrietta

Holy Angels, Nunda

Holy Apostles, Rochester

Holy Family Parish, Rochester

Holy Family Church of Auburn

Holy Rosary, Rochester

Holy Spirit Church of Penfield

Holy Trinity, Webster

Naples/Prattsburg Catholic Community

Newman Community, Geneseo

Northern Cayuga Cluster

St. John, Port Byron

St. Joseph, Weedsport

St. Patrick, Cato

Our Lady of Lourdes, Brighton

St. Alphonsus, Auburn

St. Anne, Palmyra

St. Anthony of Padua, Rochester

St. Bridget’s, Rochester

St. Cecilia Parish, Irondequoit

St. Charles Borromeo, Greece

St. Dominic Church, Shortsville

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hamlin

St. Francis of Assissi, Auburn

St. Francis of Assissi, Rochester

St. Gregory’s, Marion

St. Isaac Jogues, Fleming

St. Jerome, East Rochester

St. John Fisher College Campus Ministry, Rochester

St. John the Evangelist, Greece

St. John the Evangelist, Humboldt Street Rochester

St. John the Evangelist, Spencerport

St. Joseph/St. William Faith Community Livonia

St. Joseph’s Church, Rush

St. Leo’s, Hilton

St. Louis Church, Pittsford

St. Lucy, Retsof

St. Margaret Mary’s Church, Apalachin

St. Mark’s, Greece

St. Mary’s Church, Auburn

St. Mary, Genesee

St. Mary of the Assumption, Scottsville

St. Mary’s of the Lake Church, Ontario

St. Mary’s Church, Rochester

St. Patrick Church, Macedon

St. Paul of the Cross, Honeoye Falls

St. Philip Neri, Rochester

St. Rita Church, Webster

St. Salome’s, Irondequoit

St. Stephen, Geneva

St. Thomas Aquinas, Leicester

St. Thomas the Apostle, Irondequoit

St. Patrick, Mt. Morris

Sts. Peter and Paul, Rochester

Western Livingston Planning Group:

Working on the Pledge

Good Shepherd, Henrietta

Holy Ghost, Gates

Holy Name, Greece

Most Precious Blood

Nativity, Brockport

Our Lady Queen of Peace

Roman Catholic Community of the 19th Ward

Sacred Heart Cathedral

St. Gabriel’s, Hammondsport

St. Margaret Mary, Irondequoit

St. Mary, Watkins Glen

St. Michael, Newark

St. Vincent de Paul, Churchville