.- As the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade approaches, the Archdiocese of Denver announces its annual Respect Life Mass. Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. will celebrate Mass on Saturday, January 19 at 12 pm in the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, in Denver.
Archbishop Chaput will also bestow the annual “Pro-Vita” (‘Pro-Life’) awards to three individuals for their dedicated efforts in promoting the dignity of life. This year’s honorees are Monsignor Leo Horrigan, Reverend Brian Morrow and laywoman Maria Kneusel.
Msgr. Horrigan, pastor of Notre Dame Parish, supported the first Respect Life National Card Writing Campaign, which began in the early 1990s in parishes throughout the archdiocese.
Rev. Morrow, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Longmont, has offered extensive support for The Gabriel Project, a local parish-based outreach to pregnant mothers in need. Morrow has also been instrumental in bringing Project Rachel, an outreach ministry to post-abortive men and women, to the northern part of the archdiocese.
Kneusel, a Hispanic outreach coordinator for the Gabriel Project, has ministered to many pregnant women in need. Specifically, she has worked to recruit bilingual volunteers who can address the needs of Spanish-speaking mothers.
In addition, Archbishop Chaput will recognize award recipients of the 2008 Respect Life Essay Contest. Local Catholic school seventh- and eighth-grade students participated in the contest last fall.
