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What is the
Spiritual Adoption Program?
The Purpose of the Spiritual Adoption Program
is threefold:
- Encourage parishes, schools and other
communities to pray for babies in danger of
abortion.
- Educate adults and children about the
development of the pre-born child.
- Provide mothers in need with assistance
at a 'baby shower' of donated baby gifts, or
simply celebrate with a 'birthday party' at
the conclusion of the program. In some
schools a crib was bought with monetary
gifts and the children filled a crib with
gifts for expectant Mothers.
This is done by encouraging people to
"spiritually adopt" an unborn baby, and to
follow their baby along the path to being born.
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How does it work?
It's very simple. Participants pledge to pray
for nine months for a baby in danger of
abortion. During each month of the program, the
"spiritual parents" are given information about
their baby's development in the womb.
While this child will remain unknown to his
or her 'spiritual parent', God knows who the
child is. Many people have found that naming
'their child' helps to keep them focused on the
reality that their prayers are helping to save a
particular baby from the harm of abortion.
As the program goes along, you can send
"Thank-you" notes to the participants from the
baby each month. This is especially nice for
school and religious education programs, and
helps the participants form a genuine sense of
connection with their adopted baby.
At the end of the program a 'baby shower' or
'birthday party' can be held and gifts of baby
items donated given to a local pregnancy center.
See
below for how to download
instructions and resources for using the Spiritual Adoption
Program at schools/religious education programs,
or at parishes. We also have information
available in Spanish.
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Who can participate?
The Spiritual Adoption program can be used by
schools, religious education programs, or the
entire parish. Basically, the program is
for anyone who is concerned about abortion, and
who is willing to pray for babies in danger of
abortion, "that they might have life and have it
to the full." (John 10:10)
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Who benefits from
the Spiritual Adoption Program?
Everyone! While it is not always possible to
see the particular effects of prayer, we know
through Scripture that God wants us to pray, and
we know by faith that He answers all prayers.
The educational aspect of the program is
beneficial to people of all ages, including
children. Churches and schools are encouraged to
display the very gentle and appealing full color
posters that both depict and describe in words
the baby's development each month. There is no
mention of abortion on the posters. Some schools
obtain enough sets of posters for each classroom
and/or entrance or exit to the school.
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Where can we get materials
for the program?
We have the following materials available for
download:
- An
information sheet in
English and
Spanish giving general
instructions about how to conduct the
program in your parish or school.
- Pledge cards in
English and
Spanish
(in Adobe Reader format).
- Prayer cards for
younger and
older
grade-school children (in Adobe Reader
format).
- A
letter to teachers explaining the
program.
- A
certificate of spiritual adoption
(in Adobe Reader format).
- Sample
pulpit announcement/bulletin
insert announcing the program.
- Sample bulletin inserts in
English
and
Spanish
that describe the development of the
spiritually-adopted baby (in Adobe Reader
format).
- Thank-you notes in
English and
Spanish
(in Adobe Reader format).
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Information about colorful and
informative posters you can use to promote
the program.
There is also a beautiful brochure showing
the unborn baby's development month-by-month,
available in English and Spanish from
Little One Publishing.
In addition, you may wish to consider
ordering prayer cards from Arthur Maes of Denver, Colorado.
He prints and
distributes cards with a lovely full color image
of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the front, a brief
description of the program and the short prayer
composed by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on the
reverse. Mr. Maes prints these at his own expense,
and relies on
donations to continue his ministry. We also
suggest that you send him a minimum of six cents
per card ordered, plus something for shipping.
His mailing address is: 11142 Osage
Street, Northglenn, CO 80234. Phone:
720-977-9150
Posters for Spiritual Adoption are available for order online from
the Archdiocese of Baltimore Respect Life
Office. Visit their
online order form or call 410-547-5537.
The posters and precious feet pins (or
precious hand pins) can also be ordered through
the Heritage House Catalog:
919 S. Main Street, Snowflake, AZ 85937. Phone:
1-800-858-3040 Fax: 1-928-536-7785.
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212.371.1011 x3195
