3 Reasons for Getting Involved in the Pro-Life Movement as a Single Catholic

Pro-Life Movement

January 19 marked the 46th annual pro-life March for Life in Washington D.C.

January 22 is the National Day of Prayer for the legal protection of the unborn.

The pro-life cause is important and something we should be aware of as Catholics. But as Catholics, we should all be personally involved in working to protect life in at least some fashion.

Not all of us are equipped to be involved in every aspect of the pro-life movement. However, there is one way or another that each of us can work for this important cause.

If you’re a Catholic single, this season of your life is the best time to get involved.

Read more: 7 Uplifting Ways to Embrace Your Single Season

Here’s why (and how!) you should get involved in the work of of protecting life as soon as you can.

The cause hits closer to home than you might realize

Pro-Life Movement

Some people become passionate about the pro-life movement when they encounter the issues in a personal way. Maybe a friend experienced an unplanned pregnancy, or they met someone affected by abortion.

When we haven’t had a personal experience like this, sometimes it’s hard to remember just what is at stake in this battle.

We know the unborn deserve life, abortion kills children and abortion also permanently scars mothers and fathers. But remembering the significance of all this in more than a distant, intellectual way doesn’t always come naturally.

Whether we’re aware of it or not, abortion and the entire culture of death that goes along with it affect all of us deeply and personally.

As a single attempting to live a faithful Catholic life, you’re probably all too aware of the fact that chaste living is rare in our day and age. You may have even found that the entire concept of your lifestyle is foreign to most potential dates you encounter.

Legalized abortion goes along with all of this. In a vicious cycle, people are told that sexual license is freedom, that babies are a disease, and they can just get rid of a pregnancy – no responsibility or virtue or self-discipline is necessary.

If you want to see this change, get involved in stopping the evilest part of that culture.

Getting personally involved in protecting the unborn probably won’t yield immediate results for your own struggles with the culture around you. But think how it might help future generations.

Maybe your work will make it so that your future kids won’t have to wade through as much cultural rubbish as you’re facing!

There’s no time like the present

Pro-Life Movement

When I was single, I never felt like I had an abundance of time to spare. Between grad school, work, social commitments, and keeping up my prayer life, I often felt like my time was stretched too thin to get involved in something extra.

I was wrong.

My now-husband was very passionate about the pro-life cause. Even though he had several commitments on his plate at the time as well, the two of us eventually challenged each other to make time for involvement in the pro-life ministry.

I’m glad we did. Once we got married and had kids, most of those other commitments didn’t go away. Only now, we had a bunch of tiny people demanding nearly every moment of our day as well.

Looking back, it was definitely easier to make time for involvement when I was single.

But even beyond the question of free-time, one’s single years are a great time for this work for another reason: community.

For anyone who struggles to find ways to connect with and befriend like-minded Catholics, involvement in the pro-life ministry can actually be a great way to meet them.

Sure, this is probably not the purest motive to go in with by itself. But it can definitely be a bonus.

There are many ways to get involved in pro-life ministry

Pro-Life Movement

There are a lot of different ways to get involved in pro-life work, and it probably takes just a little digging and experimenting to find the best fitting avenue for you.

During my undergrad, I was a sidewalk counselor outside abortion clinics. I’m a very quiet, introverted person, so this seemed outwardly like a terrible idea. But God made up the difference and worked through me.

Something like this isn’t right for everyone, though. I was acquainted with a lot of people at school who knew they couldn’t sidewalk counsel. But they still wanted to be involved at “ground zero,” so to speak. They got involved in the ministry of quietly praying outside abortion clinics.

I also know several people who are completely overwhelmed at the thought of standing so close to a place of such evil. If this is you, that’s okay too. You can still be involved from a distance.

There are opportunities to help at crisis pregnancy centers, to get involved in fundraising efforts, to organize things like baby supplies drives for mothers in need. Lastly, don’t discount the power of prayer!

Look for opportunities in your parish bulletin. Do a quick internet search for pro-life groups near you or in your diocese. Or figure out how to start your own, if you have a talent for organizing things like this.

All of us can do something, even if it’s as small as offering up some sacrifice for the sake of the unborn.

Don’t fall into the trap of indifference and of thinking that this work is for someone else to do.