Office of Marriage, Family & Respect Life - Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls
Respect Life Representative Position Description
The Respect Life Representative (RLR), in consultation with, and with the blessing of, the parish priest, shall organize and implement at the parish level the efforts of the diocesan Office of Marriage, Family & Respect Life. These efforts focus on issues concerning human life, and a full range of marriage and family life issues. The RLR must understand and accept the Church’s teaching on these vital areas.
Your primary responsibility as a RLR is to the parish community - that is, to educate and convert the hearts and minds of your fellow Catholics. While reaching out to others outside the parish community is encouraged, please try to ensure that your primary commitment remains with your brothers and sisters in Christ in your parish.
Following are some simple steps to aid you in your efforts:
Step 1.Develop or continue a daily prayer life that includes your respect life efforts:
Without a solid foundation of prayer, your efforts will not be successful. Prayer is the surge of the heart, our desire for God, who is constantly seeking us. We must be in constant discernment of God’s will for us in building His culture of life. Visit the office website for prayer resources.
Step 2.Read and familiarize yourself with the office website and the USCCB’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities:
The office website has a host of resources and information, including articles and videos, sign up for the e-newsletter Lifetimes Litterae, and join us on Facebook.
The Pastoral Plan is theofficial Respect Life program of the Catholic Church in the United States, and it provides general guidelines for respect life activity in the parish. To read this document, visit:
.
Step 3.Read and familiarize yourself with the Church’s teachings on marriage, family, and respect life issues:
Start with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and then take advantage of the rich treasure of Catholic teachings found in the writings of the saints, the encyclicals, writings from the Bishops, documents from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and many others found on the office website.
Step 4.Organize a parish Respect Life Committee to help with planning and implementing projects:
The size and formality of this committee may depend on the size of your parish. If you belong to a particularly small parish, you may find it unnecessary to establish a formal committee, but may find it helpful to have another person serve as a Co-Representative. Having a committee (or helper) provides you with more opportunities to brainstorm and develop ideas, and it also allows you more flexibility and ease in carrying out projects, as there will be times when you will have schedule conflicts and/or need volunteers to help you.
If your parish is in close proximity to another parish, or your priest is responsible for more than one parish, consider forming a committee with the other parish(es). If you live in a town with a college or university, reach out to the youth and invite students to serve on your committee.
Step 5.Schedule periodic meetings with your priest:
Include any Co-Representative(s) or committee members, if possible. Discuss the following:
- The priest’s perspective on activities in the parish;
- Potential projects that you want to implement;
- How the priest would like you to present prospective projects to him (i.e., verbally, in a written memo, or some other form);
- The role of your committee or Co-Representative, if you have one; and
- Any other important items.
These meetings particularly apply to new RLRs, but also veteran RLRs who have not discussed the above with their priest, or who have recently been assigned a new priest. In addition, regular meetings with your priest are beneficial to all involved, as his blessing and cooperation in your respect life ministry is imperative, and his input can be invaluable.
Step 6.Meet regularly (preferably monthly) with your Co-Representative or Respect Life Committee to plan activities for the coming month(s):
Always try to set an agenda for the meeting so that it is focused and productive. For project ideas, please consult the Respect Life Representative Project Guide. Be realistic in setting goals, but try to implement some respect life effort (no matter how small) at least once a month. It’s important to remember that your priest will need to approve any project before it is implemented.
Step 7.Implement diocesan-wide or specific projects that are sent to you from the diocesan Respect Life Office:
These projects often request a prompt and larger effort, but the project packet should include all the information and materials you will need to carry it out. Some examples include the Advent Baby Shower, The Enthronement of the Two Hearts, Life Chain Link, Respect Life Packets, Respect Life Sunday, the National Night of Prayer for Life, Mass for Life, etc.
As always, we are at your service to help answer any questions and provide support and direction in your duties as the Respect Life Representative. Please do not hesitate to contact us whenever you need assistance, or just want to discuss an idea or issue. We are also available to speak (or help organize a workshop or conference) on any respect life or legislative issue, including the traditional topics of beginning and end of life decisions, contraception, Marriage, Natural Family Planning, Theology of the Body, stem cell research, cloning, the death penalty, social justice, faithful citizenship, and more.
Travis & Kelly Benson, Directors
Office of Marriage, Family and Respect Life
523 North Duluth Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Travis Benson: 605-988-3748 /Kelly Benson: 605-251-2799 /
Teri Geiver, Admin. Assist.: 605-988-3755 /