KERNERSVILLE — Faithful across the Diocese of Charlotte are encouraged to attend the annual Respect Life Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at Bishop McGuinness High School.
The day will serve as a day of enrichment and education on a variety of Respect Life issues including, sidewalk counseling, pro-life legislation, prayer, human trafficking and a re-visit of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae” 50 years later.
The keynote address will be given by Teresa Collett, J.D., a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law where she serves as director of the school’s Prolife Center.
Collett earned her doctorate at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. As a well-known advocate for the protection of human life and the family, she specializes in the subjects of marriage, religion and bioethics in her research.
She has published numerous legal articles and is the co-author of a law casebook on professional responsibility and co-editor of a collection of essays exploring “catholic” and “Catholic” perspectives on American law.
Collett is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and has testified before committees of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, as well as before legislative committees in several states.
She was appointed to the Pontifical Council for the Family by His Holiness Pope Francis from 2009 to 2016 and has represented Congressman Ron Paul and various medical groups in the defense of the U.S. federal ban of partial-birth abortion, and the governors of Minnesota and North Dakota defending before the U.S. Supreme Court the requirement for parental involvement before a minor could get an abortion.
“The Respect Life Program is very excited to host this annual event again this year,” said Jessica Grabowski, diocesan Respect Life program director. “We are blessed to have some very educated speakers who are experts on a variety of issues and programs surrounding pro-life work.”
Grabowski noted that the conference will be used as a time of prayer and education as a collective group to enrich pro-life groups and organizations and enhance continued efforts of defending life in the diocese.
Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate Mass for conference goers at 4 p.m.
“We are very thankful to Bishop Jugis for incorporating the Mass component this year, as prayers for life are extremely important in the fight for life. We are also extremely grateful to Bishop McGuinness High School for hosting us this year,” Grabowski said. “I look forward to seeing many of you on Sept. 29!”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Register online
At www.ccdoc.org/respectlife: Register for the Diocese of Charlotte Respect Life Conference. Contact Jessica Grabowski at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 704-370-3229 with questions.