A pro-life initiative is being conducted at Sacred Heart of Jesus. The start of this campaign is set to coincide with the January 17 Mass and the March for Life in Little Rock. It is called the Voice for the Unborn - Baby Bottle Campaign which solicits financial contributions to help purchase ultrasound machines to be strategically placed in crisis pregnancy centers throughout Arkansas and to assist with related expenses. Data show that over 75% of abortion-minded women who see an image of their unborn baby will choose life.
Baby bottles will be handed out after all masses on January 16/17 to serve as a tangible reminder of this campaign. Financial contributions should be placed in the bottle and dropped off at the designated location in the narthex during the next two weeks. Additional bottles will also be available in the narthex for those who do not receive a bottle after one of the masses. Checks should be made payable to Sacred Heart of Jesus and designated for the Baby Bottle Campaign (BBC).
This campaign is a joint effort between the pro-life programs of both Sacred Heart of Jesus and the local Knights of Columbus Council. The International Knights of Columbus will cover one-half of the cost of an ultrasound machine for a pro-life pregnancy center. In fact, the 8th machine that the Knights helped to place through this nationwide program was at St. Joseph’s Helpers/Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center (3 Office Park Drive, Suite 101) across the street from the abortion clinic in downtown Little Rock. This location and all future ones in Arkansas are chosen in consultation with Marianne Linane of the Diocese of Little Rock Respect Life Office. The next ultrasound machine will most likely be placed in Fayetteville AR.
Besides the initial cost of an ultrasound machine (approximately $16,000), there are the additional expenses associated with meeting Arkansas’ medical regulatory requirements, including malpractice insurance and the employment of a certified technician on site to operate the machine. Therefore, some of the funds collected from this campaign will assist Arkansas pregnancy centers in meeting these requirements.
Community Director Tom Quevillon is working with the council's Pro-Life Couple Katharina and Rolf Oesterle and with Sacred Heart of Jesus' Pro-Life Coordinator Rosemary Monarque in implementing this program. All money raised will be sent to the State Council for use in purchasing and operating the machines. Jon and Marti Haslauer from Little Rock are the coordinators for the State Council.
A total of $5,926.14 was raised as of March 7, 2010