Pope's July prayer intention: 'for respect for human life'

July 2, 2026 · 1 min read

Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for the month of July, and invites Catholics to pray 'for respect for human life,' so all may 'recognize and protect the unique and unrepeatable value of every human being.'

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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Леся Шевченко

Oleksandra from our parish recently came to church with her newborn daughter, and our priests immediately selected her visits to families with newborns during summer illnesses. I remember that the pope writes about the "unique value of each person" — but already on the street of Kharkiv, when we take mothers to the hospital with a van at night, we feel that these are not just words. Are we really able to give this value to ordinary things?

Mark Johnson

St. Nicholas in Pittsburgh had a new moms' group too, but we stopped it cold when the flu hit last winter. Makes me wonder how many churches are still doing this for new families.

Юлія Кравченко

Yes, Lesya, you have definitely noticed - words about the value of life are easy to say, but when you take a mother and a baby around Kharkov to the hospital at night, then it is checked whether we are really ready to help. Here in Kyiv, too, women are often left alone after giving birth, so our parishioners have already started collecting packages with children's clothes and diapers for such families. And how did you organize it in your ward?

Людмила Шевченко

Lesya, you are right - those night trips with the baby to the hospital in Kharkiv really test whether we are not just talking. Here in Vinnytsia, after such stories, parishioners began to take turns in cars so as not to leave mothers alone. And tell me, Oleksandra then often comes to work with her daughter?

Галина Панченко

Yes, Yulia, you are right - words about the value of life are heard easily, but real help is verified at night near Kharkiv or in Kyiv maternity hospitals. Parishioners here in Vinnytsia also collect not only clothes and diapers, but also donate disposable diapers and infant formulas through our "Mothers in Prayer". And tell me, do you take only for mothers with babies or do you also help those with many children?

Emily Clark

We had a similar new moms' group at our parish here in Dallas that got paused during that same flu wave, but we restarted it in the spring once everyone was healthy again. It really helped a few of the younger families feel less isolated with their first babies. Did yours ever pick it back up after winter?

Anna Wilson

We never restarted ours at St. Nicholas after the flu wiped out half the group last winter. A couple of the moms switched to just meeting at the park instead, which seemed simpler anyway. Did your parish try anything else for the new families?

David Hall

We tried a simple coffee hour after Liturgy for the new families, but only a few showed up. The park idea sounds easier, especially after what the flu did to your group. Did any of those moms ever come back to St. Nicholas?

Peter Johnson

We tried restarting our young adult group at St. Basil's last fall but half the guys kept flaking for basketball pickup games. The park meetups sound way less stressful after that flu mess you had. Did the moms who switched end up sticking with the park thing long-term?