Mission: Promote respect for human life from conception to natural death.
How: Through prayer, education, and participation in activities that promote reverence for ALL life
Meetings: Second Monday of the month (except June, July, and December) at 6:30 p.m.
Come share your knowledge, skills, and ideas to help promote the Gospel of Life and enlighten others!
Exciting Events:
July 2022 image of a few members of St. Stephen's Life Matters ministry praying at the Brooklyn Park Planned Parenthood location.
Check out this success story, featured in the Catholic Spirit, of local retirees helping mothers in need.
Read the full story here. Margee Adrian remembers a man wanting to donate a heavy-duty baby crib to the donation center she volunteered at. Due to liability issues with unsafe cribs and car seats that have been recalled, the pregnancy resource center was no longer accepting donations of cribs or car seats.
“He said, ‘I guess I’ll just burn it”, Margee recalled. “I said, ‘Don’t do that. Put it in my van.’ ”
That was the first of more than 2,700 cribs that Margee and her husband, Denny, have rescued, refurbished, delivered, and even set up for needy families all across the Twin Cities metro area since 2012.
The couple accepts and pick-up donations of cribs and car seats around the Twin Cities. They refurbish, deliver, and set up cribs for those in need. Having donated nearly 3,000 cribs and car seats, they get calls from social workers, hospital staff, pregnancy crisis centers, and more!
The Process
When the Adrian’s pick up a used item or one is donated, the first thing they do is clean it up. Margee will put the cover of a car seat through the wash; Denny will touch up a crib’s woodwork with stain or replace broken or missing parts. Their living room is the test facility where Denny sets up cribs to make sure they are ready for use. “I want to be sure they are safe, something we would put our own grandkids in,” he said.
Pro-life Purpose
For the Adrian’s, it’s all about being pro-life.
“When we started all this I wanted to help the poorest of the poor because it was a pro-life thing to me, to give a car seat and a crib to someone who needed it for their baby.” She said, “For me, it comes down to this: Are you going to ignore them, or are you going to do the things God wants you to do?”
Reciprocating Gratitude
The Adrian’s get rewarded by handwritten notes and shared meals with families they bring cribs and baby items to. Denny recalled getting down on his knees to set up a crib for a family in Frogtown with two little boys whose father was in prison. He was surprised when one of the boys came up behind him, crawled on his back and hugged him.
Accepting Donations
Margee & Denny accept and pick up donations of cribs and car seats around the Twin Cities. If you have cribs, car seats, and pack n’ plays less than 6 years old, Margee & Denny would love to pick the items up. Call 651.227.2076.
Past Event Highlights:
40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil; October 26, 2019. St. Stephen's Parishioners attending the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil a part of the international 40 Days for Life campaign aiming to end abortion.
- Spring 2019 St. Stephen's hosted an informative series called What to Do: A Conversation on Life and Death Issues.
- We invite you to watch this engaging and informative presentation that we posted on Facebook.
- October 3, 2020 was a chilly day for the Life Matters Prayer Chain for Life event in Anoka, but very successful and socially-distanced.
- Fr. Bennet provided a blessing before the 38 prayer warriors headed to Main St. where they silently held signs and received plenty of drive-by thumbs up and encouraging honks.
- With the goal of being a 'peaceful, prayerful presence' in Anoka, our Life Matters ministry accomplished their objective and provided inspiration for all to support life.
- St. Stephen's Catholic Community thanks everyone who was involved and asks that people of faith continue to educate and motivate others to choose, support, and pray for life.
- October 24, 2020 the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil at St. Paul Planned Parenthood went on despite the global pandemic, cold weather, and social unrest.
- Parishes from all around the state of Minnesota, including St. Stephen’s, were present.
- As many as 40 people lined the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood peacefully praying for an end to abortion.
- Those in attendance stated that they truly felt the love of Jesus Christ, the One who forgives, heals, and provides hope for all.
Life Matters Resources: Click here to view our resource guide.