By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Amid pandemic concerns, this year’s Culture of Life dinner in Solon is going virtual. “We’re a little bit anxious because this is the first time we’ve ever done this, but hopefully this can actually help us reach a larger audience,” said JoEllen Ritchie, a member of St. Mary Parish-Solon’s Culture of Life Committee.
Organizers from the St. Mary committee and St. Wenceslaus Parish-Iowa City Knights of Columbus Council considered cancelling the annual event, which raises scholarship money for Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner training and for individuals and couples wanting to learn a Natural Family Planning method. At this time, diocesan pandemic protocols do not allow parishes to host large, indoor social gatherings. Ultimately, the groups decided to learn how to offer a program online. “This mission is too important to take a year off,” Ritchie said.
The virtual event is scheduled for Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. on YouTube. Cassidy Kuhn, a FertilityCare Practitioner and a member of St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City, will serve as emcee. Virtual guests will watch pre-recorded testimonies from individuals in Iowa who have benefitted from previous scholarships as they work to become FertilityCare Practitioners and Natural Family Planning Medical Consultants through the Saint Paul VI Institute. Among them is Marie Ripslinger-Atwater, a member of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport. The speakers will discuss how the FertilityCare method helps with family planning and the identification of reproductive health issues.
Following the presentations, guests may participate in a question-and-answer session with some of the featured speakers. The event will also include prayer and donation updates.
The event is free, but guests may make a recurring or one-time donation at http://www.solonstmary.org/culture-of-life.html. Additionally, checks can be made out and mailed to St. Mary Church with Culture of Life in the memo
To register for the event, go to www.solonstmary.org/culture-of-life.
For more information or questions, email colsolonstmary@gmail.com or call (319) 530-4582.
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