A capacity crowd enjoyed the annual Respect Life Luncheon, presented by the Office of Respect Life Ministries for the Diocese of Phoenix, on Friday at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix. The program included remarks from Bishop John Dolan, a legislative update from Ron Johnson, the executive director of the Arizona Catholic Conference, and the keynote speaker, Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, Ph.D. In addition, Sr. Bethany Madonna, S.V., provided an update on their mission.
“This annual luncheon is truly a thank you for all of the wonderful volunteers, dedicated groups and leaders across our diocese who tirelessly work to protect life,” said Marina Salvador-Velazquez, the manager for the Office of Respect Life Ministries for the diocese. “It’s a time to come together to celebrate our successes, but also reinforce our ongoing efforts to protect life, from conception to the end of life.”
Fr. Pacholczyk’s talk, titled “The Gift of Dying Well,” explained the church teachings on end-of-life decisions. He also spoke about the importance of considering a health care proxy in addition to a living will. Fr. Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Mass., and serves as Senior Ethicist at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. To learn more, or hear a recent talk by Fr. Pacholczyk, go to vimeo.com/bioethicsvideos
