Spiritual Adoption Program

Pro-life Spiritual Adoption Program

based on the prayer of

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

For more information contact Shirley Holt or Kathy Harr

Over 50 babies were "spiritually adopted" during the initial 9-month period after launching our program at St. Bernard Parish in 2016, by the weekend before the January 22nd memorial of Roe vs. Wade.

The Prayer

On January 22, 1973, (40+ years ago), a court decision was rendered which legalized abortion throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy. This decision, Roe vs. Wade, is the reason over 1 million abortions have been committed in the U.S. each year since.

To help stop the anti-life push around the world, the late Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen encouraged the "spiritual adoption" of an unborn child. This is done by praying that one particular but unknown child's life be spared abortion and be allowed to continue to live.

To help accomplish this, it was recommended an individual say the following daily prayer for a period of nine months:

Spiritual Adoption video

(This video, "Spiritual Adoption," was created by Cory Heimann with special permission granted by him for incorporation into this website.)

How to make the Baby Socks Magnets

The baby socks are clipped together with a clothespin magnet with the Archbishop's prayer printed on a card at the top. Once a family or individual has chosen a name for their baby, it is written on the top of the prayer card. The magnet then can be put on their refrigerator as a cute and convenient reminder to pray for their little one.

Materials needed

• Pairs of baby socks
• Prayer cards (Print out the Archbishop's prayer cards (6 on a sheet) on cardstock or on a sheet of adhesive labels that can be attached to a thicker piece of paper. We have done it both ways in our program.)
• Clothespins
• Package of magnetic tape strips (18 count pkg. of 1/2"x4" strips)--These can be purchased at your local superstore in the craft section. Avoid the rolled magnetic tape which will curl and not work as well as the flat strips.
• Baby-themed ribbon (3/8" wide)
• School glue
• Scissors
• Small spatula

Assembly instructions

1. Cut each magnet strip into thirds. Glue one cut magnet to the top half of the clothespin. (Even though the magnets have a self-adhesive strip, additional glue is still needed.)

2. Turn the clothespin over and glue a strip of ribbon to the entire length of the clothespin.

3. Place glue on the back of the prayer card the length of where it will attach to the clothespin, and insert the card in between the top halves of the clothespin. Press down on the prayer card with the spatula and hold for a few seconds. Let the glue dry for a few minutes.

4. Clip together one whole sock and half of the other sock so that the clothespin comes together inside the front sock. This allows the sock magnet to stay flush and adhere more easily to the refrigerator or another metal surface.

Finished magnet

Additional Items for Spiritual Adoption Program

• Sign-up sheets for people to indicate whether they are adopting a boy or a girl:

• In addition to the baby socks magnet, an unborn baby development brochure "Milestones of Early Life" can be included. To order, visit Heritage House.

• Inside the brochure, we included a letter of explanation describing the program which can be modified to fit your parish. Directing people to this web page to view Cory Heimann's "Spiritual Adoption" video could be added to this letter as a way to motivate people to participate in spiritual adoption.
• A "Certificate of Spiritual Adoption" to be returned after the baby's name is chosen.

• A decorative container was used to collect the completed certificates:

The babies' names, along with their adoptive families as listed on the completed certificates, were then printed out on two separate lists (one for the boys and one for the girls) on 11"x17" sheets of paper. The following names are an example of the format used. "Monotype Corsiva" was the font we used.

Anne Katharine by Jim & Mary Jones Kate by a parish family

Mary Alice by The Coopers Emma by Arlene Baker

A used picture frame (36"x 30" inside glass measurement) was purchased, and new matting was added with two cutouts for the baby name lists. Samples of the items we used were placed on top of the matting using double-sided tape. "Our Spiritually Adopted Babies" display was placed on a stand in our Gathering Space.

By writing to the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, we received a holy card of him which we placed in the display. The explanation of the prayer as written in the beginning of the "letter of explanation" was repeated alongside the holy card.

We chose January 22nd, the memorial of Roe vs. Wade, as our "life began" date (baby's conception day). Other special dates to consider are Marian feast days and Mother's Day.

9 Months Later: Baby Shower Celebration!!

We will have pink and blue-frosted mini cupcakes for people to enjoy after our weekend Masses. In addition, we will collect items to donate to our Catholic Daughter layette program for those in need. A playpen can be placed next to the table for people to put their baby shower donations in.

J+M+J

To learn about the Cause for Canonization of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

please visit the website for the Cause for his Canonization.

Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue

Lovely Lady dressed in blue ----

Teach me how to pray!

God was just your little boy,

Tell me what to say!

Did you lift Him up, sometimes,

Gently on your knee?

Did you sing to Him the way

Mother does to me?

Did you hold His hand at night?

Did you ever try

Telling stories of the world?

O! And did He cry?

Do you really think He cares

If I tell Him things-

Little things that happen? And

Do the Angels' wings

Make a noise? And can He hear

Me if I speak low?

Does He understand me now?

Tell me ---- for you know?

Lovely Lady dressed in blue ----

Teach me how to pray!

God was just your little boy,

And you know the way.

This poem by Mary Dixon Thayer was made famous by Venerable Archbishop

Fulton J. Sheen in the 1950s and was one of his favorite Marian prayers.