SCRANTON – From her lector seat in the sanctuary of the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Cindy Cox was able to look out and see all the faces gathered at the Diocese of Scranton’s annual Respect Life Sunday Mass.
What she saw moved her.
“As I was sitting up there from the lector chair and I looked out, I was overwhelmed by the amount of love and support that was out there showing how this community really does respect life,” the Executive Director of the Scranton Chapter of Pennsylvanians for Human Life, said.
That witness was at the heart of the celebration on Oct. 4, 2026, as Catholics from throughout the Diocese of Scranton gathered with the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, to reflect on the Church’s call to defend and care for human life at every stage.
The theme for Respect Life Month 2026 is “Mary, Mother of God,” highlighting the Blessed Mother’s willingness to welcome Jesus into her life and her faithful presence with Him through his death on the Cross.
In his homily, Bishop Bambera challenged those in attendance not simply to profess a belief in the sanctity of life, but to demonstrate it through the way they treat others.
“Every one of us has been given a portion of God’s vineyard to cultivate,” Bishop Bambera said, reflecting on the Gospel for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. “The vineyard – God’s creation entrusted to our care – is not remote. It is not contrived or make believe. The vineyard is as close as the home you return to after this Mass. It is as close as the nearest nursing home, clinic, prison or school. It is here – in his people, made in his own image and likeness – all around us.”
The Bishop urged the faithful to reject any tendency to value some lives more than others, reminding them that respect for human dignity must extend from “conception to natural end.”
“Respect for the dignity of every human being must be upheld and witnessed to always, even when such a stance places us in opposition to popular values, political expediency and the tide of today’s evolving cultural norms,” he continued.
Bishop Bambera connected that call to the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose “yes” to God came at a moment she could not fully understand or anticipate.
“In becoming the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our mother, becomes the mother of life. Her acceptance in that unplanned and unforeseen moment demonstrates how each of us is called to welcome the gift of human life, even when that gift is unexpected or calls us to make sacrifices,” he said.
Bridget Maille, Program Coordinator for Family Life in the Diocese of Scranton, said the annual Respect Life Sunday Mass not only offered an opportunity for people to pray for the protection of life, but to recognize the many people and organizations already working to cherish life.
Representatives from Pennsylvanians for Human Life, the Order of the Alhambra, and Catholic elementary and high school students all participated in the Mass.
“Each of these organizations and groups, each and every day, work toward respecting life,” Maille said.
Cox said the commitment of the organization she leads extends far beyond defending unborn life.
“We believe that life is precious from the moment of conception,” she said, while also noting the work of accompanying families facing hardships, individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, the elderly, those in nursing homes and the critically ill.
“As pro-lifers, we want to create a culture that supports, loves and protects all life, whether it is somebody in the womb or someone at the end of their life,” Cox said. “We’re called to walk with each other through the darkest of times and be there for each other.”