Every woman needs a good purse.

Three state legislatures have passed new restrictions on abortion: a heartbeat-based abortion ban in Tennessee; a 24-hour waiting period on abortion in Iowa; and a ban on abortion due to race, sex or genetic anomaly of the unborn child in Mississippi.

In 1993, I attended World Youth Day in Denver as the youth minister from St. John the Baptist, Alden, traveling with the Diocese of Buffalo.

The 47th annual March for Life took place in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24.

A couple hundred residents of LeRoy braved the elements to show their support of unborn human life on Saturday, Jan. 25.

Pro-life supporters from across the diocese gathered on Jan. 11 to celebrate Mass and congratulate recipients of the Pro-Vita Award, which recognizes dedication to the sanctity of life.

A political issue that has separated the nation brought people of different faiths together in Buffalo. St. Joseph University Parish in Buffalo hosted an interfaith prayer service on July 24 to pray for everyone involved in the Mexican immigration issue, from children to border guards.

Michael Cygan is running for life. Not his own, but for the lives of the unborn children and their mothers facing difficult pregnancies.

The Knights of Columbus came two steps closer to their nationwide goal of placing 1,000 ultrasound machines into pro-life pregnancy centers, hospitals and clinics, when they presented the diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities with a check to purchase a pair of handheld units.

As part of a national initiative to place 1,000 ultrasound machines in pro-life pregnancy centers, hospitals and clinics throughout the country, the Knights of Columbus along with the Diocese of Buffalo, are donating funds to purchase additional hand-held sonogram machines to benefit Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Catholic Health.

A full house of 400 people packed the Millennium Hotel in Cheektowaga on Feb. 26 to hear from those who work and live behind the front lines of abortion.

The diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities and Baker Victory Services are sponsoring a Mass for all those who have been touched by adoption -- birthparents, adoptees, adoptive parents, grandparents and other relatives.

Earlier this week, Bishop Malone added this statement to the NYS Catholic Conference of Bishops, regarding the passage of the Reproductive Health Act: "NYS is already the state with the highest rate of killing pre-born children through abortion. This is a tragic day for NYS that makes a very bad situation even worse. It is a barbaric action of our legislature, and clearly nothing to celebrate."

On the 46th anniversary of the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision that gave women the legal right to an abortion, New York state passed the Reproductive Health Act on Jan. 22 that expands abortion-rights legislation in the Empire State.

Girls at Nativity School, in Orchard Park are making headlines for a good cause, literally. These eighth-graders wrote, designed and printed their own newspaper to raise money for the children at Mother Teresa Home in Buffalo.

The Respect Life Committee of St. John the Baptist Church in Kenmore, will hold their 35th annual Novena for Life beginning on Monday, Jan. 14, and closing on Tuesday, Jan. 22, the 46th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on abortion.

This year marks the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. A special Mass will be held on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 4 p.m. at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, 4125 Union Road, Cheektowaga. Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, will be the main celebrant and homilist.

Buffalo Diocese and hundreds of thousands of other Catholics will be taking a pilgrimage of public witness to Washington, D.C. They are calling for the end of abortion in the United States.

The 29th Annual Night of Prayer will be observed Saturday, Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, at 9 p.m. to Sunday, Dec. 9, feast of St. Juan Diego, at 1 a.m.

An old Irish proverb says, "It is in the shelter of each other that the people live." Indeed, we are created to depend upon one another and walk together in suffering. But when family members or friends approach life's end, we may not know how best to "shelter" them. Here are some concrete ways we can compassionately care for them. Invite God In: Pope Francis has said that "praying in difficult situations is like opening the door to the Lord, in order that he might enter." The dying process is a sacred time - a final season to seek closure in this life and prepare for the next in the hope of sharing in Christ's Resurrection. As you enter into this season with your friend or family member, ask God to accompany both of you.

When it comes to having a baby, there are a lot of decisions to make. Catholic Health has launched a new website, healthymomhealthybaby.org, to help guide mothers and families through the pregnancy journey. The site, designed for expectant mothers or women contemplating pregnancy, explores maternity services available throughout Catholic Health.

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of the moral vision of society. Kevin Upendran, a student of Christ the King seminary studying for the priesthood in Hamilton, Ontario, has seriously considered that idea. He holds a medical degree and has met with several women who did not see new life as such an important thing.

On May 3, Dr. Stanley L. Bukowski, a third-generation physician from Buffalo, testified before the State Assembly Health Committee in opposition to the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. For 34 years, Bukowski has been a primary care internal medicine physician with experience in caring for the chronically ill, the disabled and the dying. The following are excerpts from his testimony.

Soon after the birth of my son Charlie, who has Down syndrome, a visitor asked whether he was "mild, moderate or severe," referring to his level of cognitive impairment. I knew the terminology, but the question shocked me. In my arms I held my beautiful baby boy, who defied easy categorization. Clinical labels may describe some aspects of an individual's "functioning," but they don't tell the whole story. Labels could not describe how Charlie's smile lit up a room or how the sweetness of his soul had captured our hearts so completely.

Remember the classic sitcom "The Facts of Life," where four girls with diverse backgrounds are thrown together to learn and grow together under the watchful eye of Mrs. Garrett? That exact thing is happening here in Buffalo. Eastland Academy takes on the form of Mother Teresa Home, a house that provides a safe, stable place for women who have received pressure regarding their pregnancies.

The diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities held a gritty inservice for local Respect Life coordinators. The annual training and information session took place Oct. 6, the vigil of Respect Life Sunday.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will be the main celebrant and homilist at the annual Respect Life Mass on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. at St. Louis Church, 780 Main St., Buffalo. During the Mass, the bishop will commission the parish respect life coordinators.

"Every Life: Cherished, Chosen, Sent" has been a consistent theme of St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis and one that has particular urgency today. This year's theme for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Respect Life Program fills us with encouragement and hope and calls us to love, defend and celebrate all human life. It calls us to joyfully follow the example of Christ, to love without limits, and further, to act on that sense of true Christian charity.

While the Catholic Church has always discouraged capital punishment as part of its pro-life teachings, Pope Francis strengthened the language of opposition in August, changing the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state "the death penalty is inadmissible."

WASHINGTON D.C. — Abortion in the United States is usually thought of as a deeply partisan issue. The majority of Republicans in Congress support restrictions on abortion, and the Democratic Party has included support and public funding for abortion in its most recent official party platform.

WASHINGTON, DC — Abortion in the United States is usually thought of as a deeply partisan issue. The majority of Republicans in Congress support restrictions on abortion, and the Democratic Party has included support and public funding for abortion in its most recent official party platform.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - The Vatican changed on Thursday the Catechism of the Catholic Church's teaching on the permissibility of the death penalty, which the Church has taught is legitimate in limited cases, stating the penalty is 'inadmissible,' and its elimination should be sought.

WASHINGTON, DC - Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement today inviting all people of good will to join in a prayer campaign that the change in the U.S. Supreme Court will move our nation closer to the day when every human being is protected in law and welcomed in life.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a California law requiring pro-life pregnancy centers to post information on programs to obtain a free or low-cost abortion.

Cheryl Calire, director of the Office of Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Buffalo, will head to St. Charles, Mo., to take part in the national Pro-Life Women's Conference, June 22-24. The three-day event, by women and for women, is to illustrate that women's empowerment cannot be attained by the oppression of other human beings. More than 600 women are expected to attend the conference held at the St. Charles Convention Center.

St. Jude the Apostle Parish, 800 Niagara Falls Blvd, North Tonawanda, will be the site of the Rosary Novena for Life on Saturday, May 26, at 5 p.m. Father James Kirkpatrick, pastor, will be the main celebrant.

With Mother's Day coming soon, the Catholic Church wishes to reiterate its focus on the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. The faithful pray and protest to end abortion, while at the same time working in hospitals and with the government to care for those who are lost before birth.

Bishop Richard J. Malone will be the main celebrant at the sixth annual Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb and Mass on Sunday, May 6. The 10:30 a.m. Mass will be held at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo.

NEW YORK CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - Disability rights activists are speaking out in opposition to a proposal in New York that would legalize physician assisted suicide.

In 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo tried to give New York women a present. He called it the "Women's Equality Act," a 10-point plan of policies for women that included protections against salary inequities, sexual harassment, discrimination and domestic violence.