Jesus' death on the cross advances human civilization, while abortion is a regression from civilization. This slide presentation was given as a retreat for our pro-life prayer league.

1. Pro-Life
Retreat
Christ’s
Death on
the Cross
Advances
Human
Civilization

2. Greeting
Слава Ісусу Христу
Slava Isusu Khrystu
Glory be to Jesus Christ
Слава на віку
Slava na viky
Glory forever

3. Summary
In the sacrament of baptism, the participation in
Christ's death by putting on Christ means that no
one ever needs to die for an assumed unforgivable
sin, especially that of one's very existence in the
pre-born time of your development post
conception.

4. Dedication:
“…but though our
outward man is
corrupted, yet the
inward man is
renewed day by
day.”
II Corinthians 4:16

5. Daily Prayer of Prayer League of the Holy Innocents and St. Stylianos
Priest: Blessed be Our God, always, now and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Eternal and Almighty God, One in the Most Holy Trinity, we Your sinful and unworthy servants lift our eyes and voices to
You in fervent supplication! Spare this sinful and lost generation from Your Great Wrath, though it is All-Just, and look
instead upon the vineyard which Your right hand has planted and protect the New Community which bears Your Name. Grant
a complete and utter conversion to and instill a detestable revile of sin in the hearts of all abortionists, infanticidal physicians
and those who ally themselves with the awful and diabolical work of abortion and infanticide. May Your Most Holy Ghost
(Spirit) overshadow all children in the womb, and those newly born with a veil of protection, to keep them from all harm that
would unjustly end their earthly lives. O Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, we entrust to you the hearts of all women
considering abortion and those family members and friends who most influence them. Cleanse their minds and thoughts of all
doubts or discouragement and let them find the peace of Christ and through your intercession, choose Life.

6. Daily Prayer of Prayer League of the Holy Innocents and St. Stylianos
O Holy Innocents and St. Stylianos the Protector of Children, our heavenly patrons, deign to prosper the small
work of this apostolate with your assistance. Strengthen our wills to be ever mindful of Almighty God that we
may be truly spiritual and effective workers in Christ's vineyard. By your intercession may abortions cease
throughout the world. Lord have mercy (x3). Give the blessing! Priest: May Christ our True God (risen from the
dead), through the prayers of His Immaculate Mother, Our Lady of the Sign, of the Holy Innocents and St.
Stylianos of Paphlagonia and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us for He alone is gracious and the lover
of mankind. People: Amen.

7. Romans 6: Epistle at a Baptism
Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death?
4 For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by
the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of
his resurrection.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the
end that we may serve sin no longer.
7 For he that is dead is justified from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ:
9 Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no more have
dominion over him.
10 For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he lives, he lives unto God:
11 So do you also reckon, that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6&version=DRA

8. Raspberry Ruse
Raspberry bushes in summer,
near the end of the berry
season. Their trick against
severe frost makes them appear
like dry sticks throughout
winter.
“For we are buried together with him by baptism
into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by
the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in
newness of life.” Romans 6

9. Introducing
Nicole
Stephaniuk
to our pro-
life retreat

10. Nicole’s presentation
Hi, my name is Nicole Stephaniuk, Fr. Jeffrey’s daughter. Growing up I understood that it was very important to
help the vulnerable and to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. As a young girl I would attend
pro life rallies with my parents and as I got older I would go with my dad to different places to either interview
other pro lifers or to speak out against abortion. In 2016 my dad and I went to Saskatoon to interview some
people from CCBR and to do some activism with them. This was the first time I really spoke to people about
abortion. One person that stood out to me was a guy walking past us and he looked at the picture of an aborted
baby, and said “that is disgusting.” I was too young to realize that I should have agreed with him and started a
conversation about why it was a disgusting and horrible thing. This helped me understand that we need to
educate people about abortion and show them the truth about this terrible act.

11. Nicole-
continued
• Fast forward to 2018, my first year of university I find out
about a pro life group on campus at the University of Regina,
Youth Protecting Youth. I was excited that there was a pro life
group on campus and I joined them as I wanted to be more
involved in the pro life movement. In this group I learned how
to do activism, how to talk to pro choicers and learned more
about the pro life movement. Last week, I attended a pro life
Bootcamp in Edmonton hosted by NCLN (National Campus
Life Network) where students in university pro life groups
across Canada and myself learned how to be better leaders for
our clubs and learn more about the pro life movement and
abortion.

12. Nicole at NCLN Edmonton August 2020
There I learned some very important things from people like Ruth Shaw. One of the presenters there, Ben
Matychuk, started the weekend off with talking about why we are here and what we are called to do. “There is
nothing about abortion that is moral or right, it is always a horrible and evil thing, that’s why we should teach to
reject abortion. Every Christian is called to fight abortion, why not you? There should be no excuse why you
shouldn’t be fighting abortion. There are so many people who can end abortion by why not you? You can have
rational fears but that shouldn’t stop you. Don’t focus on the end goal just take it one step at a time. Think of a
strategy and go from there. Having a good strategy is good and morally right.” With the pandemic going on, this
might stop people from going out and doing activism but “You shouldn’t stop fighting abortion because of
COVID because abortion doesn’t stop because of COVID.” Let us go out there and fight for the babies who are
being murdered by abortion.

13. Canadian Centre for
Bio-Ethical Reform
Choice? Chain,
Saskatoon, June 23,
2016 (Photo by Nicole
Stephaniuk)

14. University of Regina

15. National Campus Life Network
https://ncln.ca

16. From the
Presentation
• Every Christian is called to fight abortion,
why not you? There should be no excuse
why you shouldn’t be fighting abortion.
• There is nothing about abortion that is moral
or right, it is always a horrible and evil thing,
that’s why we should teach to reject abortion.

17. Hebrews 9: 22
Shedding of
Blood and
Forgiveness of
sins
“And almost all things,
according to the law, are
cleansed with blood: and
without shedding of blood
there is no remission.”

18. Hebrews 9:28 The Voluntary
Self-Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
So also Christ was
offered once to exhaust
the sins of many

19. “For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin
should be taken away.” Hebrews 4
(Left: https://themotherofgod.wordpress.com/the-sacrifice-of-isaac
(Right: Holy picture on side
of the altar at St. Michael’s Ukrainian
Catholic parish, Wishart Farms,
Wishart, Saskatchewan)

20. St. Ambrose
Bishop of Milan
Confessor and Doctor
of the Church
(340-397 A.D.)
“God is appeased not by blood… He
showed the ram in the thicket instead of
the lad, that He might restore the son to
his father. Thus, Abraham saw this and
recognized the Mystery, that salvation
should be to us from the Tree.” (On
Belief in the Resurrection)
https://themotherofgod.wordpress.com/the-sacrifice-of-isaac

21. Psalm 69 (ESV)
“More in number than the hairs of my head
are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
must I now restore?
O God, you know my folly;
the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.”
Psalm 69 (ESV)

22. Ezekiel 33:11
“As I live, declares the Lord GOD,
I have no pleasure in the death
of the wicked, but that the wicked
turn from his way and live.”

23. Isaiah 53: Because
Jesus dies for human
sins, killing people for
an “unforgiveable sin”
of existence is a
regression away from
civilization
He was despised and forsaken by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,
and with his stripes we are healed.
(A note on the word forsaken states the meaning
Is also that of rejection.
In our context with the pre-born, ejection
through abortion)

24. “All who have been
baptized into Christ
have put on Christ”
The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship.
Ottawa, 2004, Page 792

25. “Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling death by death
And to those in the tombs
Giving life.”
• How Jesus Christ contributes to the
advancement of human civilization
• How the child saves the father and
mother

26. http://catechism.royaldoors.
net/catechism/

28. Final Prayer
• Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory be to you, O God
• Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory be to you, O God
• Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory be to you, O God
Priest:: Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Immaculate
Mother, and of Saint (whose day it is) and of all the saints, will have mercy
and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.
Response: Amen

29. Contact information
Father Jeffrey D. Stephaniuk
Ukrainian Catholic Parish District
Sacred Heart, Wynyard and Area
Box 1652 Wynyard, Saskatchewan S0A 4T0
306-560-8885
jdstephaniuk@gmail.com
www.jeffreydstephaniuk.wordpress.com
Nicole Stephaniuk- nicolebernadettestephaniuk01@gmail.com