June 24, 2024
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Today we mark the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed South Dakota to begin protecting preborn children and their mothers from the harms of abortion.
This is a fitting day to express gratitude for the thousands of South Dakotans who have rallied to meet the needs of women and families facing difficult or challenging pregnancies. Our state has a robust network of agencies and organizations that help pregnant women and families meet a variety of needs, including health care, housing, financial assistance, parenting education, and more. The state of South Dakota has established a website – https://www.sd.gov/life – where access to all these services may be found in one place.
We are especially thankful for the ten pregnancy resource centers that operate in South Dakota. These non-profit organizations, many of them faith-based, operate entirely on private donations and accompany women throughout their pregnancy journey. Most of their services are offered free of charge. Today in South Dakota, no woman or couple facing a difficult pregnancy needs to face that challenge alone. A single phone call begins the process of integrating this woman or couple into a community that will love and support them.
The outpouring of love, care and support for pregnant women and their families that we find throughout our state proves that we do not need, and must never resort to, the unjust practice of killing innocent human life through abortion. We must stay resolutely focused on welcoming and serving women in need, while rejecting the falsehood that the death of a preborn child can ever be a legitimate “solution” for human challenges. In this regard, we renew our call to reject the Amendment G measure which would legalize abortion throughout pregnancy in South Dakota.
As we work to build and defend a culture of life in our state, may the words of Psalm 139 always be in our hearts and on our lips: “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!”
The Most Reverend Donald E. DeGrood, Bishop of Sioux Falls
Reverend Daniel Juelfs, Diocesan Administrator, Diocese of Rapid City