Pro-Life This Week

Week in Review

ALL Launches ‘Pro-Life Schools Week’

Last week, the American Life League team launched a first-of-its-kind event at a local Catholic high school in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Called “Pro-Life Schools Week,” this weeklong event brought in guest speakers, engaged students in creative activities, hosted group discussions using booklets from the Culture of Life Studies Program, and gave students the opportunity to learn what it means to be pro-life and how to put these beliefs into practice.

American Life League’s goal was to combine pro-life education with fun, tangible activities that would give students a view of what it means to be pro-life. Our team saw in real time students who were hostile or even pro-choice on Monday who were, by Friday, asking thoughtful questions or who had changed their minds.

This event poses a rare opportunity to convert our Catholic youth and to teach them the sanctity of all people—from creation until death. One of our team’s biggest takeaways from the week was how many students from Catholic families and who had attended Catholic grade schools identified as “pro-choice.” Rather than seeing this as a setback, we see it as an opportunity. We must convert our youth—and our Catholic youth especially.

Katie Xavios will be meeting with the Arlington, Virginia, diocese in a few weeks to share the results of the event. The hope is to one day host “Pro-Life Schools Week” in every Catholic school in the nation, but as American Life League is based in the Arlington diocese, our team will start here.

Please join us in prayer and support for this exciting new project!

Assisted Death Grows Worldwide, Even as Canada Backtracks Mental Illness Expansion

Recent data from countries with the most extreme assisted dying laws show that this threat to vulnerable human beings is growing rapidly—both in prevalence and scope. Yet, at the same time, Canada has decided to exclude those with mental illness from its assisted dying program indefinitely, providing a small glimmer of hope.

On October 7, Sean Fraser, Canada’s justice minister and attorney general, announced via X that the government has “serious concerns” regarding the use of its Medical Aid in Dying program for individuals who have mental illness. Due to these concerns, he said, “Canada will therefore not proceed with the planned expansion when mental illness is the sole underlying medical condition.”

It should be obvious that mental illness should prompt extra support and care, not a government-backed invitation to end a person’s life. We are relieved to hear this small bit of good news, but it is vastly overshadowed by the dark reality of Canada’s MAID program.

This year marked both the MAID program’s 10^th anniversary and its victim count surpassing more than 100,000 deaths. That number includes 16,499 people killed in 2024 alone, equaling 5.1% of the country’s total deaths that year.

But Canada isn’t the only country with shocking assisted death data. In the state of Queensland, Australia, a record-high 1,082 people died by assisted suicide in the 2025–2026 fiscal year. These deaths represent a 40% increase from two years earlier and accounted for about 3% of the state’s total deaths.

Belgium also reported horrifying information about its killing program this year. In 2025, 4,487 people were killed, a 31% increase from 2023. About 4% of the country’s deaths are caused by euthanasia, a percentage that nearly doubled in only five years. Two of these deaths involved minors, and 262 people were killed due to mental illness or cognitive decline.

The Netherlands made headlines recently when it euthanized a disabled one-year-old boy. Until 2024, only adults, infants under one year old, and children over 12 could qualify for assisted death. It expanded these rules to include children between the ages of one and 12 who experience “hopeless and unbearable suffering” in 2024. The Netherlands reported 10,341 assisted deaths in 2025.

Today, assisted death is decriminalized in 13 states and Washington, DC. As many countries continue to expand their killing programs, we can only anticipate that ours will do the same. Pro-lifers are called to not only protect the preborn but to protect any vulnerable human being threatened by our culture of death. We must continue our fight to end these murderous programs and to awaken hearts to the beauty of every person’s life, even in seasons of suffering.

ALL in the News

Susan Ciancio, editor of Celebrate Life Magazine and director of the Culture of Life Studies Program, wrote about a new pro-life film being released today. The film follows the story of a mother who finds out that she is pregnant at 45. It was published by Catholic World Report and reprinted by Pregnancy Help News.

Susan also wrote an article on the double standards of suicide and assisted suicide in our culture. The article was published by LifeSiteNews.

CLSP’s national Pro-Life Essay Contest continues to receive media attention, this week from outlets such as Catholic365 and Today’s Catholic Homeschooling.

Katie Brown Xavios, ALL’s national director, regularly posts updates about American Life League and its important work on social media channels X and LinkedIn. Follow her accounts to stay up to date.

Twice a week, Judie’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s commentaries are each featured on the front page of ALL.org.

Pro-Life Education

Culture of Life Studies Program

Pro-Life Citizenship: Should a Catholic vote for a candidate who supports abortion but who wants to help the homeless? Should a concerned pro-lifer vote for a candidate who is against abortion but who supports human embryonic stem cell research? This booklet shows high school students the importance of political action and helps students understand their role in government, even when they have not yet reached voting age. Students will also learn about what it takes to form their moral conscience and how the moral conscience plays an integral role in helping voters carry out their civic duty. This is a perfect and timely booklet for parents and their teens to read together before the midterms. ORDER HERE

ALL’s Education Materials

Conversion of Those Working for the Culture of Death Prayer Card: Invite others to join you in prayer for the conversion of hearts and the protection of all human beings at every stage with this beautiful prayer card. Featuring a beautiful image of Jesus revealing His Sacred Heart, this prayer card offers a meaningful way to pray for those involved in industries and practices that harm embryonic babies, including in vitro fertilization, contraception, and abortion. Measuring 2.5 x 4.75 inches, this prayer card encourages the faithful to entrust these intentions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, asking for hearts to be transformed by His love, mercy, and truth. It is ideal for personal devotion, parish prayer groups, pro-life events, and outreach efforts. Keep it close for daily prayer or share it with family and friends as an invitation to pray for conversion, healing, and a renewed commitment to the dignity of every human person. SHOP NOW

VIDEO SHORT: Watch These Men Shed Tears When Meeting Their Namesakes

Sacred scripture gives several examples of how naming a child conveys meaning, family history, hopes, and God’s purposes. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah names her son Samuel in response to God granting her a child. In Genesis 21, Abraham names his son Isaac in connection with His covenant promise. In other words, names don’t just fill a spot on a birth certificate. Names can carry a legacy. What greater honor can a grandfather receive than when his grandchild is gifted the same name?

Omg, I’m a complete puddle. 😭♥️🥲 https://t.co/W6VM5tIddG
— ☘️𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕪 𝕄𝕔𝔾𝕖𝕖‎ (@LuckyMcGee) October 13, 2026

C’mon. Admit you teared up a bit.

@LuckyMcGee My son gave his little girl my middle name for her middle name. The honor is indescribable.
— cactus girl 🌵 (@cactusncookies) October 13, 2026

@LuckyMcGee My son named grandson after my Dad. Wasn’t expecting that and it somehow made him a little more perfect.
— GT§uttons (@gtsuttons) October 14, 2026

@LuckyMcGee Gets me every time.
— Gregg 🇺🇸 (@realgreggd) October 13, 2026

@LuckyMcGee That would break me too. 🤧🥺😭
— @Moronius, the Younger (@moroniusy) October 13, 2026

Pro-Life This Week – October 16, 2026

Week in Review

Pro-Life Education

Pro-Life Social Media