October is Respect Life Month, and the weekend of October 6/7 is Respect Life Weekend at St. John's. Deacon (and doctor!) Stephen Najarian of neighboring parish St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony will be our guest at all Masses. He will give an overview of the Catholic Church's teachings on End of Life Medical Ethics.

Then, on Tuesday, October 16, he will be back as St. John's  Respect Life Committee welcomes him for a more in-depth discussion, free and open to the public, on "Medical Ethics for the End of Life."

There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of his October 16^th presentation, and brochures will also be available. Please join us to learn more about this very important topic that touches all of us in very intimate ways.

Deacon Steve Najarian, M.D., is a native son of the Parish of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony. After graduating from DeLaSalle High School, he attended Marquette University, graduating with majors in English and Philosophy. He received  his M.D. degree from the University of Minnesota, completed a Residency in Family Practice at Bethesda Hospital, and then a Residency in Surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He became Board Certified in both Family Practice and Surgery, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has practiced General, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery in St. Paul since 1985. He has been Chief of Surgery at United Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital, President and Board member of Pro-Life Action Ministries, co-founder of the Minnesota Guild of Catholic Physicians, and was a member of the Archbishop's Bio-Medical Ethics Advisory Committee.

After retiring from his surgical practice in August of 2002, he joined the parish staff of St. Charles Borromeo on a full time basis with the responsibilities of bringing Communion to the sick, caring for those in need, facilitating Shepherd's Staff (parish outreach), and serving as sacristan. He was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Harry J. Flynn on 27 September 2003, and he is now in full time diaconal ministry. This year, he was also appointed to the deacon formation team for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Editor's Notes: On the topic of Respect Life, please visit the website, www.bellathemovie.com. "Bella" is a heartwarming independent film that took the 2006 Toronto Film Festival by storm, and it opens nationally in the U.S. on Friday, October 26.

Please check the back cover of this issue of The Forerunner to register for St. John's Theology of the Body Conference in November.