By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
MIAMI | Archbishop Thomas Wenski has taped a video encouraging the archdiocese's 34,000 Catholic school students to take part in a Baby Bottle Challenge.
Part competition and part education about the Catholic Church's Respect Life ministry, the challenge is taking place for the second time this year in archdiocesan schools, alongside a similar Baby Bottle Campaign that has been taking place in parishes throughout the archdiocese for a number of years.
The campaign and challenge run from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.
Catholic school students — and parishioners — are being asked to take an empty baby bottle home and return it filled with money or checks made out to the Respect Life Office. The donations raise funds for the archdiocese’s three Pregnancy Help Centers — in South Dade, South Broward and Central Broward — while also raising awareness about the Gospel of Life and promoting a personal commitment to building a culture of life in South Florida.
Last year, the Baby Bottle Challenge alone yielded over $220,000 for the Pregnancy Help Centers, with 43 elementary and high schools — out of 62 in the archdiocese — participating.
The winning elementary schools were Epiphany in Miami, which raised over $29,600; St. Theresa in Coral Gables, which raised over $19,400; and Mother of Christ in Miami, which raised over $4,600.
The winning high schools were Archbishop Coleman Carroll in Miami, which raised over $7,700 and Msgr. Edward Pace in Miami Gardens, which raised over $4,400.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski visited the winning schools in January 2022 to congratulate the students personally.
