Fifty years since Archbishop Philip Pocock’s Declaration on Behalf of Life launched ShareLife, its communications team is offering a rich historical dive into its half century with a special campaign-launching initiative set to honour the supporters who rallied at its inception and those who sustain the same mission today. 

This historical reflection comes in the form of a specially produced anniversary video, with extensive preparation taken by ShareLife to recapture the spirit of Pocock’s 1976 stand. Paired with insights from Cardinal Frank Leo, the prolonged retrospective bridges ShareLife’s pivotal founding moment to the ongoing work of its more than 40 agencies across the Greater Toronto Area. 

Jennifer Lazo, ShareLife’s communications manager, shared with The Catholic Register the scene awaiting those tuning into the March 19 premiere. 

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“As early as last year, (executive director) Arthur Peters wanted to emphasize the importance of going back to the moment where it all began. We have this thick, green binder in the office with all sorts of documents and records, including our main reference material, the Declaration on Behalf of Life,” she said. 

“Our video opens with (Peters) walking into the Kenora room of the Sheraton Hotel of Toronto, the same room where Archbishop Pocock delivered that historic declaration. It was our way of visually bringing the viewers back to that moment in our history as a community and reminding people that we began with a clear and courageous stand for the dignity of human life.” 

Lazo said the team also put special emphasis on educating viewers on the "why" behind ShareLife. She noted that, as some people in the archdiocese weren't around in 1976, many see it only as posters, envelopes and announcements in parishes, not as the full story of Catholic commitment to service that it remains proud of. 

In doing so, the eight-minute video covers the history and growth of the organization, from original door-to-door collection efforts to the modern support across a variety of agency concerns. Accompanying recollections captured by one of ShareLife’s videographer partners are archival images curated by Lazo with the help of the archdiocesan archives team, mixed with current agency photos. 

Seeking authentic voices from past eras, Lazo detailed the challenging hunt for a short audio clip from Toronto media legend Gordon Sinclair on his Let's Be Personal program, discussing Pocock’s declaration and ShareLife's founding. The team succeeded in locating it, and it is one of the video’s standouts. 

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“ It was Arthur who kept mentioning that he had heard that audio clip when he was younger, and we had to be very focused in finding that, which proved quite difficult. We had to go to different media agencies, back and forth with the archives department of the archdiocese, but we  found it, and it’s amazing material to have.”

More prominent inclusions include the reflections added by Leo, who shared his thanks on the continuation of ShareLife’s mission. 

“ It’s been incredible working with him, and his message connects that historic moment in 1976 to what the Church is today, and he reflects on the courage of that moment in publicly declaring the sacredness of human life at a time when it was being challenged,” Lazo said. 

“The Cardinal also reminds us in the video that after making that declaration, Archbishop Pocock established ShareLife to ensure that the Church's commitment to life and dignity would be expressed through concrete acts of service — something that we are all now called to carry forward.” 

The video will debut on ShareLife’s YouTube channel on March 19. In a nod to its defining moment, the video is set to be uploaded at 11 a.m., the exact time of Pocock’s declaration 50 years ago. 

In the meantime, the video is being translated into French, simplified and traditional Chinese, Polish, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. 

Direct mail letters have also been sent to the parishes with a request for ShareLife reflections, anecdotes and photos for smaller video projects, complete with people sharing their own ShareLife stories to be released throughout this anniversary year.

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With just days to go until its premiere, this year’s Parish Campaign video stands as a true time capsule of ShareLife’s 50-year journey, inviting both longtime faithful and younger parishioners encountering the organization’s long-standing mission for the first time to see themselves as part of that chain of compassion during this year of celebration. 

ShareLife’s YouTube channel can be found at youtube.com/@ShareLifeCan.