Down Syndrome & Dr. Jerome Lejeune

This week, we are introducing your children to the pediatrician and geneticist who discovered the cause of Down syndrome. Discovering an extra copy of the 21st chromosome in his Down syndrome patients was a huge step in scientific understanding of genetic mutations. However, devastatingly, modern medicine uses fetal testing to identify unborn life who carry this extra chromosome and, in many, if not most cases, council to abort.

As a faithful Catholic, Dr. Jerome Lejeune respected the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. He worked tirelessly to promote a culture of life, especially for his "extra" ordinary patients.

Today, teach your child, classroom, and parish about Dr. Lejeune—now Venerable Lejeune! Teach your child that sainthood is possible in every field of study, vocation, and experience. Teach your child that science is not only compatible with faith; it has the same author!

Here is what we are teaching your kids today in this weeks Pray, Grow, and Serve!

Meet Venerable Jerome Lejeune!

As we read in Psalm 139, God intentionally knit you together in your mother’s womb. At your very beginning, within every cell of your tiniest self, God placed a set of instructions giving your body everything it needs to form and function; truly, from the moment of your conception, you were fearfully and wonderfully made! These instructions within your cells are called DNA. From conception forward, your DNA informs every part of your body how to grow and do its job.

Jerome Lejeune, born on June 13, 1926, in Montrose, France, was very interested in exploring God’s creation - especially DNA! While our DNA tells everything in our body what to do and how to do it, it is too tiny to see with the naked eye. Because of this, Jerome used a microscope to conduct his studies. He learned that as human persons, much of our DNA is the same; it is the parts of our DNA that are different that make each of us unique.

He used science to discover what made those with Down syndrome “extra” ordinary!

Jerome was a geneticist and a pediatrician. A geneticist is a scientist who studies genetics—the parts of our DNA that determine our traits, and a pediatrician is a doctor who specializes in caring for children. As part of his work, Jerome studied the DNA of his young patients who had Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a condition that affects the way a person’s brain and body develop. Jerome discovered that this condition was caused by an extra copy of the 21st chromosome of their DNA.

Dr. Jerome Lejeune loved his patients with Down syndrome very much and was happy to learn more about what made those with this syndrome special. He was dedicated to sharing with other doctors and researchers that scientific exploration is a gift that should be used to discover how wonderfully each person is created and to grow in appreciation for the dignity and sanctity of every human life from the moment of conception!

He worked for the protection of human life from conception to natural death!

Dr. Lejeune understood that sometimes people feel scared when they encounter something they do not understand. Learning more about what caused Down syndrome was an opportunity to understand that those with an extra chromosome are extraordinary. God allows for many kinds of genetic differences between people. Our differences help us to understand who we are, God’s purpose for our life, and the unique way He desires for us to shine His light in the world around us.

Dr. Jerome Lejeune was a good friend of Pope St. John Paul II! The Pope appreciated his work, and together, they worked hard to protect those who were vulnerable. Pope John Paul II started the Pontifical Academy for Life in 1994 and asked Dr. Jerome Lejeune to serve as its first president. The academy's purpose is “the defense and promotion of the value of human life and of the dignity of the person.” Dr. Lejeune served for just a short time before he died of cancer in April of 1994. In 2007, Pope Francis opened his cause for beatification. In 2021, he was declared Venerable

Pray: Venerable Jerome Lejeune, pray for us, that we may seek to understand our differences and celebrate the God-given dignity and purpose of all those we encounter.

Grow: Learn about Venerable Jerome Lejeune! What advice do you think Dr. Lejeune would give you as a student?

Serve: This week share the story of Venerable Jerome Lejeune with a friend!

Download this guide below and share it with 21 of your closest friends!

For more information about joyfully reawakening a culture of life within your domestic church, visit www.pelicanprojectministry.org.