Roe may have been overturned, but the fight to protect moms and babies at the state level has just begun. The people of Las Cruces, New Mexico, are gearing up for that fight.
At an outdoor rally emceed by David Bereit—former CEO of 40 Days for Life—on Tuesday, July 19, pro-life advocates braved the intense heat to listen to speakers and to hear a special announcement from Mark Cavaliere, founder of the Southwest Coalition for Life.
Cavaliere is no stranger to pro-abortion opposition. He and his staff have worked and prayed for years and have seen four abortion facilities closed down.
As Bereit said repeatedly throughout the rally, “Nothing is impossible for God.”
And that is the motivation that keeps these pro-lifers working every day.
The people of New Mexico have an uphill battle ahead of them, but they are undaunted. With a governor who wants to make the state an abortion destination and with state laws that allow abortion for any reason up until birth—including for minors without parental consent—New Mexico will soon be a place women flock to for abortions.
One of the facilities these vulnerable women will soon be able to choose from is the Whole Women’s Health Center, an abortion business owned by Diane Derzis that is relocating from Mississippi to Las Cruces. Right across the street from this building is where the pro-lifers rallied, offering concrete ways to help women and save babies.
Dominique Davis, executive director of Project Defending Life, spoke about the ways in which her organization helps moms and babies, saying it has been offering financial assistance, help with bills, counseling, baby supplies, cars, shelter, and much more for years—to the tune of two and a half million dollars’ worth every year. But the need is even greater now.
She stated that, as of today, pro-life pregnancy centers in New Mexico outnumber abortion clinics 3:1. But with more abortion clinics moving into the state, it is estimated that it won’t be long before it’s 2:1. She urged all pro-lifers to help in some way and suggested a three-prong approach, beginning with loving our families and treating them well, forgiving transgressions, and teaching the culture of life. She then urged us to love our neighbors by volunteering or helping others. And finally, she asked for financial support from the people who can offer it, acknowledging that pro-life pregnancy centers can only give free supplies to moms and babies if they have the support of the community….
The above comes from a July 20 posting in Catholic World Report.
It’s tragically astonishing that Bishop Oscar Cantu, when in Las Cruces, led prayer in front of Big Abortion, Planned Parenthood, until its facility there closed and now, in San Jose, appointed a pro-abortion (gender confused) president at the only “Catholic” high school in the diocese which is operated by the diocese. People here had high hopes for him. What happened?
Archbishop Mitty calls the shots, not the bishop. The Mitty board wanted Latanya in order to pacify students and faculty who alleged the school was racist, so they got their token black figurehead. They don’t care about being Catholic. And do you really think that during the summer of BLM the bishop was going to say no to hiring Mitty’s first black, woman president? No way.
It is a diocesan school and the bishop has direct authority over it. He praised her as he appointed her. You’re right about the board, but that doesn’t excuse the bishop. Our bishops need courage and shouldn’t be intimidated by boards, committees, experts or public opinion. They have the grace of being successors to the Apostles, school boards don’t. Pray they’re open to that grace and act accordingly.
Pray that parents make a big protest– and that the bishop either reforms his Satanic school, or shuts it down completely.
Are you kidding? Parents don’t send their kids to Mitty if they want a Catholic education. Mitty is all about sports. The school will continue to flourish even though nobody there wants it to be a Catholic school, and the bishop ain’t gonna’ do a thing about it because he either doesn’t care himself or he realizes the Mitty board is too politically powerful. You could remove Campus Ministry and the Religion Department, and almost every student and parent would be happy for Mitty to become an honestly secular school like The Harker School across the freeway. Mitty’s “Catholic affiliation” is a fraud.
Or you could just move to a red state.
New Mexico has long been a sinful, corrupt Blue State, like California, badly in need of reform. The Mississippi abortion clinic that was involved in the recent SCOTUS Dobbs decision, is the one that moved to Las Cruces, NM. The current Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces, Bishop Peter Baldacchino, seems very dedicated. He has also denied Communion to local pro-abort Democratic State Sen. Joe Cervantes, a Catholic.
Maybe Las Cruces should be renamed Las Forceps