The following story from Catholic News Service appeared in August in the Tidings, archdiocese of Los Angeles’ newspaper.
Pro-lifers must be joyful in the work they do, said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
“This is a beautiful time for us to gather and get energized for a difficult year ahead,” he said as he began his homily at Mass Aug. 6 during the Diocesan Pro-Life Directors’ Meeting held in the Diocese of Orange.
Sixty directors attended the meeting organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.
Throughout the conference — which was not open to reporters — presentation topics dealt with the challenges facing pro-life ministers and activists in the United States today. Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, who chairs the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, gave the opening keynote.
But on the evening of Aug. 6, the focus was less on the challenges facing pro-life workers than on the joy of prolife work….
Cardinal DiNardo was the principal celebrant at the Mass at La Purisima Church in Orange. Orange Bishop Tod Brown and more than half a dozen priests attending the conference concelebrated the Eucharist with the cardinal.
The Mass preceded the celebratory high point of the meeting, the People of Life Dinner Banquet — an event that gave meeting attendees an opportunity to relax with one another and with Diocese of Orange staff and to celebrate the work of the award recipients: Dr. Vincent Rue and Sister Paula Vandegaer, a Sister of Social Service.
Rue, a psychotherapist who provided the first clinical evidence of post-abortion trauma, “set out to be the most ridiculed … and vilified man among psychotherapists,” said Mary McClusky, the secretariat’s special projects coordinator, in her introduction.
“Normally someone who made such a discovery would be greeted with acclaim, awards,” she said. “The official reaction to Vince’s research was basically to ridicule and ostracize him.”
Based in the greater Los Angeles area, Sister Vandegaer worked as the editor of Heartbeat magazine, founded International Life Services and worked with agencies including Southern California’s Right to Life League, Holy Family Services and the Welfare Bureau of Los Angeles.
She came to pro-life work not so much because of the unborn, she said, “but because of my concern about what was happening to the women.”
To read entire story, click here.
On the internet see: Endowment for Human Development.
These are innocent human beings being murdered at the rate of approximately 1 Million per year in the USA.
This is the greatest civil rights violation in the history of our Country.
Although Catholic citizens are required to VOTE: CCC # 2240, we may never vote for a supporter of this slaughter, a pro-abortion politician.
See: Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion, General Principles” by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict).
Difficult year ahead? ? ? What about the election this November? ? ?
Being at war with the devil is not a joy, only a necessity.
” [Sister Vandegaer] came to pro-life work not so much because of the unborn, she said, ‘but because of my concern about what was happening to the women.’ ”
there are many reasons to be pro-lifek, first and foremost because it is the will of GOD.
from that follows concern for the children, their mothers, their fathers, society, and so forth, as we discover more and more how such killing of the innocent makes an impact on individuals and the community.
do we WANT to be a society that allows killing?
do we WANT to be people living with the regrets of killing until our dying days?
Why is the year ahead so ‘difficult’ may I ask? It’s this year when the national elections are held – in less than 3months – this indeed is the crucial year for pro life work. We need to see that pro abortion Dems and Obama administration are roundly rejected at the polls Nov 6. Then we can proceed to set things straight even Roe vs. Wade which isn’t based on Constitutional Law but on judicial ruling.This we can change w/new leadership and Congressional consent. It won’t be swift but it can be done. Nellie can help us from her place in heaven.
Sam,
Not only pro-abortion Democrats, but pro-abortion Republicrats need to be defeated as well!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
A quick visit to the website of the “Sisters of Social Service” will tell you a lot about this dinner.
Dave – I poked around their website at your suggestion. They are into “community organizing” but this was my favorite section: Nature as sacramental – Benedict’s injunction in the Rule to treat the tools and property of the monastery as “sacred vessels of the altar,” suggests that everything in creation is potentially capable of mediating union with God. This idea was echoed and expanded by the U.S. Bishops in their 1991 pastoral statement on the environment and Catholic social teaching. They made us aware of “a God-centered and sacramental view of the universe which grounds human accountability for the fate of the earth.”
I believe that Sister Paula Vandegaer’s primary concern is still with the women and not the baby as she is 100% against showing pictures of aborted fetus’ to women even if it prevents an abortion. She has stated that those pictures may psychologically damage women, and so, should never be used to save a baby.
While I do not support her view. Research has proven that many people who consider themselves “personally opposed to abortion” but still can’t support the pro-life position, do so because they believe the lie that legal abortion is good for women.
Therefore it is in the interest of those of us who support life to educate the public to the fact that not only is abortion bad for babies. Duh!!! But it is also terrible for women. Once we can convince people of this, the winning numbers are on our side.
I know it would be nice that everyone would see abortion for what it is, Murder, however, what we should be most concerned with is limiting the amount of baby murders that take place in the first place. We can then let God judge each individual as to WHY they are motivated to support the pro-life position.