Misdialed call connects woman who had scheduled an abortion to pro-life help

I can just see her guardian angel moving her fingers to “misdial”!

For those in the Baltimore area, there is an interesting talk coming up by Rita Marker, executive director of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Entitled “End of Life Issues and What Can Be Wrong with Advance Directives,” the talk will focus on the legal and moral aspects of end of life issues and what to look for when making advance directives. Here are the details:

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH, SEVERNA PARK
TUESDAY MARCH 16, 2010
7:00 P.M.

The only pro-life pharmacy in the DC-area, founded by my wife’s OB/GYN Dr. John Bruchalski, is closing due to financial difficulties.

It really is unfortunate that a region with a population of the DC-area cannot support even one pro-life pharmacy. God bless Dr. Bruchalski and all the people that were involved in DMC pharmacy. I’m sure the Lord will bless them for their faithfulness.

For those in the local Maryland area, next Monday (March 8th) will be the annual Maryland March for Life in Annapolis, MD. Fighting against legalized abortion in this state often seems like an uphill battle, but we’ll never win if we don’t try. Try to make an effort to be there next Monday.

Details can be found at: www.marylandmarchforlife.org

One of my favorite pro-life apostolates is Good Counsel Homes, which was founded by Fr. Benedict Groeschel and Chris Bell (who later married pro-life heroine Joan Andrews). Good Counsel Homes provides a home for homeless pregnant women and single mothers, and they have five homes in New York State. Both Chris and Joan Bell are on the Board of Advisors for Little Flowers Foundation.

For a taste of what Good Counsel Homes does, watch this video:

This Lent, if you are looking for a charity to support, consider Good Counsel Homes.

This is so encouraging: my daughter’s 13-year-old pen-pal, who lives in Ohio, wrote a letter to her local paper decrying the evil of abortion and, praise God, it was published. Entitled “Little Girls Don’t Dream of Abortions“, it is a beautiful statement for life:

There is a good interview with Mark Shea over at Ministry Values on the topic of torture. Mark has become the preeminent spokesperson in the Catholic blogosphere for defending the Church’s condemnation of torture. An excerpt:

We asked Mr. Shea, how the policy of torture or enhanced interrogation found its way into official government policy. The obvious answer was of course everything changed after 9/11. Protecting our citizens at all cost became paramount but what we found interesting was his identification of the philosophical under pinnings of the moral justification for torture.

Mr.Shea gave an impassioned discourse on the ideal of “consequentialism” a philosophy that is the intellectual foundation for those whosupport “enhanced interrogation methods” . Simply put”Consequentialism” is “let us do evil as long as it results in good” or better known as “the end justifies the means”.

Mr. Shea assured us that this “ideal” of “consequentialism” has been fully condemned by Pope John Paul II and others. Mark Shea’s view on this issue he admits is not popular these days with many of his conservative friends.

Check out the whole interview here.

In the days leading up to the March for Life, I kept meaning to blog my appreciation for Metropolitan Jonah’s strong encourgement to his fellow Orthodox to take a public stand for Life. The Orthodox Church has always stood strong in condemning abortion, but they have unfortunately been mostly silent in this country in fighting legalized abortion (with Frederica Matthews-Green being a very notable exception). But this year Metropolitan Jonah urged all Orthodox – from bishops to the lowliest layman – to attend the March and to work against legalized abortion. I thank him for that effort.

But what reminded me was seeing this photo over at Byzantine, TX:

(Metropolitan Jonah is in the center in white).

What struck me about the photo was seeing my former classmate Jeff Fortenberry (second from left). Jeff was in the Masters of Theology program with me at Franciscan back in the mid-90’s and we worked together in the campus computer lab during that time. Jeff is now a congressman from Nebraska (quite a step up from assisting students and faculty in using MS Word!).

It seems as if we live in a world which the prophet Isaiah warned us about:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

The Church’s clear teaching on moral issues has been challenged in all corners, and unfortunately, even by its own members. Actions which should be unthinkable to any decently-formed Catholic must now be explicitly condemned, such as the killing of innocent babies and the idea of same-sex “marriage”.

And recently, another clear moral teaching has been challenged: the intrinsic evil of torture. Many Catholics – including many who proclaim that they are pro-life – are working to justify torture even though it has been condemned in no uncertain terms by the Church.

Erin Manning has begun a new group called “Coalition for Clarity” which works to defend the Church’s teaching in this area. I have proudly signed up as a listed member of this Coalition, although I admit that I find it sad that we have to distinguish ourselves simply by our acceptance of Church teaching.

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. (Isaiah 62:1)

Looking ahead

Looking behind

In a few hours I’ll be leaving for the March for Life. It has been almost 20 years since my first March back in 1991, and I have now been to Marches under 4 different presidents. My oldest child is actually much closer to my age at my first March than I am. But as I march, I always try to remind myself why I go.

• I don’t march because I want a Health Care bill that doesn’t fund abortions (although of course that would be great).
• I don’t march because I want the President to be pro-life (which of course would be better than the alternative).
• I don’t march because I want Congress to pass pro-life laws (although of course I would rejoice if they did).
• I don’t march because I want the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade (even though of course that would be a great thing if it happened).

No, I march for one primary reason: because those I want to see protected by law and loved by society – the unborn – cannot march. They are silent victims of a terrible holocaust, and they cannot speak for themselves. They cannot stand up for their own rights; they need us to do that for them.

By marching, we are reminding everyone that every day innocent children are being ripped from their mother’s wombs, and this occurs under the full protection of the law and the complete acceptance of our society. By marching, we can be the voice for those who have not yet developed their own voices.

That is why I march.

I am attending the March for Life tomorrow with four of my children, and I hope anyone who can make it comes as well. I have been going off-and-0n since 1991, and I am always very encouraged by all the people I see – especially all the young people (I was one of those young people back in 1991!).

If for some reason you can’t make it, you can always attend the Virtual March for Life. Just don’t make that an excuse for not attending the real one if you can.

Also, the bishops have declared January 22nd a day of penance: whether you go to the March or not, be sure to pray and fast tomorrow for the end of legalized abortion.

Ohio Abortion Clinic Follows National Trend and Closes

After 34 years in the abortion business, the Mahoning Women’s Center in Youngstown, Ohio, permanently closed its doors on January 12, 2010. The owner has retired and the building will be sold. The closure leaves the community of Youngstown abortion-free.

“This is such great news for the people of Ohio and all Americans. It means that lives will be saved,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We know from experience that when abortion clinics close, many women who would otherwise have opted for abortion will instead happily keep their babies or release them for adoption.”

The closure follows a well-documented national trend. In 1991, there were nearly 2,200 abortion clinics, but today there are 712. Since 1991 over two-thirds of all abortion clinics have permanently closed. That trend reflects the shifting attitude of Americans toward the pro-life position.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

California abortionist accused of gross negligence in woman’s death

I’m looking forward to the day when the headline reads “Abortionist accused of gross negligence in unborn baby’s death”

This seemingly innocuous building:

will soon become a place of great evil. Planned Parenthood is planning to open the largest abortion clinic in the country in this former bank in Houston later this year.

One day we will look upon these buildings as we now look upon Auschwitz and Dachau.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!