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1/31/2011 |
March for Life 2011 |
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| Written by administrator |
| Tuesday, 01 February 2011 16:05 |
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 Participants in the annual Rosary March for Life pray in front of a courthouse on Jan. 21 in New Haven. The event begins with a Mass and is held in support of the unborn and in solidarity with the March for Life in Washington, which took place on Jan. 24. (Photo by Mary Walsh)
(CNS) – Laura Strietmann, the director of a Cincinnati crisis pregnancy center, calls abortion "the issue that is shaping our country," and said the challenge for pro-lifers is to get everyone "to respect life again."
In her work, she hears the stories of women’s pain and sees pregnant women in need who "are hungry for the truth about abortion," she said. "When they come in the door, we need to love them and tell them the truth," that abortion is taking a life, she added.
Ms. Strietmann, a member of St. Rose Parish in Cincinnati who is enrolled in a lay pastoral program at the archdiocesan seminary, believes no woman really wants to have an abortion but feels she has no other choice.
She spoke to Catholic News Service as she headed toward the March for Life rally site on the National Mall, where thousands of pro-lifers were gathering to mark the 38th year since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion.
Bundled up against the cold, with the temperature hovering in the mid-20s, people streamed toward the rally site from various points, carrying all manner of signs, many of them homemade.
Among the messages were: "Choose life: Your mother did," "Unborn babies feel pain," "Face it: Abortion kills a person," "I regret lost fatherhood" and "Defund Planned Parenthood."
One couple waiting for the rally to begin held identical signs that read: "To the mother of our 4 adopted children: Thank you for their lives."
Chartered buses started arriving around 4:30 a.m. Pro-lifers came in waves throughout the morning and then headed down to the Mall.
Among them were Archbishop Henry J. Mansell of Hartford and many from Connecticut who went on buses organized by the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Pro-Life Ministry and other organizations and parishes statewide.
Archbishop Mansell celebrated the Mass in the morning of the march at the Washington Plaza Hotel, where a number of people from the Archdiocese stayed.
By the Transcript’s press time, March for Life had not yet posted on its Web site an estimate for the number of participants, but the Catholic News Agency and Eternal Word Television Network said there were hundreds of thousands.
Along a block of Pennsylvania Avenue, not too far from the rally site, Deborah Mischenko of Mine-ville, N.Y., had put up a simple display of nine poster-size images – starting with an image of an embryo and the words "I’m here," and going through the development of a fetus in the womb. The final image was of a newborn and the words "I’m here."
Ms. Mischenko, who is with Mountain Meadows Christian Center, told CNS she had received pretty positive reaction from passers-by. "The whole point is you don’t have to argue with these," or even say "abortion," she said.
Before the March for Life rally started, Stephen Kosciesza of Wheaton, Md., walked through the crowd with a sign that read, "Abortion – a neat, quick easy way out for men." He said it described the "selfishness of men who stand to benefit" from abortion.
Before heading to Washington, Archbishop Mansell also was the principal celebrant of a Mass for the Hartford March for Life on Jan. 22 in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford. Msgr. John J. McCarthy, chancellor, concelebrated.
After the Mass, the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants and other groups sponsored a Rally for Life in Hartford. The rally consisted of prayer, a march to the state Capitol and a program of speakers who talked about the dignity of life.
Other supporting groups for that event were the Connecticut Coalition for Life, Family Institute of Connecticut, Connecticut Right to Life and the St. Gerard’s Center for Life in Hartford.
In solidarity with the March for Life in Washington, the Knights of Columbus San Salvador Council No. 1 sponsored a Mass Jan. 21 at St. Mary Church in New Haven. Recitation of the rosary while walking the streets of New Haven, stopping at the Superior Court, City Hall and Federal Court, followed.
Archbishop Mansell also celebrated Mass on Jan. 16 at St. Mary Church in New Haven.
Sponsored annually by the State Council of Knights of Columbus, the Mass was followed by a baby shower, at which baby clothes and other items were collected.
– Roberta Tuttle also contributed to this story.
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5/12/2010 |
Summer C.V.R.T.L. Newsletter |
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Champlain Valley Right to Life
NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2010
CLINTON COUNTY FAIR
We have again secured a booth at this summer’s Clinton County Fair. It will be the same one we have had for years .The fair this year will run from July 20 - July 25, 2010. We will also again be seeking volunteers to help us “man” the booth. Your only requirements are that you have a pro-life mindset and that you like to visit and engage with people. The time slots will be the same also: 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. then 2:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. and lastly 6:00 P.M. until 10:00 P. M. This information will also be posted on our website www.champlainvalleyrighttolife.org.
To volunteer, please call Wanda Gaffney @ 647-5153 or e-mail at wandagaffney@ hotmail.com.
This is an unique opportunity to interact with a diverse group of people, young and old, so please think about joining us.
JANUARY PRO-LIFE EVENTS
We missed our spring newsletter and thus the report on the January- May pro-life events is late. Our Plattsburgh March for Life was very successful, with an enthusiastic group of marchers and attendees at Church. Rita Diller, National Director of STOPP (Stopp Planned Parenthood) delivered an inspiring message and was warmly received. The reception after the program gave is an opportunity to meet Rita and to visit with our pro-life friends.
We traveled to Washington for the 38th March for Life there. On January 22, Bart’s picture was on the cover of the Washington Times with the banner reading “Ready to March.” He was pleased that the poster he was holding was prominently displayed quoting “Abortion is not Health Care, Its Murder”. An estimated crowd of over 200,000 filled Constitution Avenue for hours.
Those two annual events remembering the infamous Roe v.Wade decision, remind us of the ongoing battle against the evils of abortion.
The annual Stations of the Cross for the Victims of Abortion on Good Friday was apparently a tumultuous event. I was unable to attend but is was reported to me that there were a number of noisy demonstrators from the college across the street trying to distract us. Our prayer persons were apparently stoic in ignoring of these rowdy disruptions and kept their concentration on the Stations, remembering Christ’s suffering on his journey to his crucifixion.
Thank you all for attending these important public pro-life events, keeping before the public the message that abortion is an abomination to our nation.
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5/11/2010 |
In Memory of Mr. Bart Gaffney |
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IN MEMORY
Of
Mr. Bart Gaffney
Being pro-life in today’s world requires a certain special dedication to principles not commonly promoted or favored in today’s secular society. You have to be willing to hold the minority view, to go against the grain of federal and state laws that don’t uphold the sanctity of life.
Champlain Valley Right to Life’s late chairman, Bart Gaffney, was an upstanding example of such a person. For 17 years he led our organization with an energy that many found amazing. He was always working to promote and encourage pro-life efforts.
One of his first achievements was in 1993-1994 when he visited numerous churches in the area, asking parishioners to write personal letters to their federal representatives in opposition to the Freedom of Choice Act, which would have made abortion the law of the land with no restrictions. Nearly 15,000 letters were mailed to Washington. It took almost a year.
Some of his other efforts were starting the annual Plattsburgh Life Chain in 1993, organizing a con-celebrated Mass and march to Planned Parenthood to pray the Rosary, initiating the annual Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, protesting and praying against abortion at the site (first in Malone and later in Plattsburgh), often daily. He retained prominent pro-life speakers for the annual Plattsburgh March for Life when he attended the March for Life in Washington. He wrote many, many Letters to the Editor for the Press Republican and other venues, many in response to Planned Parenthood’s activities, but many just against the influence of abortion on our community and society in general.
His public relations efforts took many tacks. He provided posters announcing pro-life events to be placed in all area churches, he created many, many signs to be held at the Rosary prayers in front of Planned Parenthood. He made sure announcements of events were placed on church bulletins and local papers. He was always available for comment when asked by local media reporters. He felt pro-life publicity was an important feature of our group.
He had many discussions over the years on the topics of life and abortion, and he was well-informed on these issues and could always hold his own with any dissenter. Never would you be able to convince him that any abortion or attack on innocent human life could be justified.
He never wanted thanks or recognition for himself. He strongly felt that what small efforts he made for the pro-life cause could be made by anyone else if they wanted to.
So, rest in peace, Bart Gaffney. If ever it could be said of anyone it could be said of him: “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
Addendum: We will miss Bart and the hard work he so willingly did for the pro-life cause. It is now time for us to think about who will step up to help take his place. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will move some pro-life persons to come forth to help.
We are planning a general meeting of all who would like to offer ideas, suggestions, help, etc. with pro-life work in our region which includes Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties. The focus will be “Where do we go from here, how can we improve and expand our pro-life efforts and bring more people into our groups, especially the young.
We haven’ t secured a location or set a time yet, but hopefully it will be in the second or third week of June. Information will be distributed through church bulletins and will be prominently located on our website, which we encourage you to log onto and peruse.
www.champlainvalleyrighttolife.org.
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2/13/2010 |
Champlain Valley Right to Life News Update |
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Champlain Valley News Update
February – 2010
January Marches:
The Plattsburgh March for Life on January 17 was another successful event for our pro-life group. The speaker, Mrs. Rita Diller, National Director of STOPP (Stop Planned Parenthood) presented the 200 + crowd with a number of ideas for fighting Planned Parenthood in our area. The reception gave everyone a chance to visit with our speaker and other pro-lifers.
The Washington March for Life on January 22 brought together huge crowds of young and old, all displaying their pro-life views for all to see. The number was estimated to be at or near 300,000. The weather was typical for January and the forecasted rain and freezing rain never materialized. Three buses from our local area traveled to DC, full of enthusiastic marchers.
Two local women from Willsboro are organizing a local chapter of the 40 Days for Life program of prayer and picketing against abortion during Lent. They are appealing people to schedule one hour a week during the 5 weeks of Lent to either stand in prayer in front of Planned Parenthood’s office on Brinkerhoff St or spend one hour a week in prayer at church or at home for the intention of ending abortion. For more information contact Margaret Belzile – 593-6024 or Margaret Smith 963-7814
We will again be organizing the Stations of the Cross for the Victims of Abortion in front of Planned Parenthood on Good Friday. Detailed information this and the above items will be in our regular Spring Champlain Valley Life Issues.
A huge THANK YOU to Rev. Martin Mischento and his wife Debbie for repairing and restructuring our website. It is a pro-life labor of love.
Submitted by Wanda Gaffney, Secretary, Treasurer
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2/13/2010 |
Letter to the Editor by,Mr. Bart Gaffney |
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Letter to the Editor
“We Have a Dream”
“…that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” Rev. Martin Luther King 8/28/63.
–that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life…Declaration of Independence 7/4/1776
“Dr. King had a ‘dream’ and unborn black babies have the right to a ‘dream’---to be born and to laugh, play and be ‘all they can be.’ Rev. King died before the infamous Roe v. Wade decision but I wonder, if he were alive today, would he have excluded tiny, innocent black babies from his ‘dream?’ I doubt it!”
“We offer a ‘dream’ of equality to some but not to others. We say we are against discrimination but not all discrimination---only what is ‘politically correct.’ The discrimination is still there. Today’s discrimination is not against someone who looks different---just someone who is smaller and more helpless. Now a woman’s choice denies the ‘dream’ to her child.”
“Possibly the greatest tragedy is that we discriminate and don’t realize it. We ignore the thousands of Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinics that are placed strategically in black neighborhoods. We forget that Margaret Sanger was the worst of bigots, a eugenicist! We are horrified by the scenes from Nazi concentration camps but forget that Margaret Sanger and Hitler were both bent on eliminating whole racial groups. We know Hitler’s ‘final solution’ was horrible, but have we taken a good look at Margaret Sanger’s ‘negro project?’”
(quoting – “Life Coalition Int. )
To honor Rev. King this month, please pray to end abortion that has decimated the black race by killing 1,452 black babies each day. Blacks constitute about 13 percent of Americans. However, 37 percent of all abortions are committed on black women.
Bart Gaffney
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2/13/2010 |
Letter to the Editor by Mrs.Wanda Gaffnet |
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Letter to the Editor
Abortion Unthinkable
I found Planned Parenthood’s Director, Ms. Wunderlich’s use of the word “reprehensible” describing the work of Pro-life groups opposing their programs incongruous. What is really reprehensible is the daily suctioning to shreds the bodies of thousands of developing human beings. Planned Parenthood recites their mantra using sanitizing words such as “medically necessary” and medically safe” in describing their procedures. “Safe” procedures only apply to the mother seeking an abortion. They are intentionally lethal for the innocent unborn baby.
What pro-life groups often do is to educate women about the risks and liabilities to these services and that the best way to promote reproductive health is through abstinence and chastity.
Some Pro-life groups work to have the courts legalize the right of the unborn as persons, equally deserving of the protection of the constitution as born people. Slaves were freed from the court depiction of them as non-persons after the Civil War, and now, decades later, we find it unthinkable that slavery could ever have been legal. We look forward to the day when abortion will not only be declared illegal, but also unthinkable as part of our society.
“Abortion is wrong because it kills a human being who is one of us. It is always a most violent, unjust, and inhumane act committed against the most harmless, defenseless, and weakest member of our society – the baby – and committed by those who have the greatest duty to care for, love, and defend him or her most – the mother, father, doctors, and other health care professionals.” (Life Site News)
Every elective abortion is a pre-meditated killing of a baby in its mother’s womb. Unfortunately, our current mindset considers the murder of one person a tragedy, but the killing of millions by abortion just business as usual. Its time for change.
Wanda Gaffney
Jay, NY 12941 (647-5153)
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1/15/2010 |
Right to Life Scholarship |
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The Diocesan Respect Life Office
in conjunction with
Champlain Valley Right to Life & The Bishop’s Apostles for Life
is pleased to announce the second annual
R EV. CYRIL RAPIN PRO-LIFE SCHOLARSHIP.
The 2010 stipend of $500.00 will be awarded at the end of June. The application process is open to Catholic students of the Diocese of Ogdensburg who are high school seniors (or equivalent home schooled students) and have been witnesses to the Gospel of Life by their pro-life activities in promoting and defending respect for the sanctity of human life. Completed applications must be received by April 30, 2010.
The 2010 application Form is available for download at www.olvc.org
or by mail from: Pro-Life Scholarship Committee
c/o Bishop’s Apostles for Life
4919 South Catherine Street
Plattsburgh, NewYork 12901
The scholarship fund was made possible by a generous bequest of the late Fr. Cyril Rapin to Champlain Valley Right to Life whose officers established the scholarship in his memory to honor his support of the pro-life cause and to encourage young people to carry on his commitment to the Gospel of Life. The funds are invested in the Diocesan Trust Fund and the income generated by the principal amount will be used each year to fund the award.
It is our hope that over time the fund may grow so that the number or amount of the awards can be increased in the future. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Scholarship Fund can do so by making their gift to: The Rev. Cyril Rapin Pro-Life Scholarship at the above address.
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"We will stand up every time that human life is threatened. When the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, we will stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life."
Pope John Paul II, Oct. 7, 1979
webmaster: Rev. Martin T. Mischenko
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