Justice for Babies and Turtles!

By: Sr. Clare Hunter

Teaching high school Catholic morality classes, I always feared parent-teacher conferences. The first year, I braced myself for heated debates with parents concerning the issues of marriage, premarital sex, contraception, and abortion. Oddly, those issues never came up. What did keep coming up was the class where I said that humans have higher intelligence than animals, and animals don’t make moral choices. In short, that human life is higher than animal life. That is what they wanted to debate.

Many a parent came prepared to prove I was wrong with amazing stories of the intelligence and love exhibited by their dogs. More than once I was tempted to agree that it was indeed possible that their dog was more intelligent and loving than their teenager. However, what I had discussed with the students was not merely my opinion but fact: humans have a higher intelligence and can do what animals cannot do – the capacity for self-reflection, love, and moral choices. Your dog is not wondering why it exists or if God exists, wondering how much you love it and how it can love you better. As imperfect as we are, and as doggone cute as animals can be, humans are a superior form of life. Of course, one could wonder as our “furry fecal friends” (credit to a friend) have trained us to pick up and walk through our neighborhoods with their “waste” swinging from our wrists.

It is imperative for Christians to be good stewards and care for creation, protecting it through actions and laws. But then I think we should be consistent and do the same for human life. I took some time to look at the  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It is a wonderful site, and I learned a great deal about endangered species and ways to protect them. A man from Georgia will spend 6 months in prison for unlawfully acquiring loggerhead sea turtle eggs in violation of the Lacey Act. Imagine 6 months in prison for taking potential turtles. You will also go to jail if you kill the Florida salt marsh harvest mouse, if the mouse is pregnant! Average litter size 10-12 – yikes!  The American Bald Eagle – one conviction, per bird, per egg. Take a look – plants are protected, too!

I was struck when I read that endangered species are protected under the Lacey Act. I recalled another law that was named after the pregnant woman killed by her husband, the “Laci & Connor Law,” or the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. Same name, different spelling.

Under this law, it can be double homicide if you kill a pregnant woman. Or murder if a miscarriage occurs or the baby dies because the mother is attacked. Though varied and with many qualifiers, it is law in some form in 36 states.

I can see why the other 14 states would hesitate to enact the Laci & Connor Law. It is already confusing and controversial in light of abortion laws – sometimes it is murder to kill unborn life, and sometimes, it is a choice. It is understandable that Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women and NARAL all fought this law.

Yet, what a blessing the Laci & Connor Law is for our nation, as Ariel Castro, according to prosecutors, will be charged with murder in the beatings that killed five unborn babies from one of the women he held captive. And the latest good news is that Dr. Kermit Gosnell is convicted of three counts of murder. Yes, we are on the right track for justice and protection for humans too!

This is worth a read on the subject:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/getreligion/2013/05/death-penalty-in-cleveland-horrors-wait-who-died/

Read Full Post »

How One Woman Found Help After Abortion

I had an abortion in 1995. The next several years of my life seemed to be a series of one awful thing after the other, it became overwhelming. So many terrible things happened, I felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown.

At first I wondered if God was punishing me. Then I realized I could blame God, or I could take responsibility for what I did. It was MY DECISION. God had nothing to do with it, nor did He “punish” me for what I had done. I was punishing myself!!

I had no idea I could be forgiven for such a grave sin. Even though I went to church, it seemed like the priest only talked about “respect for life”, and never spoke about being able to be forgiven after having an abortion. The guilt I felt on Mother’s Day and March for Life weekend at church was incredibly painful.

For many years I wanted to confess my sin, but was afraid … I would not even tell my cousin who is a priest.

Then one day (17 years later), I was in a restroom at a church I was visiting when I saw a paper that read “help after abortion.” As I went on reading the piece of paper that was taped to the wall, it said there is healing and forgiveness after abortion. Even after reading it I thought “Forgiveness??? Really???” At the bottom of the page were tabs to pull off and a phone number to call. I pulled one off, and even then, I was hesitant to call.

After a week or so, I called and spoke with Jo at the Diocese of Arlington. She was so supportive and positive. She told me about Rachel’s Vineyard [our diocesan retreat]. It sounded too good to be true. I signed up to attend the upcoming retreat.

That retreat turned my life around!!

I feel so blessed to have experienced the forgiveness of God, and my retreat was on Divine Mercy weekend. It was amazing. The priest we had at our retreat was a Father of Mercy, and he was such an empathetic, kind man. He was not the priest that was scheduled to be at our retreat, but God sent him to us, and he will stay in my heart forever. What a wonderful man.

The women I met there know more about me than friends I’ve known for years. We stay in touch and we all went to Mass together last month and had a luncheon. We are planning a get together around the Christmas holidays and there is a true bond between us. It’s absolutely wonderful.

I pray that more people who need healing and forgiveness learn about Project Rachel and attend a retreat. It will be the beginning of the rest of your life. You can be forgiven and you can heal. Just let God in. I realized God never meant for me to hurt for all those years, He never did anything to punish me. He loves us. We are His children. Remember, He said: “Come to me, all who are weary.”

Please go to Him if you are weary and He will give you peace. God Bless You.

Note: There is a Project Rachel retreat occurring in Northern Virginia, November 2-4. There are still open spaces if you or someone you know is in search of healing after an abortion.

Diocesan Post-Abortion Ministry provides referral to specially trained priests and/or professional counselors, healing retreats and written materials. For confidential assistance please call 1-888-456-HOPE (4673) or email info@helpafterabortion.org.

 

Read Full Post »

How do I Respond to “Practice” of Abortionist, LeRoy Carhart? Pray. Act. Support Parents.

By: Susan Gibbs, Office of Communications

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Yesterday’s Washington Post ran a sympathetic profile of late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart. Although he lives in Nebraska, Carhart decided to open shop in neighboring Maryland last year, as the state has virtually no restrictions on abortion.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

 The article is chilling. We learn that 60 unborn children are aborted every month, six to 10 of them late in pregnancy. He performs abortions up to 32 weeks, which is seven months into a pregnancy. Many children are born that early so why not just help a woman deliver her child? Because he is a man on a mission, a gruesome mission that he has brought to our community. As he tells a reporter, these children have “anomalies,” which is why he aborts them.

 That’s right: he aborts children because they are not perfect. But then again, who of us is?

 How imperfect does a child need to be? He gives an example of one child he aborted who would have been paralyzed from the waist down if allowed to live. Apparently, it is better off to be dead than to be in a wheelchair.

This is the horrific reality of abortion. It is not an easy slogan about “choice.” Abortion is a child who is dead, a mother who is devastated and a world in which people with disabilities are sent the message that their lives are worthless.

 It can be hard to step into the abortion debate, but as people of faith, we must. Not only is it a matter of life and death for the child, it’s also a matter of spiritual death for all those who partake in abortion.

 As Pope Benedict XVI said earlier this year, “It is necessary that the whole of society defend the right to life of the conceived and the true good of the woman, who never, under any circumstance, will be fulfilled in the choice of abortion. In the same way it is necessary … to provide the necessary help to women who sadly have already taken recourse to abortion, and who now experience all its moral and existential tragedy.”

 Please join us as we pray, act and support parents who are in difficult circumstances.

 Pray

• The Diocese of Arlington’s Office for Family Life’s Project Rachel Ministry has initiated a 30-day prayer campaign for the intention of healing all those who have participated in abortion. The official novena began on July 16 (Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) and goes until Aug. 15 (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary). The Project Rachel Office encourages you to choose your favorite Marian prayer, the rosary or the chaplet of divine mercy and pray it each day through Aug. 15.
• Join the Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, who are cosponsoring the “Summer of Mercy 2.0,” a peaceful, prayerful presence for life July 30-Aug. 7 in Germantown, Md., and Washington, D.C.

 Act

• Make sure you know what is happening in Virginia. If there are any public policy issues to weigh in on, the Virginia Catholic Conference will get the word out. Simply sign up for the VCC Advocacy Network.
• Consider helping to spread the message of  love and mercy to all those on the road by ordering magnetic bumper stickers from the Arlington Diocesan Office for Family Life’s Project Rachel Ministry. The bumper stickers read, “Help After Abortion, 888-456-HOPE.”  Order online, at projectrachel@arlingtondiocese.orgor (703) 841-2755.
  

  Bumper sticker from the Arlington Diocesan Office for Family Life’s Project Rachel Ministry.

 Support

Parents facing difficult pregnancies need to know we care, and women and men who have been involved in abortions need to know that God loves them and has unending mercy.

• Support your local pregnancy center and the Gabriel Project.
• If you or someone you know is struggling with a difficult prenatal diagnosis, contact Isaiah’s Promise for understanding and support.
• If you or someone you know has had an abortion, please accept Bishop Loverde’s video invitation to discover God’s Mercy through Project Rachel.

Read Full Post »

Follow Up: The March for Life

Living so close to Washington, D.C., parishioners from the Diocese of Arlington always support in large numbers the annual March for Life and surrounding events.  Here are a few photos that captured Bishop Loverde and parishioners during the Life is Very Good Event in Woodbridge, VA, the Youth Rally at the Verizon Center and the March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Loverde preaches to over 3,500 youth at Life is Very Good in Woodbridge, VA

Parishioners from St. Leo the Great in Fairfax snap a photo of the clergy at the Youth Rally. Bishop Loverde was among the bishops in attendance.

Teens from the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More with Bishop Loverde at the March for Life.

 

 

Pope John Paul the Great students at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Pope John Paul the Great High School is located in Dumfries, Virginia.

Read Full Post »

A Good Problem to Have: They Keep Coming

By Kevin Bohli, Director of the Office of Youth Ministry

Every year, thousands of teenagers descend upon Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life. In fact, the events surrounding the March have become inundated with teenagers. The Vigil Mass that is held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., is packed to capacity each year with teenagers forced to sit downstairs in small nooks and crannies without even the possibility of seeing the Mass on one of the television screens. And they are the lucky ones who were actually able to get inside the building!

Yet, they keep coming.

The Youth Rally and Mass for Life that happens each year at the Verizon Center on the morning of the March turns away thousands of would-be participants because there simply is not enough space. This year, the organizers added a second venue so that 20,000 teens could participate at the Verizon Center while 10,000 more could participate at the D.C. Armory. Within seconds of the tickets being available online, their website crashed due to the overwhelming response. Once fixed, the 30,000 tickets were all accounted for and thousands more put their names on waiting lists.

Yet, they keep coming.

3,500 will attend!

Inspired by these numbers, the Offices of Youth Ministry and Respect Life felt called to offer an event this year to help accommodate these crowds. The “Life is VERY Good” event on Sunday, Jan. 23 will consist of a Vigil Mass with Bishop Loverde, a keynote by Bob Rice, and a Holy Hour with music by Matt Maher. Originally planned to be held at a local high school auditorium, the high demand quickly moved the event to the 3,500-seat Hylton Memorial Chapel in Woodbridge, Va. The event sold out within days of announcing it, and many hundreds more were turned away. The groups that did get tickets have continued to grow in number and will now be seated in overflow spaces within the building and watching the entire event on closed-circuit TV.

Yet, they keep coming.

The March for Life is a sacrificial event. The weather is almost always cold, rainy, snowy, or all of the above. The crowds are enormous, while the secular press coverage is anything but. The goal is to make a peaceful and prayerful protest against Roe v. Wade. However, in the midst of the craziness of the day, it is easy for a teenager to wonder if their voice even mattered, or if anybody even knew that they were there.

Yet, they keep coming.

While many adults may be growing weary of the abortion debate and have become cynical that change will happen, this is not the case with young Catholics. The message that all life is sacred is not falling on deaf ears; it is falling on young ears. The next generation of Catholics has already taken their place in the prayerful and peaceful campaign for life.

Thank God they keep coming.

Read Full Post »

Virginia General Assembly in Session: Are You Speaking Up for Life and Justice?

By: Jeff Caruso, Director of the Virginia Catholic Conference

Since before the Virginia General Assembly went into session on Jan. 12, the Virginia Catholic Conference has been busy working to ensure that proposed policies benefit the common good as understood in Catholic moral and social teaching, including respect for life from conception to natural death; preferential concern for the poor and “the least among us;’’ economic and social justice; support for the family and marriage; and parental choice in education.

Virginia Capitol, Richmond

Guided by the bishops and in a spirit of prayer, we’ve researched issues and held face-to-face meetings with legislators, government officials and other advocacy organizations.

Our recently developed agenda details the focus of our efforts during this 46-day session. High priority items include:

• Protecting gains we made last year in restricting state abortion funding,
• Ensuring that abortion clinics are subject to state regulation,
• Preventing new biotech programs from funding embryonic stem cell research,
• Stopping death penalty expansions,
• Providing tax credits for corporate donations to scholarship programs for low-income K-12 students,
• Providing immigrants with access to healthcare, and protecting them from harmful policies.

Especially now that the session has begun, the Virginia Catholic Conference is asking Catholics throughout the Commonwealth to join its efforts on behalf of life, dignity and the common good.

There are three key ways to become involved:

1) Act. Become a Conference’s e-mail advocacy network member and respond to its alerts.

• Throughout the session (and beyond) members receive regular e-mail alerts pertaining to legislation being debated in the Virginia General Assembly (and, periodically, issues being considered in the U.S. Congress.) The Conference highlights the moral and social teaching involved, and urges its members to contact their legislator to advocate the Virginia Bishops’ stance. (This can be done with a few clicks of the mouse.) Also, members are encouraged to forward alerts to interested friends.
• We know that our members’ legislative involvement has had a significant impact on legislation. During the 2010 session, for instance, legislation that significantly reduced abortion funding for Medicaid was attributed to constituent interest in the issue. We ask members to act on as many alerts as possible.

2) Advocate. Join the Virginia Catholic Conference at Catholic Advocacy Day in Richmond on Thursday, Jan. 27.

• It’s a great chance to learn the issues, pray and take part in grassroots advocacy. Catholic Advocacy Day begins at St. Peter’s Church with prayer and a word from our bishops. Conference staff give updates on legislative items under consideration in this year’s General Assembly, then participants caucus with other Catholics from their state senatorial district to decide who and how they will discuss the issues with their state senator and delegate.
• Register online at www.vacatholic.org.

3) Pray.

• Prayer is the essential tool. We ask for prayers of wisdom and persistence for our state and federal lawmakers, executives and other government officials, and for our Bishops, Conference staff, our e-mail advocacy network members—all of whom are essential to this work on behalf of the Common Good.

We hope you will join us!

Take action at www.vacatholic.org:

• Join the Virginia Catholic Conference network and receive alerts
• Spread that link to friends
• Join us for Catholic Advocacy Day

“In the Catholic moral tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue and participation in the political process is a moral obligation.  This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and bear Christian witness in all we do.” (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 2007)

Read Full Post »

Difficult Moral Questions: Is abortion allowable to save a mother’s life?

By: Sr. Clare Hunter, Director of the Respect Life Office

Question: The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is never permissible. What about in the case when an abortion would save the mother’s life?

This question is one that the Church takes very seriously, and with the utmost respect and compassion for all who might find themselves in this tragic situation. The Catholic Church’s stance on life issues is deeply rooted in the understanding of the unique gift of the human person, from the moment of conception. Therefore, each conception, each child, must be treated with the full rights and dignity of a person, regardless of the circumstances, as difficult as they might be, as in the case of the possible death of the mother.

The directive from the “Ethical and Religious Directive for Catholic Health Care Services” states that abortion — that is, the directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus — is never permitted. “Every procedure whose sole immediate effect is the termination of pregnancy before viability is an abortion, which, in its moral context, includes the interval between conception and implantation of the embryo.” And further, “direct abortion is never morally permissible. One may never directly kill an innocent human being, no matter what the reason.” As you might already know, of the roughly 1.2 million abortions we have each year in this country, only four percent of women cite a problem with their health as being their primary reason for having an abortion (Guttmacher Institute). Such cases where the mother’s life is in danger are rare, and the Church must protect the life of each child, regardless of the circumstances of conception or gestation.

That being said, there are times when a procedure might be performed on the mother to help her, or her health, with the possibility that such a procedure could compromise the life of the child. In such rare cases, as long as it is not the direct intent to kill the child, it is not an abortion. Though serious consideration must be taken into account on the probability of death of the child, and this might change the mind of the parents. It seems natural that any mother or father would be willing to give their own lives for the sake of the life of their child, and in fact, countless have in history. In some unfortunate cases, the child might die due to complications, but the procedure or the intent must never be to harm the child.

I hope you understand that the Catholic Church is fulfilling her duty to protect what God has created and given to us – in this case the life of unborn children. It might be helpful to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church which can be found online – this is the particular section dealing with the Respect for Human Life. There are many good resources including the Church’s encyclical, “The Gospel of Life” or “Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation Replies to Certain Questions of the Day.”

Do not hesitate to ask these moral questions, as well as to learn as much as you can about these issues, not only through reading, but also in prayer.

Read Full Post »

One Phone Call: A Moment in the Life of Gabriel Project

It is 3:30 in the afternoon and another call lights up the phones in the Family Life’s Gabriel Project office.  It’s a sobbing woman who has just learned that she is pregnant with her third child. She explains how she must work two jobs to makes ends meet and, to make matters worse, the father of the child has recently been laid off. Together they can barely scrape enough money together to take care of their other two children, let alone another baby. She fears that abortion may be her only option.

A beautiful child helped by Project Gabriel.

The Gabriel Project coordinator assures and encourages the disheartened mother. She offers to make an appointment for the mother at Tepeyac Family Center (TFC) for a free ultrasound. The Coordinator knows that if she can persuade the mother to go to the appointment, she’ll get the chance to see her baby on an ultrasound and to talk with the doctors who will become part of the network of support that will help her to carry her unborn child to term. To the coordinator’s relief, the mother agrees. She and the father of the child head to TFC where they decide to keep their baby.

Every client of Gabriel Project has a different story. The average mother is 30 years old. Half are married and most want to parent their children, but they all have one thing in common: they need help. Sometimes they just need a friend to journey with them through their pregnancy. Other times they need pre-natal funding and the assuring voice of the Gabriel Coordinator. Other times, they just want to know that the Catholic Church is there for them. Sometimes, as crazy as it may seem, women just need to hear that it’s okay to keep their unborn baby.

Every year during the Gift for Life campaign, the Office for Family Life’s Gabriel Project reaches out in a decided way to the good people of the Diocese of Arlington, asking you to help assist the mothers in need. You always come through and we are immensely grateful.  It’s not just about the monetary support that you provide, which is crucial to the ministry, but it is also about those of you who offer prayers on behalf of the ministry and those who step forward as Gabriel Project “angels.”  These angels represent 20 parishes throughout the diocese, assisting women with spiritual, material and emotional support.

I want to share with you some of the words of gratitude for this ministry spoken by four mothers who were the recipients of your enormous generosity:

The Gabriel Project reaches out to assist women.

“I can’t believe it, everything turned out so well. If it wasn’t for you and that ride we took to Fredericksburg that day, my son probably wouldn’t be here today. It was the ride and the list of pros and cons we made that helped me to change my mind. I am so glad that we took that ride.”

“I would have been so lost without your help.  I am going to name my baby Gabriel.”

“There is no way for us to thank you enough for all you did for us. We truly appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.”

“Thank you for all that you have done for me and my baby.  I would have been lost without your help.  I am going to name my baby Angel Gabriel because I know this is a blessing from God.”

This past week alone, four children – Carla Stephanie, Eric, Casey Joanna and Alexa – have been born with the assistance of Gabriel Project.  If you would like to become a volunteer angel or would like to make a monetary donation to Gabriel Project, please contact our office at 703-841-2755 or visit our website at
http://www.arlingtondiocese.org
.  Thank you for all your support!

Read Full Post »

Cliffhanger Finale: Virginia Catholics and Pro-Life Policy, Part II

By: Jeff Caruso, Director of the Virginia Catholic Conference

Friday, Jeff Caruso described to us the behind the scenes advocacy work of the Virginia Catholic Conference that occurred in the attempts to pass a Virginia state budget amendment that would cut the majority of state funding for abortion. For Part I in this series, click here.

On the 4th of July, Jeff shares with us the outcome of advocacy in the political process:

The Evening of April 21 – Victory in the Senate

Catholic advocacy impacted the Va Senate decision

Finally, around 9:00 p.m., the Senate took up the matter. Senator Mark Obenshain (R – Harrisonburg) explained the amendment and effectively countered the arguments of the five senators who spoke against the bill. 

 As pro-life advocates watched from the Senate gallery, the contentious floor debate concluded, and senators were asked to record their votes. As the green and red dots were registered next to each senator’s name on the electronic voting board, the green thankfully outnumbered the red … by one. The Senate’s 20-19 vote handed the pro-life cause in Virginia a historic victory!

Looking Ahead at the Impact of this Policy
With the governor’s amendment now part of the budget, many unborn lives can be saved, and state taxpayers who oppose financing life-ending practices have a greater measure of conscience protection. 

Data gathered from the Conference’s network showed an unprecedented level of responses to alerts on this proposal, and Conference staff repeatedly heard that legislators were receiving e-mails from their pro-life constituents. People who responded to the alert, and parishes that promoted it, made the critical difference. 

How can you help?
Those kinds of efforts will surely be needed again as the issue resurfaces in future years, so more network members are needed. Catholics across Virginia are urged to visit the Conference’s website and use the online sign-up feature to enroll.  Together, we can thank God for the hard-fought outcome in 2010, but we must also defend it vigorously and build for even greater gains.

Celebrating Independence Day is an opportunity to remember the perseverance of our nation’s founders. Together, they secured the freedom that we have today to be faithful citizens – freedom which enables us to participate in political decisions like the one I have described. May we exercise this freedom often to promote the common good of our Commonwealth. Happy Fourth of July!

Read Full Post »

Commonwealth Cliffhanger: How VA Catholics Made a Crucial Difference in Cutting State Funded Abortions

By Jeff Caruso, Director of the Virginia Catholic Conference     

On July 1, a new Virginia budget policy took effect that dramatically curtails state funding of abortion. Although this landmark provision is but a few lines buried within hundreds of pages of state spending policies, it is the product of many voices and countless hours of “behind the scenes” advocacy over many years.     

A Timeline:     

Since 2005 - The Call for Change
Since its inception in 2005, the Virginia Catholic Conference has pushed for these restrictions, armed with figures showing that Virginia residents have been paying for well over 100 abortions per year with their state tax dollars. Promotion of laws that uphold the sanctity of life are an important part of the pro-life work of Catholic Virginians, which also includes outreach to women in crisis pregnancies and post-abortion healing ministries. Members of the Conference’s e-mail advocacy network consistently weighed in on the budget issue, sending hundreds of e-mails to their delegates and state senators expressing their opposition to paying for abortions.       

The VCC is the Public Policy Arm of the Virginia Dioceses

 

However, in each Virginia General Assembly session, an all-too-familiar sequence of events unfolded: The legislature’s House of Delegates would approve the abortion-funding restrictions, only to see the language rejected by a few Senate leaders during final budget negotiations between the House and Senate (without a recorded vote).     

After enduring the same tired outcome as the legislature adjourned this year on March 14, it seemed to most observers that pro-life advocates would remain stuck in the mud yet again. As spring began, though, a much different outcome was about to blossom.     

April  2010 - Amendment Garners Gubernatorial Backing
Recognizing the governor’s ability to propose line-item amendments to the budget (which the General Assembly would vote on upon returning to Richmond in April for a one-day session), the Conference and its network made their case to newly inaugurated Governor Bob McDonnell. The governor agreed that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for abortions, and decided it was time for a long-overdue up-or-down vote on the matter.      

On April 13, McDonnell proposed an amendment to ban state funding of all abortions except as required by federal law or state statute. The effect of the amendment, if approved, would be to eliminate the vast majority of Virginia’s publicly subsidized abortions (that is, those done under a general health rationale which has never received General Assembly approval).       

Advocacy helps protect the lives of the unborn!

 

Mid-April 2010 – Persuading the Senate
With the General Assembly set to reconvene on April 21, the Conference, its allies, and its grassroots network sprinted toward the finish line with a clear goal — to capture a majority of votes in the Senate, where both supporters and opponents of the amendment expected a razor-thin margin.     

In the days that followed, the Conference sent multiple alerts to its network, communicated with key senators, coordinated with allied pro-life organizations, provided urgent bulletin and pulpit announcements to parishes, and followed up with parish leaders in key districts.     

Two days before the vote, it appeared that a 20-20 tie was attainable in the Senate.      

April 19, 2010 – An Unexpected Twist
Ordinarily, that would be good news — the lieutenant governor breaks ties in the Senate, and Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling opposes state abortion funding. Due to a completely bizarre turn of events, however, a tie would not be good enough. Bolling was stranded in Italy (attending an economic development conference) when flights were cancelled across Europe because of volcanic activity in Iceland.      

As news reports confirmed that he would not be able to fly back to Virginia in time for the vote, the Conference and its pro-life partners intensified their efforts.     

As citizens, we are able to be part of the political process.

 

 April 21, 2010 – Canvassing for Votes
When the day of the vote arrived, supporters and opponents of the governor’s proposed restrictions on abortion funding flocked to the Capitol and began visiting Senate offices one-by-one in search of crucial commitments.      

The day was long and full of ups and downs. The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on the amendment in the morning (including expressions of concern by a University of Virginia hospital representative that were rebutted during the Senate floor debate).    

 In the afternoon, the House approved the amendment by an overwhelming 64-30 margin, as expected. However, the Conference also learned shortly afterward that one of the Senate’s pro-life legislators had to catch a flight before the Senate vote would occur.  Nevertheless, pro-life advocates continually followed up with senators throughout the day in an effort to secure precious votes.      

UPDATE: Read the end of the cliffhanger in Part II.

Read Full Post »