Priests for Life on the

Frontlines!

Volume 2, Number 1 - January 2006 

More issues of Frontlines

March for Life a Tremendous Success!

The March for Life of 2006 was a tremendous success. Click here for a reflection on the march from Fr. Frank Pavone, and see the following galleries for photos (you may find yourself in them!):

Fr. Frank speaks to Catholic University law students.

Protest at Washington DC Planned Parenthood killing center.

Marchers from around the nation greet Fr. Frank at hotel.

Fr. Frank joins Nellie Gray for March for Life Convention.

Preaching at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill on January 22

Speaking to students from Archdiocese of Chicago at John Paul II Cultural Center in DC

Marching for Life

Briefing at US Senate about the film “A Distant Thunder”

Bishop Yanta Signs Our Constitutions!

     Since our last edition of Frontlines, the high point in our activity has been the official establishment of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life as a Society of Apostolic Life. What this means is that we are now able to accept our own seminarians and train them in the mission and spirituality of Priests for Life, and eventually send them forth as priests, deacons, or lay missionaries totally devoted to ending abortion. The official ceremony in which Bishop John Yanta signed the Constitutions of the Society and formally established it took place in St. Lucien’s Chapel, on the grounds of the diocesan headquarters in Amarillo, Texas. This chapel is a short walk from where our seminarians live, and is where they have daily Mass, holy hour, and other liturgical services. 

Left: Bishop Yanta, after signing the official decree starting the new Society.

New Discernment Retreat

    A few weeks after this ceremony, much of our pastoral team was again assembled in that chapel in order to conduct another discernment retreat for men from around the country who are considering joining the Society. Along with these regular retreats, our priests are busy calling and emailing people who have expressed an interest in joining. 

Right: Fr. Frank and some of his priests at Mass for the discernment retreat in January.

The Purpose of Our Mission

     On a recent parish weekend in California, Fr. Denis Wilde, O.S.A., shared with the pastor our brochure on preaching to children about abortion. The pastor heard Fr. Wilde preach, and was pleased. When the children’s mass came, the pastor wanted to take the homily himself and did a great job putting forth the pro-life message. Fr. Wilde said that it was so satisfying to see, right before his eyes, a pastor finding new courage to address the abortion issue. Fr. Wilde told him that this is exactly what Priests for Life aims to do, to equip our brother priests to address abortion with confidence.

We Help Priests to Be Courageous

     Fr. Mark Clarke, C.M.F. preached at a parish where the pastor indicated that some of his parishioners say he talks too much about abortion and others say he doesn’t talk about it enough. He praised Fr. Mark and Priests for Life for coming, and told his people that as a pastor, he has an obligation to communicate the Church's teaching on abortion to his people, and Priests for Life is especially suited to communicate this message and encourage a more vocal and active role in the pro-life movement.

Preparing for a New Year to Protect Life

  Meanwhile, in our Staten Island office, December is usually a month of reorganization. We regularly update our filing system, which consists of an advanced, interlocking system of hard folders and databases, tracking every pro-life group, book, audio, video, and project that we come to know about throughout the world. I took some much-needed time to focus in on the paperwork that accumulates on my desk while I travel – despite the help of dozens of lay staff who handle emails, faxes, and postal mail that arrives each day. We also update our staff procedure manual every December and give updated training to all these staff people.

Right: Dan Matejek, Administrative Assistant to Fr. Frank, updates filing on pro-life groups.

Christmas Time as a Family

In the midst of this, of course, we make the Christmas preparations and celebrate the joy of the season. This year was no different. 

Left: Some of our Priests for Life priests with …you know who!

Father Pavone Visits EWTN

 In December, I also made another visit to EWTN and preached at the daily Mass. At the urging of some of you, I have been announcing the days of my EWTN preaching, and these are also publicized throughout the year on the travel schedule that you find posted here on our website.

Janet and Georgette Receive Award

     Janet Morana, our Associate Director, and Georgette Forney, President of Anglicans for Life, have been organizing the Silent No More Awareness Campaign gatherings that will take place in January throughout the country. Both Janet and Georgette were honored by the Virginia affiliate The Family Foundation of Focus on the Family on December 5, 2005 when US Senator George Allen presented them each with the Anne B. Kincaid Pro Life Award. Many of you send Janet congratulatory messages and she is very grateful to all of you for your encouragement.   Right: Georgette (l.) and Janet (r.) with Senator Allen (c.).

Janet Morana Appointed to Associate Director of the Respect Life Office in Amarillo

Because of our close association with the Diocese of Amarillo, Janet also serves as the Associate Director of the Respect Life Office of that diocese. In that capacity, she traveled to Amarillo in December and presented a day of training to the parish pro-life coordinators. Rita Diller does an excellent job overseeing the pro-life outreach of the diocese. Fr. Mark Clarke, CMF, full-time Priest-Associate of Priests for Life, also assisted with the presentations that day. 

Right:  Janet Morana (c.) and Rita Diller (in red) with aspirants and parish pro-life coordinators.

Gospel of Life with Father Peter West and Father Giacomo Capoverdi

Our television taping for our Gospel of Life television programs continued full-force as the New Year began, with our taping at the headquarters of Life Dynamics in Denton, TX. This time we had Fr. Peter West and Fr. Giacomo Capoverdi come on the set and talk about the importance of the 2006 elections, as well as the value of public protest against abortion. You can listen to the contents of each show, or get information on where to view it, by clicking here. 

Left: Fr. Frank, Janet Morana, and Fr. Capoverdi on the “Gospel of Life” TV set in Denton, TX.

Join us here regularly for updated reports from the Frontlines!

With prayers,

Fr. Frank Pavone

Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. 888-PFL-3448, (718) 980-4400
Fax 718-980-6515
Email mail@priestsforlife.org

Subscribe to Fr. Frank's bi-weekly prolife column (free): subscribe@priestsforlife.org 

Click here to See What Abortion Looks Like!

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