Priests for Life Employee Highlights - Former Employees

	Stephen Gendreske Steve moved back to Michigan I have been active in the prolife movement since before 9-11. I started with praying the rosary in front of an abortion clinic, which led to sidewalk counseling, and eventually to holding the graphic images in public. I spent some time as an executive director of a pregnancy help center, and spent a year in the seminary studying and discerning the priesthood. Happily I am able to take a position with an organization like Priests for Life. I have always seen Priests for life as being on the cutting edge of the pro-life movement. It is good to work with so many dedicated and faithful people.
	David Clark David is pursuing other opportunities Hello my name is David. The pro-life seed was planted in me in 2003 when I went to do a television production internship in Washington, DC. The woman who owned the company was a member of Emily’s List. After leaving that internship, I knew something in my heart was telling me that our culture was not right. Not until the 2004 elections did I start to seriously question my faith and the abortion issue. I prayed before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament exposed and asked “What should I do?” I left the chapel and went straight to the nearest Catholic bookstore to get any information on anything related to pro-life. The rest is history. I entered into the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life (MEV) in August 2007 with an open heart. By far, it has been the best experience of my life. I’ve been in New York now since January 2008. My duties have been to personally assist Fr. Frank Pavone and Janet Morana with various tasks such as media outreach, updating our audio/video database, make various donor calls to our benefactors, and occasionally assisting on travels. Each day is a challenge and a rewarding one. The fact that I sacrifice my desires for the sake of God and his creation is something I can never turn away from. Human lives are at stake and I know being here each day makes a big difference. My favorite quote that I use is that of Mother Teresa, who is also an inspiration for the MEV's, “I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness”
	Oreo Oreo passed away in March 2010 Oreo is our office mascot, keeping the staff company at the main office and barking at any pro-choice dogs who walk by. Woof, Woof....
	Justin Harper Justin has gone back to College Justin Harper is here on his second internship with Priests For Life. Uprooting from Seattle, WA and driving cross-country to arrive here for the summer, he will be working with us for shy under two months, before traveling to Steubenville, OH to attend Franciscan University in the Fall, as a double major in International Business and Catechetics. He hopes to continue forward with a Master's Degree in Ethics, and graduate to Civil and Canon Law thereafter, working either in Rome or in one of the greater metropolitan areas of the United States. His desire to enter civil law is to serve the religious community in defending their rights to practice their faith, and keep government at a far distance from infringing on this constitutional and God-given necessity. The recent events of various neighborhood Bible studies being ordered to cease and desist on grounds of disturbance of the peace, and certain dioceses being threatened with hierarchical restructuring through financial committees, along with looming concerns on the state of affairs in Washington, DC, he feels that there will be a great need for this specialized legal assistance in the upcoming future, and wants to help in some way to fulfill this. His assistance here primarily focuses on helping the web design team manage and update the various Priests For Life websites, and assisting the staff and the National Director with other related tasks. He is very encouraged to be back here in Staten Island working with our international organization to protect the sanctity of life, and although his time here will be in his own words, "too short", he is excited to continue his work in college, where he will be surrounded by a very positive Catholic and Pro-Life student body.
	Jean Marie Laurie Jean Marie is pursuing other opportunities Hello My name is Jean Marie Laurie and I work in the Speakers Bureau as an Executive Scheduler. I am married to a wonderful man and I have two step children Jennifer and Joseph. I attend Oasis Christian Center and am very active in my church. I teach Arts and crafts once a month to the community children at the Life Center. I also work at the food pantry when my schedule permits me. I look forward to doing my part in the Pro Life mission and to reach as many people as possible.
	Ray Mooney Ray married and moved off of Staten Island and so no longer works for Priests for Life but he continues to be involved with the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. Dear friends of Life, My name is Ray Mooney; I joined Priests for Life during the summer of 2006 as an intern working in the Speakers Bureau. I now work for the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life Lay Association with Jim Pinto. I started as an intern at the age of 63 because of a journey that began in April of 2004 when I was able to have Father Pavone visit our parish in Allentown, PA. I was the Pro-life coordinator for a number of years and the bus captain on several Marches for Life, but I felt that I should be doing more. One month after that inspiring meeting with Father Pavone, I took the third of my five pilgrimages to Medjugorje with the prayer to Jesus and Mary, "How do you want me to spend the rest of my life working full-time for you?" While there, I was granted two very powerful messages that pointed me towards expanding my Pro-life work. The passion created in me by those experiences in Medjugorje attached itself to Father Pavone's work partly because of the timing of his visit and I became increasingly drawn to Priests for Life. In the early spring of 2005 Paul Schenck, one of our pastoral associates, told me about the formation of Father Pavone's new society of apostolic life called Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. When I read Father's words on the Priests for Life website about how God had called forth the creation of the Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits as a response to the evils of those earlier ages, I realized God was calling for a new society to be created expressly to combat the evils of abortion, euthanasia, destructive embryonic stem cell research and artificial contraception that have brought a Culture of Death to our world. I knew as I read Father Pavone's words and those of John Paul II whom he quoted regarding a return to a Culture of Life, that I must join these missionaries and do my part to help Father in his efforts to change the world. I encourage you to read about how men and women who are doing Pro-life work in their communities can become part-time members as Lay Associates and derive the benefits of being connected to the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. You can learn more by clicking here and may God bless you for your Pro-life work. Ray Mooney, M.E.V. Missionaries of the Gospel of Life Lay Association
	Patricia Kessler Patricia has left Priests for Life to pursue other opportunities. Hello! My name is Patricia Kessler and I’ve been working at Priests for Life for the 5 years. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Janet since I was three years old, and Fr. Pavone since I was about seven years old. I’ve been pro-life for since I was a child. My first Pro-life event I can remember was when I went to Washington with my family and the Knights of Columbus at the age of 10. It was just a calling for me to work for the pro-life movement. It is something I have always been passionate about. Working here has given me the opportunity to grow spiritually as well as mentally. I am currently working in the Gift Entry Department. I love getting a chance to talk to our donors. You are wonderful people who give us the opportunity to continue doing the wonderful things we have been able to accomplish! I am extremely blessed to be able to know I am doing God’s will of saving lives. To know that I have helped someone decide to save a child is so rewarding.
	Lisa Amass Lisa has now left Priests for Life to stay home with her new baby full-time. Hi, my name is Lisa Amass. I work for Priests for Life as the Receptionist. My Job is to make sure that all calls are directed to the proper person. I also have many other tasks that I do throughout the day. I've learned so much working here and have grown in my pro-life conviction. It is such a blessing to be a part of this organization. What has really made me 100% pro-life are the graphic pictures of abortion. As Fr. Frank always says, America Will Not Reject Abortion Until America Sees Abortion.
	Chris Morales Chris has since moved on to other work on the West Coast and remains in contact with Priests for Life. Dear Friends, I was asked to relate some of my experiences I have had as the Associate Director of the Speakers Bureau at Priests for Life. I do so happily and I can tell you that it is a good and very rewarding work. It is wonderful to see the movement of the Holy Spirit and the unfolding of Our Lord’s will in the world to bring mercy to His people. The work of the Church is a work of mercy and Priests for Life continues that work by bringing God’s mercy into the lives of many people. I feel blessed to have scheduled a great number of trips that our priests and pastoral associates have taken. From the viewpoint of the Speakers Bureau at Priests for Life I have become acquainted with the Church in the United States and other parts of the world and it has been especially edifying. From this viewpoint one can see the advancement of the Culture of Life and where the challenges in the future lay. There are many different categories of people in the Church I have worked with who have facilitated Priests for Life trips such as Diocesan Respect Life coordinators, chancellors, vicar generals, deanery representatives, representatives from ecclesial communities, and representatives from Catholic apostolates to name a few. Also I have personally worked with pastors and parishioners to organize events that our priests and pastoral associates have conducted in communities and parishes. A brief listing of activities I have helped organize are preaching at masses, clergy and seminarian seminars, prayer vigil at abortion mills, life chains, Face the Truth tours, banquets for right to life groups, visits to encourage pro-life groups, voter registration drives, visits to the offices of legislators, parish based pro-life talks, post-abortion retreats for healing, and interviews on TV, radio, and newspaper. It is encouraging to hear the grateful words that our trip contacts have expressed after having hosted one of our speakers and knowing that Priests for Life has strengthened the pro-life movement in their community. They are thankful for having heard the truth spoken in unambiguous terms regarding the Church’s teaching about life and what they can do to end the tragedy of abortion and euthanasia. Lastly, it is gratifying to hear that people are converted and that hearts are turned to God. In Christ Our Life, Chris Morales Associate Director, Speakers Bureau
	Amanda Conklin Amanda and her husband, Seth, have moved and are pursuing other opportunities. Hello! My name is Amanda Conklin. I came on board with the Rachel’s Vineyard/Priests for Life family in the fall of 2009 as an Administrative Assistant. I do all sorts of things in our office from putting out our monthly e-newsletter to handling insurance for our retreat sites and everything in between! I have pretty much always been active in the Pro-Life movement and have attended the March for Life every year since I was 12 years old. My parents run Rachel’s Vineyard in the Diocese of Ogdensburg in upstate NY and they are also the Respect Life coordinators for the diocese. I started a Rock for Life chapter in my public high school which created quite the stir and my deep love for the Pro-Life movement took off from there. I also interned for Expect Mother Care with Chris Slattery in NYC when I was in college. I graduated from DeSales University with a BA in Theology in 2009. I am very happy to be working for Rachel’s Vineyard/Priests for Life and I am continually amazed at the way God works. Being able to work for an organization and cause that I have a great passion for is a huge blessing. I married my wonderful husband Seth in October of 2011.
	Kathleen Corrigan Kathleen is now pursuing other opportunities. Hello, friends! My name is Kathleen Corrigan and I am the newest addition to the Rachel’s Vineyard team, where I work as an Administrative Assistant. I am a 2010 graduate of DeSales University where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication. After graduating from college, I spent nine months in the sticks of Reedsburg, Wisconsin volunteering at Camp Gray Catholic Camp where I got to spend nearly every day teaching beautiful children about our beautiful God. I have been passionate about the pro-life movement since I was in high school. In fact, I even created a pro-life commercial as my Senior Graduation Project in 2006 with the help of a personal home video-recorder and a couple of friends. I am thrilled to be a part of the Rachel’s Vineyard/ Priests for Life team. It is an incredible feeling to know that your job is not just a job, but a mission from God. To be able to leave work every day knowing that the little things you did are making a big difference in building up the Kingdom of God is an incredible blessing! Praise God!
	Laura Peters My name is Laura, I’m 23 years old, and I just moved across the country from Alabama to join the team here at Priests for Life. I will be working as an Outreach Associate, concentrating on both social networking and the lay ministry known as the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. I feel so blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to work for such a dynamic and effective leader as Father Pavone, and can quite literally say that this is my dream job. As far as my background goes, I attended the University of Dallas for a few years before completing my education at the University of Alabama, where I majored in political science and minored in history. It was at UA that my journey as a pro-life activist began, where I became involved with the student group on campus, organized Alabama’s first collegiate statewide pro-life conference, and served as statewide leader of Alabama Students for Life. I also had the opportunity to spend two summers in Washington, D.C., during which time I participated in Students for Life of America’s “Missionaries for Life” rotating internship program and served as a Congressional Intern for Senator Sam Brownback. The past few years have definitely been an epic adventure with Jesus, and I am absolutely amazed by the way God has integrated my love for my Catholic faith, passion for networking, and fascination with politics all into this one position. I’ve been drawn to all things pertaining to grassroots activism as long as I can remember, so I am very much looking forward to helping pro-lifers around the country take their activism to the next level!
	Phil Yoo Hi! My name is Phil Yoo and I am an Administrative Assistant at Priests for Life. Before officially joining the Priests for Life team, I volunteered under various capacities for this wonderful organization. Prior to working here, both as a volunteer and employee, I am ashamed to say that I had never even heard of Priests for Life or even knew of a pro-life movement. However, they have accepted me with open arms and educated me on the issue of abortion I am behind my co-workers in my involvement in the pro-life movement. I intend on working hard, then working harder, and giving all I can give to this organization and the pro-life movement. I will work tirelessly along-side my co-workers toward the goal of ending abortion. We all have a place in this fight; here, I’ve found mine.