OKLAHOMA CITY — Father Frank Pavone, considered one of the nation’s most prominent pro-life advocates, will be the keynote speaker at the annual Rose Day event. Rose Day is held at the state Capitol each year in celebration of the sanctity of life. The event encourages state lawmakers to support pro-life issues.
This year’s Rose Day will be held Feb. 6 with Father Pavone scheduled to address the audience at 10:30 a.m. Father Pavone has been active in the pro-life movement since 1976. [Click here to see photos of Fr. Frank's trip to OK and listen to his talks]
Cardinal John O’Connor ordained him to the priesthood in 1988. Father Pavone did parish work and taught in seminaries. In 1993, with the permission of Cardinal O’Connor, he became national director of Priests for Life. In this full-time position, he has traveled to all of the 50 states and to five continents, preaching and teaching against abortion and helping other priests to do the same.
He conducts seminars on pro-life strategy and is regularly invited to speak at national and international pro-life gatherings. Father Pavone appears often on national programs such as Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The O’Reilly Factor, and other shows on all the major networks. He is quoted in papers such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles
Times. He is seen daily on EWTN and heard on Vatican Radio. His publications are distributed worldwide.
Many Americans became aware of Father Pavone during his very public struggle to save the life of Terri Schiavo. He was with Schiavo in her final moments and was an outspoken advocate for her life. Under Father Pavone’s leadership, the Priests for Life staff has grown to 50 full-time employees. Blessed Mother Teresa asked Father Pavone to address the clergy of India on the life issues. He has addressed the pro-life caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives, and was asked by the Vatican to help coordinate pro-life activities throughout the world as an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of the Supreme Court’s abortion decision Roe vs. Wade, called Father Pavone “the catalyst that brought me into the Catholic Church.”
Susan Lepak, associate director of the Archdiocesan Office of Family Life, met Father Pavone years ago. She encourages all Oklahoma Catholics to pay attention to what this extraordinary priest has to say.“I met Father Pavone 10 years ago when he came to Oklahoma City to speak at a packed conference,” Lepak said. We later became friends through the Come Aside Retreats and our work together in Rachel’s Vineyard and other pro-life conferences.” Lepak called Father Pavone “an inspirational, energetic and dynamic speaker” who lives and breathes the Gospel of Life.
“Last year I was honored to be at his installation as the first moderator general of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, a new order which he founded in Amarillo,” she said.
“He has inspired me to become more involved in all of the life issues. He spends countless hours talking to people about faithful citizenship and forming their consciences in order to make an informed decision at the voting polls. “We are very fortunate to have him in Oklahoma City again. We invited him four years ago to be the keynote at Rose Day, and finally in 2008 we will have the opportunity.”
Father Pavone is scheduled to speak at a gathering the evening before the Rose Day event at the Catholic Pastoral Center. All are invited to this gathering that will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5. “I encourage everyone to come to the Pastoral Center for this rare chance to hear Father Frank in person,” Lepak said.