We continue here our series highlighting the members of the Priests for Life Family who serve or have served on our staff and pastoral team.
Left: Fr Frank with Rashed and Rashed's wife, Deliana.
Priests for Life travelers might have been grounded if Rashed Espejon had not continued working from home after the ministry’s move to Florida. Rashed, who is now a social worker, is still working part-time to help make sure members of the Pastoral Team get where they’re going.
Rashed was born in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and grew up in the Philippines and the U.S. He and his new bride live in Staten Island, N.Y. now.
It was when he was in the seminary that Rashed first became aware of Father Frank Pavone and his passion for pro-life.
“When my circle of friends introduced me to the work of Priests for Life, it was a pivotal point in my life for serving the unborn,’” he says. “The mission provides me with purpose.”
As a travel coordinator, Rashed is responsible for coordinating and executing travel plans and arrangements and cultivating speaking engagements for Priests for Life Pastoral Team members.
“In the New York headquarters, it was a very fast-paced work environment, deadline driven and with a sense of urgency and service in the culture,” Rashed says. “Working with staff strengthened my emotional intelligence and helped develop the professional skills that I lacked. We also had a great time working together while getting the pro-life work done.”
Rashed prefers to say that he works with Father Frank and Janet, rather than for them.
“Over the years, they gave me the tools necessary to pursue the pro-life mission, not only in the professional realm but also in my personal life,” he says. “Through Father Frank's passion and conviction in the pro-life movement and Janet's motherly and resourceful nature, I have grown to be a more balanced husband, brother, son, friend and co-worker.”