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Who Will Speak for the Unborn?

2/17/2023

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​By Michael Shoule

    Hi everyone. My name is Mike Shoule and I extend a heartfelt thank you to Father Peter and Deacon Stan and Mike Chimenti and our Rosary leaders and all of you sitting in our beautiful church tonight to pray together as a faith community. Also a special thank you to Margaret Reyes who has been leading the Respect for Life Novena after the 8:30 mass each morning. As it says in Matthew Chapter 18 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” and I know at some prayer services it does seem like only two or three are gathered.

    In a similar vein, there is strength in numbers when it comes to being a public witness for the unborn. Ever been to a wedding where either the bride or the groom has a huge family and the other one does not? And you walk into the church and you see one side jam packed with people while you are a guest of the other soon-to-be spouse and it looks like they saved you a seat in the “front row” on that side of the aisle. That’s how it is sometimes when we pray outside of abortuaries. There’s a few of us standing on the sidewalk with our Rosary beads in hand and people keep walking by wondering what we are doing. But then they look around and realize our reason for praying in front of that specific building. And some actually give us a thumbs up while others choose a different finger.

    My point is that there are a lot of people in our City who are against the killing of babies and the larger the prayer group the more confidence they have in knowing they are not alone in their beliefs. Heck, there are even sidewalk volunteers and security guards who when they make eye contact with us you just know that they are giving thought to their role in this horrible industry. It is also an important fact that people praying outside an abortuary can have a significant impact on women changing their minds or not even showing up for their appointment.

    Most of us here tonight know where we were on the morning of September 11th, 2001, and some also know where they were on November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated. But how many of us remember where you were on Tuesday, October 28th, 1986 right around lunchtime? I do and since my parents are in Florida right now and the fact that I am standing here in church, I can admit that I cut school that day to attend the NY Mets parade in downtown Manhattan after they had won Game 7 of the World Series the day before.

    What does this have to do with respecting life or abortion? Not a ton other than on Saturday, March 25th there is the International Gift of Life Walk from Foley Square down that same Canyon of Heroes that has hosted parades for other NY sports teams (although not for quite some time) and US generals and aviators and astronauts. This walk takes place every year on the Feast of the Annunciation and this year we have the good fortune of it falling on a Saturday making it quite easy for us to attend.

    As you know, yesterday was the 50th anniversary of Roe vs Wade and although that law was overturned it does not change the fact that there have been over 63 million abortions in the United States since January 22, 1973. More importantly it does not change the fact that our home state of New York continues to be an abortion leader with roughly 1 our of every 3 pregnancies ending in abortion – over 110,000 in 2020. That means live baby, live baby, dead baby . . . live baby, live baby, dead baby . . . . Those are dauntingly big numbers of course and they almost seem incomprehensible. It would be easy to say, so what if we got that number down to 109,999 abortions per year in NY. Is it such a big deal? Well, it sure would be to that one baby whose life was saved and to that baby’s family and to all of the people that that baby would meet during their life.

    Legal or illegal, God is not going to one day just drop that number to 0. While I haven’t gotten any text messages from Him lately and I don’t think He has an Instagram page, I am pretty sure He wants us to pray. And to bear witness. And to advocate for unborn babies. And to do these things a lot . . . unceasingly in fact. Clearly praying and bearing witness is needed since many states are not requiring medical care be provided to babies born alive after botched abortions. And as you probably have heard, the abortion pill is becoming more and more widely available.

    One last number -- medical advancements have helped increase life expectancy of people with Down syndrome from about 10 years in the 1960s to nearly over 50 years today. Yet, it is estimated that 60 to 90 percent of children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in the U.S.  I can’t imagine that most of us would be okay with killing a baby in hopes of getting a different one the next time around, so let’s speak up.
I know this is a bit of a silly thought, but humor me for a minute. God willing, we all make it to heaven one day . . . imagine being greeted at the Pearly Gates and the first question is – Mets? Or Yankees? If you give the right answer, the gates open and you are let right in. Answer 'Yankees' on the other hand and instead there is a “warm bed” waiting for you elsewhere.

    Seriously though, we as human beings are more than happy to speak up about why our team is the best baseball/football/hockey/basketball team in NY or why we think so-and-so should have won or not won on Dancing With the Stars or The Bachelorette; yet, more often than not, we are unwilling to speak up about the unborn. We wear those team jerseys with pride wherever we go and go to parades when they win championships, but God forbid we bear public witness for the cause of life.

    Why is that? Maybe we are afraid that we might be seen by someone who knows us? Or even worse judged? There is only one judge and only one judgement day. When we come together at Respect Life masses and pray the Rosary with the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants or other groups outside of abortuaries, we are praying that God will change people’s hearts about abortion. There is no yelling or screaming, just peaceful prayer.

    We are praying without judgement for the mother carrying the baby inside of her and the father who is equally responsible for that pregnancy regardless of the decision they make. We are praying without condemnation for the doctors and nurses and volunteers who are accomplices in the 200 plus babies that are killed each day in New York.  We are praying that God will change their hearts and we are praying for ourselves that we are doing enough to be the voice for the voiceless. We are also praying that people will no longer commit the crimes of incest and rape which account for just under 2% of the abortions in the US.
Ultimately the large majority of us, regardless of religion, race, gender, or age, are morally against abortion. We know that killing a baby is wrong. Advancements in science have proven to us without a doubt that it is a living baby inside a woman’s womb and not just a glob of cells.
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    The media and politicians and “rights” groups want us to accept their wrongs, but we can choose not to. Instead, we can choose to be a public witness for unborn babies and attend Respect Life masses and participate in Rosary processions and invite our family and friends to join us as well. We can choose to not stay quiet, but instead offer another perspective when someone who calls themselves pro-choice talks about abortion. Sometimes those people are really pro-abortion rather than pro-choice since the only choice they want the woman to make is abortion. By the same token we should still pray for them and try to find common ground so we can have a respectful conversation.

    In order to have a respectful conversation and to advocate for the unborn we need to educate ourselves and educate our youth. Abortion is a difficult subject for sure, but one that is better taught by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and religious education teachers rather than by middle school social studies or debate class teachers or, even worse, Tik Tok. Our children are hearing about abortion and seeing things online about abortion long before they should. We need to share the truth with them before they hear all of the lies.

    One of the flyers has a list of resources with websites and a couple of books for you to consider. Another is a reminder that on Saturday March 25th we all have a chance to be a hero for the unborn as we walk down the Canyon of Heroes to be a witness for life. The other side of that flyer lists the upcoming monthly prayer vigils for the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

    Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 40 says And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Are there any in our world more least than the unborn?

    So, as we head home this evening and as we pray this week and beyond, we should give thought to this . . . God forbid we are called to our heavenly home tomorrow, what will your answer be when God asks what have you done for these least brothers of mine? If you don’t think God will be fully satisfied with your answer, the good news is that there are opportunities for each of us to help save the unborn one precious baby at a time.

    When I went to that Mets World Series parade I was very much pro-choice. I had 2 close friends in high school who had abortions. When I went to Boston College I stood in front of an abortion clinic to make sure women could enter the building safely. When I joined the Knights of Columbus about 10 years ago I considered myself pro-choice and now here I am.

    God wants us to be a public witness for the unborn and He wants to change your heart . . . WILL YOU LET HIM?

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Michael Shoule gave this talk during a Respect Life Prayer Service, held at Americian Martyrs Church, Bayside, New York, on January 23, 2023.  He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.
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March for Life 2023 in Washington, DC

2/2/2023

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By Thomas Murawski

      Prior to the January 20, 2023 March for Life (MFL), many people were speculating as to the participation, since the June Supreme Court ruling rendered (Dobbs vs Jackson) had overturned Roe vs Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court Decision that made abortion legal in the United States. In fact I have spoken to many people who felt that the MFL scheduled since 1974 should be either canceled at the present date to remember the original decision rendered or rescheduled to June to celebrate the recent Supreme Court decision. Personally, I support keeping the current schedule to let our politicians know that the Pro Life  movement is still active and that we are not going away.

      Up until last year, I traveled to the event with a local parish in Queens, which had many parishes sponsoring buses. The pandemic changed that. In 2022, for the first time I traveled with the Diocesan bus leaving from the Diocesan offices in Brooklyn. This year my son and I traveled with the Diocesan bus again since many parishes still were not sponsoring buses, the aftermath of the pandemic. The Diocesan bus had just about all of its seats filled. The 2022 bus went off without any problems, 2023 however would be different. The bus was scheduled to depart at 6:30 AM.  As we waited for the arrival of the bus, the bus captain Deacon John found out that the bus would be delayed since the scheduled driver had called in sick. The bus company scurried to find a replacement driver; however when it arrived over 2 hours late we knew that we would miss the Rally held prior to the MFL.


      As our bus got closer to DC some riders were able to stream parts of the Rally. I heard parts of the speech given by current sports broadcaster and former NFL Coach Tony Dungy, the first black coach to win the Super Bowl. Tony and his wife Lauren have adopted eight (8) children, thus demonstrating that there is a market for so called “Unwanted Children” and that adoption is a viable option despite what the Pro Abortion forces say.

      I arrived at the rally near its end. I was able to catch the closing prayer given by Franklin Graham, son of the immortal preacher Billy Graham. The attendance at the rally showed no signs of shrinking in the wake of overturning of Roe vs Wade. As I write this article, I have not been able to verify this aspect. However many reports concur that that the crowd showed no signs of shrinking. As I started to march the throng of people showed no signs of losing their enthusiasm for the Pro Life movement. Chants of "hey hey ho ho Roe v Wade has got to go" were replaced with other chants. "No no we don’t need Roe" was one of the chants that replaced that chant.

      As I marched I noticed that the crowd, as in the past, was comprised mainly of high school and college aged participants, thus there are no signs that the Pro Life movement is going away anytime soon. As I marched I met participants from numerous states, people had come from Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee, even West Coast states such as Arizona and California  had participants. I also noticed that the March was not only a national story but was an international story. I saw a large crowd of young people dressed in Canadian garb (the Canadian Maple Leaf which appears on the flag). I met many other marchers from our northern neighbors.

      Along the route there were a few Pro Abortion demonstrators present; however they were easily shouted down. It was not just the Canadian presence. As my son and I continued a TV crew from France asked us several questions about the state of abortion in the USA. They asked us about using high tech tools such as facial recognition to prevent residents in states prohibiting abortions from seeking abortions in abortion friendly states such as New York.

      This year, for some reason, the route was altered. In past years, the MFL proceeded north of the Capitol past the Capitol and to the Supreme Court where the March ended. This year the MFL passed west in front of the Capitol, then turned south of the Capitol before ending at the Supreme Court. At first my son expressed his disappointment since in past years many marchers (myself included) turned around as we marched up the hill north of the Capitol to see the huge crowd behind us. The south street gave a similar view, I turned around and saw the sea of humanity which had joined me and thousands
of others to let our elected officials know that we are not going away anytime soon. Of course at the Supreme Court there were a few Pro Abortion counter protesters, however they were just a speck that was hardly noticeable.
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      The trip home presented no special challenges. There are already talks about what lies in store for the 2024 March. As I reminisce about 2022, I see success. Apart from the 2022 overturning of Roe vs Wade, I know that the Pro Abortion efforts to codify abortion on a national level failed. Even though it passed the House in July 2022, its support failed in the Senate. With the House under Republican control, I know that codifying abortion will not happen on a national level. However, I see battles especially here at home in New York.

      When I got home my son told my wife that she is missing out by not attending the MFL.  He indicated that he is inspired by the event and wouldn’t miss another one (my wife had never attended the event). My son informed my wife of the many mothers who participated in the event who pushed their strollers along the route each smiling with their precious gifts of life. Along the route we spoke to many of these mothers. I asked one of the toddlers when her birthday was, the child responded April. When I asked as to when her’s brother’s birthday was, the mother informed me it was January 26th, he was born 5 days after she participated in last years’s MFL. It is obvious to me that the Pro Life movement is producing young soldiers who will pick up the fight for years to come.
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Catholic Fem Initiative

2/1/2023

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By Deborah Sucich

    How do we fight against the Goliath of pornography, transgender, abortion and divorce in our society?  I believe the small stone we need to be wielding to bring the giant tumbling down is fertility education.  Fertility education has been proven to decrease and delay sexual activity among teens, enhance self-respect, empower women’s health and lead couples to happy life-long marriages. 

      The heart of the pro-life movement is to prevent unplanned pregnancies. The way to do this is to educate about the power of our fertility in a way that enhances human dignity.  I am excited to launch Catholic Fem, a way for teens and adults to learn about hormonal health in line with the teachings of the Catholic faith. 

    FEMM (Fertility Education + Medical Management) is a revolutionary approach to women's health.  Women of all ages can learn about their fertility and how charting their cycles can gain each woman and couple invaluable information that will last a lifetime.  Mothers and teen daughters, single, engaged, and married women of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend these online or in-person sessions. Do you or someone you know have: irregular cycles? problems with hormonal contraceptives? not sure if they are ovulating or having "normal” cycles? or suffering from PCOS? Do you want your teen to feel empowered and more comfortable with their body and be able to track hormonal health in a way that enables positive and healthy decision making that is based on science and their Catholic values?  

     Email CatholicFem@gmail.com for more information or to schedule an individual appointment.  Please like, share and spread the word about Catholic Fem
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089879918480

     Host a group session at your parish, register for an online session, and encourage friends and relatives to learn this invaluable information! 


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Deborah Sucich, a Consecrated Virgin for the Diocese of Brooklyn, is a certified FEMM Fertility Educator helping teens, women of all ages and couples to understand their hormonal health and manage their fertility. For 25 years, Deborah has been dedicated to Catholic evangelization especially through the Goretti Group which spreads the message of chastity and promotes Catholic teachings on marriage & family life. Deborah has taught students of all ages in her teaching career and has presented to various Catholic organizations on the topics of science & chastity, She recently placed in the University of Notre Dame Teaching Human Dignity Contest with her unit plan for high school students on "The Science of Hormonal Birth Control" stressing informed consent for teens.
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