Author Archives: rocklandrtl

Trust, a Message for Christmas

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By Sean Patrick Miller, guest blogger and author of Full of Life.

mary-jesusWhy did the Lord come to us as a defenseless baby? It is so ironic, really. Here, the King of Kings, the King of the infinite allows Himself to be totally dependent on finite creatures that are full of weakness and fragility. He is placing a good deal of “trust,” in us despite our inclination to fall quite easily.

Was He sending us a message?

If the all-powerful God can place Himself in our frail hands then, perhaps in our difficulties, we can place ourselves in His forever faithful Hands. This can be true in any circumstance. Most especially, for the newly pregnant mother. This mother holds within her a most fragile human being that is reliant on her for everything. Yet, in many ways this new mother feels her own fragility as her body is constantly changing throughout her pregnancy in order to accommodate “her new little miracle.” Continue reading →

Jeanmarie Grahn to be Honored at Concert for Life — Dec. 3

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This year Good Counsel Homes‘ Rockland Concert for Life fundraiser will honor Jeanmarie Grahn, one of the co-founders of the Rockland Right to Life Committee. Jeanmarie has been with Rockland RTL for over 40 years and now currently serves as secretary.

Many of you have known  Jeanmarie over the years through her Right to Life work or perhaps have met her in one of the myriad of  helping roles to which she so generously gives of herself.

Whether it’s coordinating nights of food and shelter for the homeless, consoling the bereaved by helping plan funeral liturgies at her church, or stepping up to assist neighbors, friends, or  folks who may need anything from a place to stay for the weekend to a ride to the doctor or maybe  a cup of coffee and some caring companionship  — Jeanmarie is always there. Continue reading →

Prolife Victories at the Polls

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In spite of the nearly $100 million advertising campaign by Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, and NARAL targeting prolife candidates, we emerged from last week’s election with a prolife majority still in place in both houses of Congress and, of course, a prolife president, Donald Trump.

This bodes well for the advancing of prolife legislation such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortions after 5 months, and the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act. And most important to our efforts is the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, which is made by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

On the state level, two incumbent prolife leglislators were re-elected — Sen. William Larkin of the 39th NY Senate District and Karl Brabanec of the 98th Assembly District. Congratulations, gentlemen!

Unfortunately, the campaign of Wendy Long against Sen. Chuck Schumer was not successful, but Ms. Long never backed down and kept prolife issues on the forefront during the election, keeping awareness high. Thank you, Wendy for all you’ve done for the unborn, the handicapped, and the elderly.

NYS Right to Life Endorsements

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The New York State Right to Life  Political Action Committee has endorsed the following candidates who will appear on the ballot in Rockland County on Nov. 8.

President — Donald Trump

U.S. Senate — Wendy Long

NY Senate District 39 — William Larkin

NY Assembly District 98 — Karl Brabanec

No candidates from Senate District 38 or Assembly Districts 96 or 97 were endorsed. Either they do not hold prolife positions or, if they do, did not return the NYS Right to Life Candidate Questionnaire, the basis for making the endorsements.

For the  voting records of incumbents, just use the Search box on this site to search for their  names. You will find articles posted throughout the year about the various issues and votes.

Viva la Vida!

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viva-la-vidaThe 8th annual Prolife Conference, a Spanish program  by the Archdiocese of New York’s Office of Family Life/Respect Life, was held on Oct. 9 at John F. Kennedy H.S. in Somers, N.Y.

“The world needs mercy and we have to respect all forms of life.  We need to fight for our children.  The battle continues.” Those were some of the words of Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR, in his opening talks at the VIII Pro-Life Congress held on October 8th at Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx and on the 9th at Kennedy Catholic High School, Somers. Continue reading →

Mary Loftus Named CDA ‘Woman of the Year’

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Mary Loftus, of South Nyack, has made 16 medical missions to rural Haiti providing medical care to Haitians in need.

Mary Loftus, Treasurer of the Rockland Right to Life Committee, was named Catholic Daughters of the Americas “Woman of the Year,” at the organization’s national convention in Pittsburgh this past summer.

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Mary receives her Woman of the Year award from CDA National Regent Shirley Sefried.

Mary is the Regent of the Catholic Daughters of America Court St. Anne, #866, in Piermont, N.Y. For the past seven years, along with her other charitable work, Mary has been a fundraiser and on-the-ground volunteer with the Friends of the Children of Haiti  (FOTCOH), an organization that brings healthcare and life saving support to over 15,000 Haitian patients of all ages at the FOTCOH medical clinic near Jacmel, Haiti.

At the convention — whose theme was Christ’s words “What you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me” — Mary, a nurse, gave a presentation on her medical mission work with FOTCOH.

She  told the audience, “I found out about the great need for the children of Haiti, and my heart has been in Haiti ever since; I have made 16 visits serving 2,500 in the village of my clinic.

Continue reading →

40 Days for Life Bus Comes to New York

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bus-in-newburghOn Sept. 30, the 40 Days for Life Bus Tour came to Newburgh, N.Y., stopping before the Planned Parenthood office on Lake Street for a 30 minute prayer service.

A group of fifteen 40 Days Life for volunteers were there and about 20 people from Planned Parenthood (wearing pink in the photo).

“The bus kept driving slowly between us ” said a 40 Days participant. “The PP people pretty much stayed quiet the whole time.”

The tour is making stops in more than 125 cities to hold rallies and prayer vigils across all 50 states. Its purpose is to share its prolife message with the public and encourage the local volunteers who have taken up the challenge to pray for 40 days outside abortion facilities and Planned Parenthood offices. Continue reading →

Life Chain Opens Respect Life Month

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Standing up for Life at the 24th Rockland Life Chain, at the corner of Route 59 and Middletown Road in Nanuet on Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 2

To the 2016 Life Chain participants,

Thank you to everyone who came to the Life Chain. I hope you realize what your presence meant.

May I ask you this?  How many of the thousands of people who drove past us last Sunday would have given a moment’s thought to the subject of abortion if we hadn’t been there?

Hardly anyone.  It’s certainly not something most people think about much. It was a Sunday afternoon. People were out shopping, listening to the game on the car radio, maybe.

And yet, for a few moments at least, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM saw something that compelled their attention — that crowd of kids on the corner, the graceful nuns in their blue and white garb, the line of men and women of all ages along the roadside.

PHOTOS FOLLOW ON NEXT PAGE  Continue reading →

40 Days for Life Begins in Spring Valley

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Prolifers gather on Perlman Dr. in Spring Valley for the opening day of the 40 Days for Life. Rev. Tom Kunnel, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Piermont, led the prayers.

Yesterday Rockland prolifers embarked on another massive campaign to end abortion  — the 40 Days for Life.

This event  will bring together people across all 50 states to pray, fast, and publicly stand for life from Sept. 28 to  Nov. 6.

In Rockland the peaceful 40-day vigil will be held daily from 9 am until 6 pm on Perlman Drive in Spring Valley (on public property near the Planned Parenthood office) and will continue overnight from 6 pm until 9 am at the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church in Garnerville.

Planned Parenthood was chosen as the vigil site because that organization is the nation’s largest abortion provider, performing more than 300,000 abortions every year, Planned Parenthood is now under investigation for trafficking and selling baby body parts. They’ve been defunded by many states across the country and have lost millions in donations as a result of scandals.

If you would like to come and pray as part of the largest national prolife mobilization ever, please email RachelMinister1@aol.com or call 845-492-6709.  A lot of people are needed to provide a 24/7 presence of prayer for 40 Days. It is peaceful and nonconfrontational.