Category Archives: Culture of Life
Little Sisters of the Poor v. Obamacare at the Supreme Court
Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Zubik v. Burwell, a case testing the constitutionality of the Obamacare mandate that requires employers to offer health insurance that includes contraceptives, sterility treatment, and drugs considered abortifacients.
The employers who brought the suit include the Little Sisters of the Poor, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, the Archdiocese of Washington, and several Christian colleges — all religious nonprofits. Churches and parish schools are exempt from the mandate.
The Obama administration had offered these nonprofits an “accommodation.” If they signed a form stating their objection, the government would require their insurers to provide the services free of charge so the nonprofits wouldn’t be paying for it themselves.
The plaintiffs, however, refused the accommodation on the grounds that no matter who was technically paying, by having to sign the form they were still being forced to cooperate in seriously immoral actions.
As Sr. Loraine Marie Maguire, Mother Provincial of the Little Sisters of the Poor, said: “I can’t sign a piece of paper that makes somebody else do what I cannot do myself. It’s my conscience, you know.”
Nonprofits affected include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dioceses, Catholic universities, and hundred of hospitals and charities, such as the Little Sister of the Poor.
The ruling is expected to come down in June.
For more news about what happened at the Supreme Court see “Supreme Court Justices: Will the Government ‘Hijack’ Little Sisters’ Health Plan?”
Be Part of 9 Days for Life
The U.S. Catholic bishops ask you to join thousands nationwide in 9 Days for Life, a time of prayer and action in support of life, from January 16-24. Join today at http://www.9daysforlife.com/ & discover other ways to participate at http://goo.gl/haLp6W
Knights Share Christmas Spirit
Santa Claus was a welcome guest at the McCloskey #4565 Council of the Knights of Columbus’ Christmas party.
At their annual Christmas parties, two Rockland councils of the Knights of Columbus — Triune Council #2052 in Pearl River and John Cardinal McCloskey 4565 in West Nyack — continued their holiday tradition of presenting prolife and other charities with donations to support their good works.
At the Triune Council #2052 Christmas Party: Augustine Paul (accepting donation for the Fr. J.B.M. Upper Primary School), Peg Beirne (Rockland Catholic Coalition). Joe Quattrocchi (Good Counsel Homes), Liz O’Brien (Rockland Right to Life), Karin Lancellotti (Birthright), Cathy McGovern (COPS Barn), Kevin McGovern, Grand Knight, Dee DeFelice, Financial Secretary, Joe Jacob (Little Servants of Divine Providence), and John Rio (Salesian Missions) and Past Grand Knight. Photo by Frank Traina
The Triune party was was held at Toner Hall at St. Margaret’s Church in Pearl River on Dec. 14
Among the local prolife groups receiving gifts from the Knights were the Rockland Right to Life Committee, Birthright of Rockland, Good Counsel Homes in Spring Valley, and the Sisters of Life. Continue reading
This Is 20 Weeks
You have to see this! This Is 20 Weeks is a creative, new media campaign, a plan to marshal pro-life America to build momentum for legislation passed in Congress last spring to ban abortions after 20 weeks. It’s non-confrontational and elegant.
To find out more about it how it works and how you can be part of it, click here (and, don’t worry, they’re not asking for money. What they’d like you to share with them is your baby’s 5-month anonymous sonogram to be part of the most beautiful and moving baby album ever). The link to the actual site is here.
From the New Encyclical: Protecting Nature – Protecting Life
“Since everything is related, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties? If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away (120).”
“To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues (50).”
— Pope Francis, Laudato Si, June 18, 2015
Chris Bell, Fr. Andrew Apostoli Honored at Triune Charity Ball
At the podium, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR, Grand Knight John Rio, and Good Counsel Home’s Chris Bell at the Triune Council #2052 96th Anniversary Charity Ball.
The Knights of Columbus Triune Council #2052 celebrated their 96th anniversary with a Charity Ball, held at the Colonial Manor in Norwood, N.J., on June 5. The event honored Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR, and Chris Bell of Good Counsel Homes for their dedicated years of service to so many ministries.
Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Honor Guard
Grand Knight John Rio welcomed the guests and presented the honorees, who were escorted into the ballroom by the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Honor Guard.
The program opened with the introduction of Fr. Apostoli by Fr. Frank Samoylo, longtime Rockland County resident, now pastor of St. Columbanus parish in Cortlandt Manor, and one of last year’s co-honorees for his work with the prolife movement.
Fr. Andrew is a member and co-founder of the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. He is a frequent host on the Eternal Word Television Network. Ordained in 1967 by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, the famous preacher and TV pioneer of the 1950s, Fr. Andrew now works to advance the cause of the canonization of the bishop, whom he called a “great man who touched many hearts.”
In his talk, Fr. Andrew described some of the miracles attributed to the bishop, and asked the guests to pray for him to be declared a saint.
Fr. Andrew also spoke of his great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and urged the audience to heed the Fatima message to pray the Rosary, which he said is “powerful enough to stop wars and bring peace,” and protect the Christian culture now beset by abortion, euthanasia, and attacks on religious freedom and marriage.
Fr. Apostoli, Richard Bruno, and Chris Bell
Next at the podium was Richard Bruno, coordinator of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosarians, who introduced Chris Bell, co-founder of the Good Counsel Homes for Babies and Mothers, and welcomed Chris’ wife, Joan Andrews Bell, who has been on the front lines of the prolife movement for decades, and their son, Emiliano.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Good Counsel Homes, founded by Chris and Fr. Benedict Groeschel in 1985 to serve homeless, pregnant and parenting mothers and their babies.
Chris Bell — A truly dedicated Apostle for Life
Chris began by thanking the prolife people of Rockland for their efforts to save unborn babies. He noted that over the years from the “rescues” in the 1980s — peaceful sit-ins blocking the doors of abortion clinics led by the Vicar of Rockland Msgr. Harrington — to today’s 40 Days of Life vigils, the number of facilities in the county that provide surgical abortions declined from six to zero.
He also pointed out that Rockland has the lowest abortion rate in all the counties that comprise the Archdiocese of New York and attributed this to prayer and the Blessed Sacrament.
Many women who seek abortion do so under great pressure and despair, Chris said, and told the audience that many of the women who come to Good Counsel seeking help have had previous abortions because at the time, they said, it seemed they didn’t have a choice.
Good Counsel Homes offers them the choice of life for their babies and provides a program called Lumina to help women who have had abortions to heal. God’s mercy is infinite, Chris said, and to share that mercy and love of Christ with those in need is the mission of Good Counsel.
The final speaker of the evening was Rockland County Supervisor Ed Day who presented certificates of appreciation on behalf of the people of Rockland to the Triune Council’s honorees and to Good Counsel Homes on the occasion of their 30th anniversary.
Liz O’Brien, chair of Rockland Right to Life, with Fr. Andrew and Chris Bell.
The program ended with the announcement of the council’s Knight of the Year: Kevin McGovern.
Rev. Gerry Deponai, pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Nanuet and the chaplain emeritus of the Triune Council, said of Chris and Fr. Andrew, “The Triune Council is deeply honored to acknowledge and honor these two dedicated man of the Church!
Our Church, our nation, and the cause of life have been blesssed with their charisms.”
Photos below courtesy of Frank Traina
Some Good News
Here are two stories from the Web that will bring a smile.
Mom of 6 Gets Good News After Refusing to End Pregnancy to Battle Cancer
Knights of Columbus Bring Christmas Joy
At the Triune Council 2052 Christmas Party, held at Toner Hall in St. Margaret’s Church in Pearl River: (L to R) Chet Nawoichyk (the Fisher Foundation), Liz O’Brien (Rockland RTL), Peg Beirne (Rockland Catholic Coalition), Ellen Traina (Birthright), Pete Noonan (COPS Barn), Dee DeFelice (Financial Secretary), Kevin McGovern (COPS Barn), Msg. John J. O’Keefe (pastor of St. Margaret’s) John Rio (Grand Knight), Joe Jacobs (Divine Providence), Nannette Morris (Good Counsel) and Bill Palino (Rockland Sister Cities Project). Photo by Frank Traina.
Demonstrating what it really means to be prolife, the Triune and McCloskey Councils of the Knights of Columbus made generous Christmas donations to several local and international charities and nonprofit groups, including the Rockland Right to Life Committee.
The gifts were presented at the councils’ annual Christmas parties, which were both held the same night, December 15.
Other recipients at the Triune Council party were: The Rockland County Catholic Coalition, St. Margaret’s, St. Aedan’s, and St. Anthony’s churches, Birthright, COPS Barn (provides therapeutic horseback riding for special needs children), Good Counsel Homes, Fisher House Foundation (provides nearby free or low-cost housing for families of military personnel receiving hospital treatment), the Little Servants of Divine Providence (serves the disabled, homeless, and needy in Kerala, India), The Rockland Sister Cities Project (helps the impoverished children in Nicaragua), and the Salesian Missions.
Grand Knight Stephen Duschaneck and PGK Arthur Saladino present a Christmas donation to the Sisters of LIfe on behalf of the Knights of Columbus McCloskey Council. Photo courtesy of McCloskey Council 4565.
At the McCloskey Council party, gifts were given to the Sisters of Life, Birthright, Good Counsel Homes, Jawonio (provides assistance to people of all ages with developmental disabilites, mental illness, and chronic medical conditions), and Camp Venture (provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities), and St. Francis Church. Two seminarians at Dunwoodie — Tom Colucci, a parishioner at St. Francis, and Christian Amah– were also presented with donations to support their studies by Grand Knight Steve Duschaneck.
Does God Know?
Guest blogger Sean Miller
Even in this holy season, the world can seem shrouded in darkness and turmoil. To those who are dealing with the upheaval of an unexpected pregnancy and to all who question whether God understands what we’re going through, guest blogger Sean Miller offers this Christmas meditation.
Does God Know?
Year after year, as we gaze on the nativity scene at Christmas time, it fills us with joy and warmth.
We imagine how it must have been – the silent, holy night, the newborn King asleep in heavenly peace in the arms of his beautiful Mother. But is that the way it really was?
I don’t think so. From what Scripture tells us, for Mary and Joseph the time surrounding the birth of their Son was tumultuous and filled with confusion, uncertainty, and danger. Continue reading
ROCKLAND RIGHT TO LIFE COMMITTEE 