Catholic Hotdish

I was on the phone with Susan G. Komen’s PR person about four years ago. I was working for the Archdiocese at the time, in the Office for Marriage, Family and Life. “Why do you give funding to Planned Parenthood?” I asked her. She stated that the grants they gave helped pay for breast cancer screening. I told her that I thought that was fishy. Interestingly, Live Action News reports:

“In the tapes, a Live Action actor calls 30 Planned Parenthood clinics in 27 different states, inquiring about mammograms at Planned Parenthood. Every Planned Parenthood, without exception, tells her she will have to go elsewhere for a mammogram, and many clinics admit that no Planned Parenthood clinics provide this breast cancer screening procedure. ‘We don’t provide those services whatsoever,’ admits a staffer at Planned Parenthood of Arizona. Planned Parenthood’s Comprehensive Health Center clinic in Overland Park, KS explains to the caller, ‘We actually don’t have a, um, mammogram machine, at our clinics.’  ”

However, some claim that Planned Parenhood (PP) does do breast examinations. And Interestingly enough, Planned Parenthood’s own Annual Reports have shown that breast exams have actually decreased at the organization since it began receiving money from Komen.

Whatever the case may be, I’m glad Komen has finally seen the light. For now, they will not renew their grants to PP–like they have the past five years–which totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why did Komen make this decision?

• I think one of the reasons Komen has decided to truly embrace life, and turn away from Planned Parenthood, is because of the pressure many people were putting on them for giving to an organization that is guilty of killing millions of pre-born children. When I worked for the Archdiocese, our seminarians at St. John Vianney contacted me with a troubling question: For Lent, these good men were going to go without lunch and donate the money they would have spent (perhaps a total of $25,000) to Komen’s Race for the Cure. But they had heard that Susan G. Komen had ties to Planned Parenthood. Was this true? After I sent them information confirming their fears, they decided to give their sacrificial donation to another charity and voice their frustrations. I was proud of them, and I’m sure they went on to teach this discovery to their flocks.
• Also, it is important to recognize that this decision came  a few months after a new executive vice president, Karen Handel, was hired at Komen. Handel ran for governor of Georgia in 2010 and was endorsed by Sarah Palin. She is very pro-life and supports pregnancy-help centers. (She’s my new hero!)
• And, Komen’s new donor requirements do not allow the charity to fund any organization under investigation and Planned Parenthood is currently being investigated for using federal money to fund abortions. But, Komen could reissue grants to Planned Parenthood if nothing comes of the investigation.

Dear Director,

Yesterday it was announced that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the largest global funder of breast cancer research, has restructured its grant criteria in a way that will effectively defund Planned Parenthood. For many years pro-life individuals and organizations have asked Komen to stop funding the abortion giant.

Komen will, no doubt, receive many emails denouncing its decision. Komen needs to hear from pro-life people who will applaud its decision.

While there may be other issues we will encourage Komen to address, right now they should be affirmed for defunding Planned Parenthood.

Please encourage your networks to write to news@komen.org and say: “Thank you for defunding Planned Parenthood!” It’’s that simple!

Expressions of thanks from you and those in your network will help to ensure more positive changes at Komen in the future.

This will make a huge difference.

Thanks.

Sincerely in Christ,

Tom Grenchik

The “Bad Catholic” blogger, Marc Barnes, put together a wonderful video with footage from the March for Life earlier this week. I was impressed with the cogent and confident defenses for ‘life’ put forth by the marchers. Their parents should be proud.

We’re turning the tide of Roe v Wade

According to an article by LifeNews.com, Students for Life of America has just released their latest video, Turn the Tide 2012, which features abortion survivors thanking the pro-life movement for its 39 years of service. The video shows how the pro-life movement is winning the abortion battle.

It depicts men, women and children who have either survived abortion themselves or who have overcome the suggestion or temptation to abort suggested by medical doctors or family members.

Kristan Hawkins–who is the current executive director of Students for Life of America–reminds us:

“This Sunday will mark the 39th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions which legalized abortion in all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason in the United States. It will also begin the 40th full year of legal abortion.”

Thanks for all you do to embrace life!

A few weeks ago my husband and I were enjoying a glass of wine. As he talked football my eyes began to glaze over until I heard him say, “…and there’s this player who is really religious who–”

I interrupted him excitedly: “I know who you’re talking about!”

“No, you don’t!” He challenged.

“Tebow!” I said, feeling like I made my own Hail Mary Touchdown Pass. “He plays for the Broncos!” (It took me a few seconds to recall his team, I’ll admit)

Hubby was dumbstruck.

I proceeded to tell my spouse–who coaches football and other sports at St. Joseph’s in WSP–about the commercial that Tebow filmed with his mother for last year’s Super Bowl. My husband had heard about the commercial, but wasn’t aware that the hoopla surrounding it was because it carried a pro-life message. I knew, from Catholic news sites, that the Tebows were told to abort him–and I sure wanted to tackle the story:

Celebrating Life

Pam Tebow was very sick with dysentery when she was pregnant with Tim. She and her husband, Bob, were doing missionary work in the Philippines at the time, and Pam had to take very strong medication for her illness. Unfortunately, the placenta never attached correctly and for a short time Pam was even in a coma. Doctors suggested they abort the baby, but they obviously refused.

Bob told Sports Illustrated in July 2009:

“I told Tim, ‘You’re a miracle baby. God’s got a purpose for you, and at some point I think He’s going to call you to preach.’ “

I hope Tim doesn’t fumble, and that he continues to embrace life. Through all his challenges, may he stay as tough as his mom and dad!

He’s a great preacher in his own special way, and the culture of life needs him!

Check out the book Tim Tebow wrote about his family’s pro-life story called, Through My Eyes.

Join Us!

Cathedral of St. Paul

Please attend the Mass for Life on Sunday, January 22. Bishop Le Voir will be presiding at this special Noon Mass at the Cathedral.  YES, this does count as your Sunday obligation, so come as a family to attend together. The MCCL Rally at the state capitol will follow the Mass. Last year this inspiring event was attended by approximately 3,000 people.

This year marks the 39th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s tragic decision to legalize abortion. Over 50 million babies have lost their lives.

Please join others in this opportunity to pray for these children of God, as well as the men and women who suffer because of the decision they made to terminate a pregnancy.

Contact the Marriage Family and Life office at 651.291.4506 or wilsons@archspm.org with questions.

(Information taken from the Church of St. Joseph in W. St. Paul’s bulletin)

The first time I was exposed to pornography was quite by accident. In 1987 I was a college student spending the summer modeling in New York City. The agency I was booked through had an apartment on Park Avenue which I shared with five other models. We were all from small American or Canadian towns; and one night we got whip-lashed by what was on late-night-television in The Big Apple. A woman named Robin Byrd, if I remember correctly, was prancing around in a crocheted bikini–talking naughty, dancing dirty and singing nasty. We sheltered young ladies pondered: Was this type of show really allowed in the good ol’ United States? 

Today more than 80% of pornographic images on the web are from America. Since the days that I lived in NYC, the use of porn has grown exponentially.

Why?

I believe it is because pornography is “in our face” and readily available. Remember the Janet Jackson costume malfunction? (How could anyone forget!) I was serving my husband and children chili while they were innocently watching the Super Bowl game. I gave up TV after that.

“Porn will be available at the touch of our fingertips”

A few years ago, when I worked for the Office of Marriage, Family and Life, I participated in an Archdiocesan meeting in which the subject of pornography came up. “It will be available at the touch of our fingertips wherever we are,” one of the priests stated. We looked at him quizzically, and then he mimicked someone using a cell phone. “Very soon we will have access to the internet through our phones.” He went on to discuss how most people will have laptop computers and be able to take them into the privacy of their rooms, or even upload images in a public place (like someone recently did on an airplane).

Today, many schools give their students iPads to use in the classrooms and at their homes. I’ve heard that some districts are not putting parameters on these tempting devices; placing an opportunity for porn at kids’ fingertips 24/7.

Unfortunately, that priest predicted correctly.

Not long after that meeting I saw my first Blackberry and had a panic attack just thinking of what Father had said. A few months later, I sat at my computer searching YouTube videos on ‘How to breast feed twins,’  and I had another panic attack over the junk that assaulted my eyes. Here I was, an inquisitive mommy-to-be merely seeking practical information, and I ended up having that stuff thrown in my face! Of course my husband walked in at just that moment and shrieked, “What in the world are you doing?” And all I could say was, “This is what Father had warned us about.”

What is pornography doing to us?

It’s hard to escape X-rated pictures, videos, programs and music these days. Even while I do my Christmas shopping–trying to keep focused on the “reason for the season,” an innocent babe “born that we may be free”–I feel shackled by the window displays of “soft porn” at the Mall of America which demean the dignity of the human person. I have to tell my children to turn away when we walk by the silicon-enhanced bosoms screaming at us in front of Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie and Fitch. How can we expect our youth and other loved ones to be chaste and not sucked in by the sin of porn when they are bombarded with images like these daily? Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote: “Those who give themselves over to pornography find themselves alone with their images and an insatiable appetite for more.”

Yes, pornography is not just a bad habit–it can be addicting. One estimate puts the number of churchgoing men at 50%. A different study found that one in six females is struggling with a porn addiction. Fr. Jeffrey Huard told me:

“The pornographic is designed to be addictive, and experts say it can easily become like a cocaine or heroin addiction. The effects are that women and men are objectified, hours of love are lost to the Lord and family and friends.”

Mark Houck, who gives talks to teens about chastity and pro-life issues, rose above his addiction to pornography.  After pursuing his dreams to become a professional football player, he co-founded a lay apostolate called The Kings Men (http://www.thekingsmen.org). Its mission is to help males rise above the lustful pandemic of porn. Mark is the subject of a powerful documentary titled, Out of the Darkness, and wrote the following in a pamphlet for the USCCB:

“Within marriage, addiction to pornography can destroy intimacy. Eventually, the husband or wife who views pornography can lose the ability to relate on a personal and intimate level with the real person of his or her spouse.”

According to Mark Houck, many of the social ills and behavior disorders in our world today–teenage sexual promiscuity, crisis pregnancy, adultery, abortion, divorce, sexual abuse, sexual deviancy, rape and incest–can be linked to the spread of pornography.

Porn does not bring real joy

C.S. Lewis says there is no joy in what is not real.

The Book of Proverbs tells us that lust which is indulged starves the soul.

Fr. Huard adds, “The pull of pornography is a pull into a virtual world that takes us away from the real and brings deep sadness not joy.”

Back all those years ago, when I was in New York, my path crossed with the porn-star, Ms. Byrd’s, one dark evening on the subway. She was with a bodyguard and looked miserable and unhappy; which is understandable, because, as Fr. Huard pointed out: No one can truly live a joyful life girdled by porn. And compared to the pornography plague that is threatening the well-being of society today, Robin was a tame bird. But, we can hope and pray for that phoenix–a bird that consumes itself by fire and rises renewed from its ashes. Perhaps one day our society will embrace a life full of goodness and rise from the dark poison of pornography.

There is something mutually promotive about the bond between daddies and their little girls. Fathers, with their awesome responsibility as the head of the family, are very protective of their princesses, and daughters look up to this giant of a man and bring out the best in him.

"These children have so much to teach us!"

This past weekend our oldest girl, a freshman in high school, attended the father-daughter dance with her hero. A pink, lace dress was bought ages ago, a corsage and boutonniere were ordered and their RSVP sent in (late… as usual, but at least I found it!) My husband looked dapper for the portraits–and I quietly thanked God that when he fished out his tuxedo from the back of the closet, he remembered to check that none of our boys spilled A1 Sauce on it the last time it was borrowed.  My daughter and my husband had been “cutting the rug” with their swing dancing at our recent family weddings in anticipation (She didn’t want to look dorky in front of her friends–you know how teenage girls are!) They rocked the Prom Center I’m told, spent a lot of time bonding and created lasting memories.

Another Family’s Father-Daughter Dance

But not all fathers have this opportunity with their daughters. Take Rick Santorum, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania–his daughter, Bella, has Trisomy 18. Lately I have been reading about Mr. Santorum, his wife and their seven children. The Santorums cherish each week they have with Bella, and consider this time with her a gift. Against all odds, little Bella recently celebrated her 186th week of life (The one-year survival rate for Trisomy 18 is one percent.) And even though she can’t walk, I have a feeling that this Catholic presidential hopeful carries his princess in his arms and dances her around the kitchen.

I believe that one of the reasons the Santorum family is so passionate about respecting human life is due in part to an earlier experience with their son, Gabriel, who had a fatal condition which was discovered in utero. According to LifeNews.com: “The doctor told the couple, ‘Your son has a fatal defect and is going to die.’  But Gabriel was born alive. As Santorum recalls, ‘For two hours he lived a life that knew only love.’ ”

Embracing and Promoting Life

Taking care of a child with disabilities is an uphill battle, and so is building the culture of life.  It’s obvious that Mr. Santorum is used to rolling up his sleeves and getting these jobs done. Below, I’ve listed some examples of his pro-life efforts:

• He assisted with the Schiavo legislation, playing a key role in ushering the bill through the Senate to a vote on March 20, 2005.
• He has described contraception as “a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.”
• He delivers pro-life speeches (some say they’re the best they’ve heard)
• Mr. and Mrs. Santorum were invested as Knight and Dame of the Magistral Grace of the Knights of Malta (assisting people with disabilities and illness)
• He debates against partial-birth abortion
• He speaks about the need for strong families and upholds the institution of marriage as a union between a man and a woman

A beautiful video

When Bella was born with Trisomy 18,  the doctors told the Santorums to “Let her go.”  This angered them, and they fought for her instead. Eventually they came to the realization that Bella makes their family better. Daddy’s little princess is the center of his universe. “This child can do nothing but love me,” the former senator stated.

Another beautiful aspect about his little princess is that she will never have the ‘normal’ daughterly concern about her dad looking dorky. And most importantly, Senator Sentorum, like every cherished daughter, Bella can give you strength and a sense of purpose to fight the uphill battle. And she can make your heart dance.

(Thanks to The Catholic Spirit staff member, Craig Berry, for passing information about this topic my way! And thanks to my mom, Cecelia MacDonald, for her help with editing!)

As you consider your charitable end-of-year giving, please consider donating to pro-life organizations by participating in Give to the Max Day on Wednesday, November 16, hosted by GiveMN–it doubles your dollars!

Licensed under Creative Commons

You can amplify your giving impact in a number of ways:

· Win a Golden Ticket! $1,000 will be given to a random donor’s charity every hour. You could be that donor!

· NEW THIS YEAR… $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 prize grants will be awarded to the top three small nonprofit organizations – with budgets under $750,000 – which receive the most dollars on Give to the Max Day.

List of some great pro-life organizations

Below are some organizations you may want to consider (I will add to the list as I receive the proper information):

Total LifeCare Centers–Please click here for information on how to donate to this life-affirming organization. It’s so easy to give!

• Because of you, TLC was able to help thousands of women. Last year, TLC affiliates provided over 24,000 services to women and families. The Centers also performed over 1,400 free ultrasounds, which allowed mothers and fathers to see and bond with their preborn children. Your gift will help them save more babies from abortion and make a huge difference in their work.

Cradle of Hope–Please click here to donate to this beautiful organization (This will bring you to their FaceBook page.) It’s very simple, plus, you’ll be able to view a YouTube video of a happy baby in one of their cribs.

• Cradle of Hope provides financial assistance to pregnant women and to women with infants under three months old. For many, they are a source of last resort. Their Safe Slumber Program distributes Pack N Play portable cribs to provide a safe and comfortable sleeping environment for infants – and they are a symbol of joy for mothers. Give them the chance to gain even more support with your gift.

Thank you! Your generosity helps families to embrace life!

Life is good!

I know, the title of this blog caught your attention. You’re probably wondering, How can an inanimate object, such as a running stroller, be pro-life? Let me explain…

Three years ago I had just accepted the Archdiocesan position of Respect Life Coordinator. A few months later, when I was 42 and our youngest was eight, my husband and I discovered that we were expecting. Wow…what a glorious surprise! We had given away all of our baby items years ago, thinking that perhaps seven kids was about it for us. But my pregnancy at an “advanced maternal age” was happy news–and proof that God has a sense of humor!

My coworkers in the Office for Marriage, Family and Life knew of my passion for running. They also knew that the jogging stroller in which I pushed all of our other babies had gone to its eternal rest–the Babies ‘R’ Us in the sky. A collection was taken up among many of the Archdiocesan worker-bees, and the perfect gift was bestowed on me–a red, double running stroller–with an emphasis on DOUBLE!

Yes, I had twins in that big belly! Proof that God has a GINORMOUS sense of humor!

Praying for the Church

The director of the office, Kathy Laird, requested that I offer prayers for all of the Archdiocesan staff when I use the stroller–and I do–beginning with Archbishop Nienstedt, Bishop Piche, Fr. Laird, my pastor who is Fr. Creagan–and radiating out to the others who serve as God’s hands and feet. As Kathy often told me, “Working for the Church is such a blessing,” which is so true, but I know that  the rewards are often mingled with sweat. Without even exchanging their clerics or business suits for athletic wear, the Archdiocesan staff can feel like they’re in the midst of a marathon.  That darn devil chases us in order to sink his talons into all that is good–like building Our Father’s Church and a culture of life– and it takes a lot of strength, energy and courage to combat  his evil-doings and bring others to the Truth.

In the Encyclical Letter, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life ) Blessed John Paul II wrote:

The Church’s spiritual motherhood is only achieved–the Church knows this too–through the pangs and ‘the labor’ of childbirth (cf. Rev 12:2), that is to say, in constant tension with the forces of evil which still roam the world and affect human hearts, offering resistance to Christ.

Yep, the church needs our prayers. Even if these prayers are “on the run”!

Praying for Others

The twins are two-and-a-half now, and their red run-and-pray stroller is well broken-in. Like many mothers, I pray that the guardian angels protect my family. Whenever our running route takes us through tunnels or under bridges, the twins remind me to belt out prayers (they like the echo.) The boys begin in unison with a “Da-Da!” because we usually start off praying for my husband who has rheumatoid arthritis. Of course we pray for the twins’ big brothers and sisters (This takes a while!) We pray for extended family, especially a sister-in-law who is expecting, and a niece who is pregnant and going through breast cancer. We add people to our prayer list who are suffering–and their care-takers, because individuals who are selflessly comforting loved-ones often feel like they are running a long race with an uncertain end.

As I chug along, I give thanks for the gift of life (My mom taught me to do this when I was a little girl) and I ask God for the strength to endure my blessings.

A Symbol of Life

A stroller or buggy conjures happy memories and warm visions for most people. I see my running stroller as a domestic church on wheels. In The Gospel of Life  Blessed John Paul II states, “As the domestic church, the family is summoned to promote, celebrate and serve the Gospel of Life.”  (#92)

I teach my kids lessons on life as we’re rolling along–I believe that they’re never too young. For example: Yesterday, we came across an injured monarch butterfly on our running path. I gently picked it up and placed it on the twins’ blankets so that they could watch it flutter its wings. The lovely insect bummed a ride for about a mile, and then took flight. As I pushed the toddlers along the banks of the Mississippi, I used that butterfly to tell them how precious is God’s creation, especially us human beings. I was reminded once again of The Gospel of Life:

Human Life is sacred because from its beginning it involves ‘the creative action of God,’ and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. (#53)

This is one of the reasons I also bring my running stroller to abortuaries, where we pray and stroll on the sidewalk: It is a symbol of life. Twenty-one years ago, when I was thinking of praying outside of Planned Parenthood with my church for the first time, a parishioner said, “Oh please come…and bring your baby!” And I did, in my old, neon-green running stroller.

When people see me–a 45-year-old mommy– and my babies out on our morning runs or strolling outside of abortion clinics, I hope they are reminded that life doesn’t always go along as we ‘planned.’ But the important thing is that we all embrace life and promote it. I know that the babies–with their matching faces–bring many smiles to people, and teach their own lessons to passers-by: That life is a precious gift and that we should cherish it!

Abby Johnson

I had the honor of listening to Abbey Johnson recently. She was the guest speaker for the Pro-Life Action Ministries’ banquet. Perhaps you’ve heard of her; she has authored a book called Unplanned, which reveals why she left her job as a director at a Planned Parenthood in Texas and is now helping to destroy the culture of death. Here’s what she said we must do to eradicate abortion worldwide (My comments are in parentheses):

1) Pray

“We need to be more prayerful and to pray unceasingly. We should go outside of our homes where we are uncomfortable, and pray on the sidewalks near the abortion clinics. These places feel dark, but God fills us so that we can help babies!” (Locally, Pro-Life Action Ministries [PLAM] has saved over 2,500 babies through its sidewalk counseling efforts since 1981! Yahoo…Way to go! Can you tell I used to be a cheerleader?)

2) Repent

“We  need to repent for what we have done and for what we have failed to do–as individuals and as a nation. Apathy–[the lack of interest, or the fact that people were indifferent]–has made abortion legal. Killing the unborn is at the root of our moral decay; crime has gone up since abortion was legalized in 1973. We are fighting a spiritual battle.” (According to MCCL, more than 50 million babies have been aborted in America since Roe v. Wade made it legal 38 years ago.)

3) Have Courageous Clergy

“It is imperative that we hear our church leaders speak out– it is estimated that 72% of women having abortions are church-going.” (Abbey stated that she went to services on Sundays while she was working in the abortuary. However, she never heard any of her ministers speak about the atrocities of abortion.)

4) Vote Pro-Life

“The right to life is at the core of every issue; it trumps everything else on that ticket! We need to be strong pro-life voices to encourage people to do the right thing.” (Visit Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life at http://www.mccl.org or Minnesota Catholic Conference at http://www.mncc.org for a plethora of information.)

5) Be Loud

“Born and unborn babies deserve the best and we need to stand up for EVERY single life. Our stories can save a life. We need strong male voices, because this is not just a woman’s issue–only one woman got pregnant without the help of a man!” (I agree that we need to get more men involved. This is one of the reasons I bring all nine of my children outside of the Planned Parenthoods to pray–they are very noisy, and six of them are young men!)

(NOTE: I will give a review of Abby Johnson’s informative book in a future post. Thanks for embracing life and stay tuned!)