So, now what?

So. ..Now What?

One of the things that had started to eat at me a bit during the run-up to the conference
is that there is still so much work to be done at my own parish. This made me question
the validity of staging a large event. Should I be working on such a thing when my own
house isn’t really in order? And so on.
This of course brings us to the nature of the “Big Event” and how such things do or do
not influence the culture around us. The first and most obvious thing to note is that
they tend to preach to the choir. Most of the people at these things already get it and
while they may learn some interesting things here and there but not much in the way of
principles or concepts. Conferences, marches and other events also serve to excite the
participants, but that excitement does eventually wear off. What happens then?
The key thing is, don’t wait. That is, don’t wait for the next event, conference, march,
fundraiser, retreat, etc. What I would love to see is people taking whatever inspiration
they may have gained from the Culture of Life Conference and use in their parishes.
Collaborate with some others in your parish or Knights of Columbus council and get
a speaker in to discuss whatever may be most needed where you are. Or maybe not
a speaker, why not a prayer group, adoration, first Saturday devotions, evangelizing
the community around you, etc. Or plug into one of the great apostolates already out
there like 40 Days for Life, Project Rachel, Help Pregnancy Crisis Aid, Holy Family
Radio or any of the dozens of others that are out there but I don’t know about. Use your
imagination and your talents, even talents you don’t think you have. You’d be surprised
what you can accomplish with a little help.
So, once you plan it your event, email us, let us know so we can promote the good things
going on in the Grand Rapids Diocese. Just knowing that there a number of good things
happening will encourage many people, even those who are never able to attend the
events.
Now, don’t take this to mean that we aren’t going to be doing the Second Annual
Culture of Life Conference: The Family in the Modern World come spring of 2013. We
certainly are. We just want don’t want things to stop with the conference. So, get out
there and start building and renewing the Culture of Life in the Grand Rapids Diocese!

The Vacation is Over

Well, we've had about a week off and did our level best to not think too much about the conference or any related things during that time.  I for one, was not completely successful.  For the first couple of days, ideas just swirled around in my head like crazy but they have finally settled down a bit, coalescing into two or three ideas of where to go from here. 
One of those ideas is to get some more people writing for this blog so it can become a real hub for all culture of life issues (eventually, I'll post on why I say "culture of life" rather than "pro-life" or "respect life") for the Grand Rapids diocese.  So, if you are interested in writing for the blog, please let us know.  Just email at kofccultureoflife@gmail.com and we can get that ball rolling.  Also, if you just stumble across some good links, feel free to send those in as well.

Success!!!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 1st Annual Culture of Life Conference on Saturday.  We had a turnout of just over a 100 people which is better than we had dared to hope.  The speakers all came through and delivered not just information but a powerful message that I think really demonstrated the breadth, depth and unity of the Church's teaching on the dignity and value of human life.
In the immediate future, you can look for a link to the conference on YouTube as well as DVD to follow.  We are hoping to put some additional content on the DVD about some of the other local pro-life apostolate.
Beyond the immediate future, the second conference (look for it spring of 2013) is already starting to come into focus a bit.  And we will also be working with some of those apostolates on smaller events in between the conferences.
For now, checkout Project Rachel and Rachel's Vineyard.  This is a great ministry and worthy of much support.  Some info about upcoming events are posted below.


 Come to the Mass celebrating 20 years of Project Rachel in Grand Rapids taking place on October 12 7:00 PM.  For more information go here:  http://ccwestmi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=57.

 

Also, there is a retreat coming up from the related ministry of Project Rachel.  Here's all the info.

Rachel's Vineyard Retreat

Dates:   October 28-30, 2011

Rachel's Vineyard weekend retreats are a beautiful opportunity for any person who has struggled with the emotional and spiritual pain of an abortion experience.

Designed for women and men, the retreat process is an opportunity to surface and release repressed feelings of anger, shame, guilt, and grief.  It offers women and men the chance to experience the mercy and compassion of God and to grieve the loss of their unborn child or children.

A Rachel's Vineyard Retreat helps the soul find voice and transforms the pain of the past into love and hope.  It is open to people of all faiths.

For more information or to register:

Toll Free:  800-800-8284  (Michigan Only)
Phone:     616-340-1824
E-mail:     mwalsh@ccwestmi.org (Maggie Walsh)
Website: Click Here

 

Now, I'm going to take some much earned time off!!  Look for us to start posting again in about a week.

Two Days!

It's hard to believe but we are only two days away from the conference. We are expecting a respectable turnout but there is still plenty of room for more. Just show up and pay at the door.
There are also a number of other apostolates that will be represented at the conference. Presently, we are expecting 40 Days for Life, Catechetical Foundations, Holy Family Radio, Catholic Studies and Project Rachel/Rachel's Vineyard.

See you on Saturday!

Less than a week!

As amazing as it is, we are less than a week away from the 1st Annual Culture of Life Conference!  It looks like it is going to be a far bigger success than we could have hoped for with around 100 people attending and more people still emailing asking about it.  We still have a lot of work to do with getting the final details in order but it will all be worth it. 
I also have to apologize for the lack of updates lately.  The place where I work has had some crazy stuff happen over the last couple of weeks and I've pulling a lot of twelve hour shifts as a result.  This week will be light as well as we work to iron out the details for the conference.
As for the future of this blog, we intend to carry it on as we plan on doing these once a year and we want to keep the news coming on various culture of life related issues.  To that end, we'll be looking for additional contributors so that we can keep the blog active with a number of voices so that it becomes more of a forum for conversation than a bulletin board.  If your are interested, let us know!

Things to come?

The below link really provides a sense of the kind of future we may be looking at.

http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/legal-persectution.html

Good news/Bad news

The good news is that partial birth abortion bancpassed here in Michigan! The bad news is that Health and Human Services is looking to force pretty much everyone to provide contraceptive coverage in their health insurance. And yeah, I do mean pretty much everyone.
You can give the HHS a piece of your mind here: www.usccb.org/conscience
We don't have to procrastinate as the deadline for comments is September 30.

Another reminder

As you can see, the deadline for pre- registration is past but that doesn't mean that you can't come. There should be plenty of room for all. Also, we are allowing an hour lunch break and there are plenty of places to gra a bite both on and near campus. We'll be compiling that info into the folders that we'll be handing out at the conference.
Also, for those who can't come to the conference but would like to, we are going to be recording the proceedings and distributing them in some fashion. We'll keep you up to date.

Wow and thank you

We have had a tremendous surge in interest in the conference over the last two weeks.  A number of donations have come in or been pledged and we have signed up nearly a hundred people to attend so far with more likely to come.  We can't say how happy we are that there has been such interest and support for this event.
I also have to apologize for the infrequent updates.  Now that we have the food order placed and that stress is gone, we should be able to keep up with events a little better.

Extension

Due to a sudden surGe of interest, we're extending the pre-registration deadline to tomorrow night, that is the night of the 20th. So if you're kicking yourself for not getting signed up in time to get the lunch, you can stop kicking and send us your information at kofccultureoflife@gmail.com.

Registration Revision

Due to administrative difficulties, the online registration option is no longer available.  As I understand what happened, when we set up the account with Google Checkout, I designated the Conference as a non-profit charity, which it is.  However, it seems that doing that also designated the Conference as a 501-3(c) which it isn't.  In any case, Google's reviewers "discovered" that we aren't and deactivated the account.  Since the process was pretty cumbersome anyway we aren't going to attempt to set up a new account.  You can still register online by emailing us at kofccultureoflife@gmail.com.  Just let us know how many you wish to register and either send your check to the address below or just pay at the door.
Also, this is the last weekend to register early and get the free lunch if you've been trying to decide, now is the time.


Remember, the cost is $20 and $10 for students and free for clergy.  Students should submit a scan of their student ID.  Also, the pre-registration deadline is Sept 17 and the first 50 people to do so will be given a copy the Janet Smith Contraception, Why Not? CD.

Registration by mail:  Send a check made out to the Knights of Columbus Council 7115 and note with your name and menu choice, if registering before September 17 (again, see below) to:

       K of C 7115 Life Conference
       P.O. Box 231
       Zeeland, MI 49464

MENU
When you submit your registration email, please select one of the following as your meal.

Classic Caesar

tossed romaine hearts, romano and parmesan cheeses,
topped with croutons. Tossed with classic caesar dressing

Cashew Chicken Salad

crisp mixed salad greens, topped with roasted chicken, grapes
apples, celery, red onion, toasted cashews and dijonaisse chicken salad
served with your choice of dressing.

Veggie Muffuletta

marinated artichokes, oven roasted tomatoes, grilled zucchini and summer squash
with provolone cheese, lettuce and an olive tapenade

Avocado Turkey Club

honey roasted turkey breast with bacon
white vermont cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato
and avocado aioli on a pretzel roll

AQ Italian

ham, pepperoni and genoa salami stacked on rosemary ciabatta bread
with sliced banana peppers, kalamata olives, feta, shredded lettuce
tomatoes and an Italian vinaigrette

Chicken Bruschetta

grilled chicken breast on ciabatta
with balsamic marinated tomatoes
and fresh mozzarella


Feel free to email at kofccultureoflife@gmail.com or call Eric at 616-994-7466 with any questions.

Just a reminder

The deadline for pre-registration is this weekend so if you've been planning on attending but haven't signed up yet, now is the time to make sure you're able to get a free lunch.
We'll look forward to seeing you on October, 8.

This Weekend

This weekend, we're running a registration drive at our parish, Our Lady of the Lake in Holland.  So if you go there, be on the lookout for us after Mass.  Also, a thank you goes out to all the other parishes that have put up flyers and ran bulletin inserts.  A special thank you goes out to St. Isidore in Grand Rapids which is my Catholic alma mater so to speak and also one of the first parishes to actively support the conference.  Again, thanks to all, your help is greatly appreciated and has already made a difference.

Persecution

The other day, I came upon this story of a pro-life demonstrator getting arrested and beaten by police for basically no reason at all.  I come upon such stories on occasion and I thought it might not be a bad idea to collect them as a reminder of the environment we're in.  It seems especially appropriate given that 40 Days for Life is getting ready to kick off in a couple of weeks.  That said, it should be said that such instances are not extremely common and the worst that most of will ever endure is a insult shouted from a passerby.
In any case, let me know if you stumble across any of these stories and I will get them posted.

Interesting thoughts

 Follow this to an interesting post by Carl Olson.  Like him, I don't agree with everything said in the article he cites.  For one, it seems to assume a silver bullet arguement that will suddenly work for everyone.  And that attitude is exactly the wrong one to have.  If anything, it seems to mee that the multifaceted approach is the one that has borne the most fruit.

Our Speakers

Here is the last in the speakers series (until the next conference that is!).  Today, we have Al Kresta, the headliner for the event.  Below is the bio taken from Ave Maria Radio

Al Kresta is a broadcaster, journalist and author who is, first of all, a missionary. He draws upon his unique faith background to create what is, arguably, the most fascinating — and most spiritually constructive — talk show on radio today.

A 1976 honors graduate of Michigan State University, Al has also done graduate work in theology at both Catholic and Protestant seminaries. He became well known in the Detroit area for his program, “Talk from the Heart,” one of the top-rated Christian talk shows during the 1980s and 90s. When he began the program, Al was a Protestant pastor. The questions forced upon him as pastor, however, led him to return to the Catholic Church. His profound personal conversion to Christ and return to the Catholic Church is told in the best-selling anthology Surprised By Truth.

In 1997, Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan recruited Al to launch the media apostolate, Ave Maria Communications.

Abortion Really Does Hurt Women

A friend of mine passed this article along to me.  I'm going to go ahead and post it in its entirety to save you the trouble of following the link.

Largest ever study finds abortion increases risk of severe mental health problems by 81%

Thaddeus Baklinski

Thu Sep 01 16:13 EST

Abortion

LONDON, UK, September 1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that women who underwent an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems. The study also found that almost 10% of all women’s mental health problems are directly linked to abortion.

Conducted by Priscilla K. Coleman, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA, the study was based on an analysis of 22 separate studies and 36 measures of effect, that involved a total of 877,181 participants of whom 163,831 had experienced an abortion. The study took into account pre-existing mental health problems prior to the abortion.

“In order to avoid any allegations of bias,” Dr. Coleman explained, “very stringent inclusion criteria were employed. This means every strong study was included and weaker studies were excluded.

“Specifically, among the rules for inclusion were sample size of 100 or more participants, use of a comparison group, and employment of controls for variables that may confound the effects such as demographics, exposure to violence, prior history of mental health problems, etc.”

This makes Dr. Coleman’s study the most comprehensive of its kind to date.

“Given the methodological limitations of recently published qualitative reviews of abortion and mental health, a quantitative synthesis was deemed necessary to represent more accurately the published literature and to provide clarity to clinicians” Dr. Coleman stated in the report.

She said her research was focused on offering “the largest quantitative estimate of mental health risks associated with abortion available in the world literature.” This, she said, would give health care practitioners “an accurate synopsis of the best available evidence in order to provide women with valid information in order to make informed health care decisions.”

The research revealed that abortion was associated with a 34% increased risk for anxiety disorders; 37% greater risk of depression; 110% greater risk of alcohol abuse and 220% greater risk of marijuana use/abuse.

Abortion was also linked with a 155% greater risk of attempting to commit suicide.

“The strongest subgroup estimates of increased risk occurred when abortion was compared with term pregnancy and when the outcomes pertained to substance use and suicidal behavior,” Dr. Coleman observed.

“Calling into question the conclusions from traditional reviews,” the report concluded, “the results revealed a moderate to highly increased risk of mental health problems after abortion. Consistent with the tenets of evidence-based medicine, this information should inform the delivery of abortion services.”

Commenting on the results of the study, Pro Life Campaign of Ireland spokesperson, Dr. Ruth Cullen said, “These findings are extremely disturbing and completely undermine pro-choice claims that abortion alleviates mental health problems. In fact, the study further proves that the opposite is the case.”

“These findings cannot be ignored,” Dr. Cullen stated. “They raise very serious issues for everyone regardless of which side they are one in the abortion debate. The best interests of women can only be served by an honest and dispassionate appraisal of the facts.”

Dr. Mary L. Davenport, president of the American Association of ProLife Obstetricians and Gynecologists and medical director of Nigeria’s Magnificat Maternal Health Project, said the study, “sheds important light on the mental health of women,” and exposes the “egregious cover-up of abortion complications” that are an aspect of “the abortion distortion.”

“This review, which is larger than any study to date, contradicts the recent and biased and less systematic review by the American Psychological Association, which fails to find a relationship between mental health problems and abortion,” Dr. Davenport wrote today in the American Thinker.

“The new meta-analysis also contradicts the stance of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which has been silent on the mental health impact of abortion in its official publications despite overwhelming evidence over the last two decades of abortion’s adverse effects.”

“By so powerfully linking abortion to mental health problems, the Coleman study helps us comprehend the magnitude of the damage done to entire nations by reckless, permissive abortion policies,” Dr. Davenport concluded.

An abstract of the study titled “Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009” with links to the full text is available on the British Journal of Psychiatry website here.

Progress

We just put in bulletin inserts to run in our home of Our Lady of the Lake in Holland this weekend.  The next weekend, we'll be having a registration weekend to help promote the conference in the parish.  After that, the hard work is done and we'll just have a few minor things to work out before Oct 8.  In short, the conference is now in the hands of God.

Update

To make things easier, for us and for you, the registration info is now on the side bar under "Just the Facts."

Another Pro-Life Victory

Looks like there has been even more fruit from the 40 Days for Life campaigns.  Another Planned Parenthood manager has quit and joined the Pro-life cause.  Follow this link to read her story.

Registration info again

Remember, the cost is $20 and $10 for students and free for clergy.  Students should submit a scan of their student ID.  Also, the pre-registration deadline is Sept 17 and the first 50 people to do so will be given a copy the Janet Smith Contraception, Why Not? CD.
.Online:  Simply email us at kofccultureoflife@gmail.com with your name and your menu choice (see         below).  Within the next day, you will receive an email with a link to pay via Google Checkout.  If you don't already have one, you will need to sign up for a Google account.  Click on the link and pay.  Your name will then be on the list come Oct 8.

Regular Mail:  Send a check made out to the Knights of Columbus Council 7115 and note with your name and menu choice (again, see below) to:

       K of C 7115 Life Conference
       P.O. Box 231
       Zeeland, MI 49464

MENU
When you submit your registration email, please select one of the following as your meal.

Classic Caesar

tossed romaine hearts, romano and parmesan cheeses,
topped with croutons. Tossed with classic caesar dressing

Cashew Chicken Salad

crisp mixed salad greens, topped with roasted chicken, grapes
apples, celery, red onion, toasted cashews and dijonaisse chicken salad
served with your choice of dressing.

Veggie Muffuletta

marinated artichokes, oven roasted tomatoes, grilled zucchini and summer squash
with provolone cheese, lettuce and an olive tapenade

Avocado Turkey Club

honey roasted turkey breast with bacon
white vermont cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato
and avocado aioli on a pretzel roll

AQ Italian

ham, pepperoni and genoa salami stacked on rosemary ciabatta bread
with sliced banana peppers, kalamata olives, feta, shredded lettuce
tomatoes and an Italian vinaigrette

Chicken Bruschetta

grilled chicken breast on ciabatta
with balsamic marinated tomatoes
and fresh mozzarella


Feel free to email at kofccultureoflife@gmail.com or call Eric at 616-994-7466 with any questions.

Scary stuff

This is one of the most disturbing things you will ever read.  The gist of it is this:  At least one Chinese pharmaceutical company is making "stamina" pills by literally taking dead babies, drying them out and grinding them up into powder so they be put in capsules and sold.  This is where we'll go too if our own country doesn't turn away from selfishness and greed and is just one more reason why our continued vigilance is so important.
Thanks to Mark Shea for initially finding this story a few days ago.

Schedule

This is just a reminder of the schedule for The First Annual Culture of Life Conference on October 8 at Aquinas College, Grand Rapids.



9 am - Dr. Mark Pestana:  Natural Law and the Life Issues

10 am - Dr. Dennis Marshall:  Humanae Vitae

11 am - Lunch

12 pm - Dr. Robert Marko - The Gospel of Life

1 pm - Mr. Al Kresta - The Civilization of Love

40 Days for Life

Many of you are no doubt familiar with the 40 Days for Life Campaign.  For those who aren't aware, it is a semi-annual campaign during which pro-lifers across the country unite in prayer to end abortion.  The main focus of course is praying outside of the abortion mills 24/7 but of course prayer from home or during Eucharistic Adoration is also encouraged. 
In Grand Rapids, the focus is on the mill at 320 Fulton Street.  I've spent a little time there during the last couple of years, including an early morning vigil that I would keep outside of the 40 Days period, back when I only had three children and a more conducive schedule.  Only speaking for myself, but I've never had any trouble from anyone while praying on the sidewalk save a few comments shouted from a passing car. 
Nationwide, a number of mills have closed as a result of 40 Days for Life, and even more babies saved and even one Planned Parenthood director was converted as a result.  If you are in the Grand Rapids area contact Patrick Keeley to sign up.  Or just show up when you are able.  I'm sure whoever is there will welcome the company.

Spreading the word

As many of you no doubt already know, the flyers and posters have been making the rounds via email for a week or so now.  This week, we got our first print run done and started sending out hard copies of the flyers to a number of parishes and campuses in the Grand Rapids and Holland areas.  So keep your eyes open, we'll be popping up everywhere over the next couple of weeks.