Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   LOCAL FEATURES Friday, July 19, 2002 NRLC convention filled with good news By Susan K. Virgalitte PITTSBURGH – Delegates to this year’s National Right to Life Committee convention, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel-Airport here June 27-29, heard a lot of good news in the fight against legalized abortion. Leaders in the Right to Life movement reported that more and more post-abortive women are coming forward to tell their stories. These “second victims” of abortion are making a difference in how abortion is viewed and are helping women to choose alternatives to abortion. In related news, The deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research has just published Women’s Health After Abortion, a compilation of medical research showing a clear connection between abortion and such medical problems as breast cancer and depression. Still, the most exciting news for convention participants was a report by Real Alternatives, a Pennsylvania program which assists women in crisis pregnancies to choose alternatives to abortion – and which is paid for with public funds through the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Convention delegates packed a meeting room and responded enthusiastically to a report by Real Alternatives’ president, Kevin Bagatta, and chairperson, Pamela Pasquale, who described the program initiated in 1996 by pro-life leaders and Pennsylvania’s late governor, Robert (Bob) Casey, called Project Women in Need. Real Alternatives supports and distributes public funds to a network of 108 pregnancy support centers, adoption agencies and maternity homes throughout Pennsylvania which support women experiencing crisis pregnancies in choosing to parent their children or place them for adoption. No affiliate of Real Alternatives may counsel a women about abortion as an alternative, and all agencies receiving money through the project must have been in operation at least one year. However, as Bagatta said, most of the crisis pregnancy counselors they work with have been doing their work with little or no compensation for 20 to 30 years. In addition, Real Alternatives has produced several very effective television commercials, which they showed to convention participants, all of which result in numerous telephone calls to their nationwide 800 line im-mediately after they are broadcast. When representatives from other states began asking questions about how to set up similar systems in their states, Bagatta said that is exactly what Real Alternatives intended to do by presenting its program. “We are ready to go nationwide,” he said. “Don’t be overwhelmed. This is something that is doable. You don’t have to start from the ground up like we did.” Persons interested in starting a pro-life, publicly funded initiative to present abortion alternatives were urged to contact Real Alternatives at its nationwide telephone number: 1-888-LIFE-AID. Msgr. James Lisante, outgoing director of The Christophers and a regular columnist for the Catholic Exponent (“Light One Candle”), gave a keynote address at a prayer breakfast June 28. He said that the United States is emerging from a period of “numbness” with regard to morality. “I think, in fact, that something awful has happened over the past decade,” he said. “It is what I call the “Clintonization” of America, the taking of that which is moral, the decision-making process between what is right and what is wrong, and neutering it so that people fail to be able to see anymore the difference. … We are coming out of a haze of a shot in the spine that numbed our ability to know the difference and to act on the difference between right and wrong.” Still, Msgr.Lisante said, he is convinced that any person who is in their heart and soul “convicted” by the Lord cannot kill. “Because of that, I’m of the belief that if we can transform our country by its preachers and teachers leading and guiding and using the churches as an opportunity to teach the pro-life message, we can turn this thing around,” he said. “It is not an accident that at the same time Roe v. Wade remains entrenched, you have fewer and fewer people being comfortable with the idea of abortion on demand. That is not an accident. It’s because churches are doing their work of enlightening people to the fact that you cannot be a person who embraces the world of God and the world of death as well. I believe that if the country were moved by being a truly spiritual nation again, we would have fewer and fewer abortions.”   Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Other Articles of 2002   Christmas letter from El Salvador missions thanks diocesan Catholics   Bishop shares views, discussion with Central students   ETC slates Christmas specials throughout the season   My Favorite Christmas Memories   Guidelines on religious ed homeschooling are issued   Local Catholic radio station targets Feb. 1 date   HMs end 98-years of service to Salem St. Paul Parish   Learn ‘language’ of young, youth meet speaker urges   Bishop Tobin: Meeting in D.C. on norms was ‘anxious, tense, difficult’   Priests must ask one another the tough questions, speaker says   Catholic death and funeral rites   Deacons mark 25th with Mass, dinner, memories   Diocesan Ministry Convocation Speaker: Global solidarity, not globalization, should be aim   Jusseaume inaugurated as sixth Walsh president   Diaconate marks 25th anniversary with Oct. 27 fete   New norms sent to priests, deacons on Communion under both kinds   Ashtabula parishes are ‘one Catholic community’   Jusseaume to become Walsh’s sixth president   Charismatic speaker: ‘Church being tested in faithfulness’   Lutheran/Catholic covenant event draws 140 to Walsh   Canton St. Joseph Parish observes centennial celebration   HMHP CEO Michael Rowan   Stewardship speaker: It’s about gratitude and thanking God first   Imagination is key to resolving crisis, priests told   War with Iraq? Expo readers opposed by 81-19%   Newspaper columns didn’t give complete story, official says   Diocesan Ministry Convocation set Oct. 26 at YSU’s Kilcawley   New year brings new faculty, changes at diocesan high schools   Mont St. Michel, Avignon’s papal palace are treasures   Preparing for the priesthood   Entering well-earned retirement, Sr. Marcella’s not slowing down   Warren St. Mary observes 100th year for church building   Lay Ministry Formation program attracting new audience   The cathedrals of France: Monuments of faith in stone   Executive summary of the ad hoc commission on athletics in diocesan high schools   ‘No widespread abuse’ found   Milburn leaving pro-life post to pursue grad studies   Return to France yields history, memories, surprises   Two new members appointed for Diocesan Finance Council   Former SS. C&M school razed, but memories remain   Pastor, 80, keeps busy with ‘lots of interests’   Ravenna IC boasts 5 high school valedictorians for ‘02   Humility Sister Sandy Pedone to profess perpetual vows July 21   NRLC convention filled with good news   ‘Capture the Romance’ is theme for NFP Week   Question of moral evil discussed at Walsh symposium   Notre Dame Sisters will celebrate jubilees July 14   ‘A great lady’ retires   Statement of Bishop Tobin on the meeting of the U. S. Conference   Haladej, Celuch ordained to priesthood, diaconate in Slovakia   Bishop plans implementation of norms on sexual abuse   Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Miller are newest priests   Theologian: ‘Behave toward others as though God were there’   Fr. Bonnot: Use good judgment for TV, movie viewing   MOMS: ‘A place to claim yourself’   Storm ‘changed lives forever’ for Jackson Twp. family   Bishop will ordain Miller, McCaffrey at May 25 ceremony   Update on child abuse   Vicar general addresses issue of not giving priest names to media   New Middletown St. Paul youth — called to be ‘witnesses’ for Christ   New Ursuline Sisters leadership team elected to 6-year term   Two receive first pastorates; two pastors change parishes   Abuse coverage   Walsh University dedicates new ‘David’ campus center   Sisters’ HIV/AIDS ministry critical, heartbreaking   Bishop visits St. Peter’s as rebuilding process begins   Chrism Mass theme: Priests can’t afford discouragement   Bishop’s Appeal stresses meeting needs, funding ministries   Diocese OKs closing Conneaut St. Frances Cabrini K-8; preschool stays   St. Stan’s marks 100th year   Canton St. Joseph choir enjoys ‘incredible trip’   New schools superintendent   Four journeys of faith among hundreds marked here   DPC considers direction, importance of youth ministry   Richard Jusseaume named as Walsh University’s sixth president   Pro-life dinner heralds new beginning in Stark County   Kids at church   Religious day studies resurrection amid culture of violence   Richard Jusseaume named as Walsh University’s sixth president   Keynoter: Eucharist should change us   Speaker: ‘Truth’ key concept in Gospel of John   Parishes offer Lenten missions for spiritual enrichment   Parishes offer Lenten missions, speakers series   Working in Medjugorje   TV anchorman finds faith not incompatible with journalism   Action alert on cloning set in diocese for Feb. 2-3   Austintown parishioner finds fulfillment in El Salvador   ‘Where Faith and Knowledge Meet’   Resisting TEMPTATION: It’s worth the effort, teens say   4th annual Diocesan Pro-life Mass set Jan. 26   Catholic/Lutheran dialogue, death of Walsh president top news   Diocese helping Afghanistan relief   Past Articles From 2001