March for Life

Commemorating Nellie Gray’s Work

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Commemorating Nellie Gray’s Work

On August 13, 2012, Nellie Gray, foundress of the March for Life and pioneer of the pro-life movement, went home to be with God.  On this, the first anniversary of her death, the March for Life is inviting local pro-lifers to join us for a mass in her memory at the Blessed John Paul II Shrine August 13, 2013, at 11:30 am.

Additionally, we are asking all pro-lifers worldwide- those who have (and have not) participated in the March for Life – to do something beautiful for life (something small!) and post it on facebook and twitter with the hashtag #marchforlife. This act could be a prayer, an act of charity, a donation to a pro-life group, praying in front of an abortion clinic, etc.

For those who may not have known Nellie Gray, following the Supreme Court decisions in Roe verses Wade and Doe verses Bolton in 1973, she retired from her federal career and dedicated the remainder of her life to the protection of pre-born babies. With the help of others, Nellie founded the March for Life, and coordinated the peaceful protest right out of her Capitol Hill townhouse for the next 39 years. Until her death on August 13, 2012, Nellie never stopped advocating for the preborn. Nellie was described by Cardinal Sean O’Malley as the “Joan of Arc of the pro-life Movement.”

Today, the March for Life is the largest Civil Rights event in the world. The number of people who have traveled to Washington over the past 40 years to participate is in the millions. There have been countless stories of the young prolife activists who were “born” out of the March for Life, and are now changing the face of the pro-life debate. The March for Life is the engine of the prolife movement and we are all indebted to Nellie Gray.

If Nellie were here today, she would not want to be praised for her work; rather she would want everyone to do something concrete that will help to build a culture of life. Please consider making August 13 a special day for building a culture of life, and commemorate Nellie’s work by doing something in her memory.

Here are a few ideas:

1.      Pray: Organize a group to pray for the end to abortion in front of a local abortion clinic.

2.      Advocate: call or write a letter to your member of Congress and ask him or her to support prolife laws which recognize the humanity of all people from conception to death.

3.      Write: a letter to the editor of your local news paper about the value of life, your experience at the March for Life, or the atrocity of abortion.

4.      Volunteer: at a local pregnancy resource center, there is nothing more prolife than helping pregnant mothers and their babies.

5.      Share this video about Nellie and her work at the March for Life!

 

 

Then, post it to facebook and tweet about it: #marchforlife.  Email us atinfo@marchforlife.org , and let us know what you did to commemorate Nellie Gray and her heroic work, and we may feature it on our website or on our social media! 

 
 
 

 

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Adoption

Hill Briefing

On Tuesday, September 10, along with Representative Steve Stockman (R-TX-36), the Radiance Foundation, the National Council for Adoption and Alliance Defending Freedom,  the March for Life Education and Defense Fund co-hosted a briefing on adoption titled: Promoting the Adoption Option – Myths, Obstacles and Solutions. Read more HERE.

Resources on Adoption and Pregnancy Resource Centers

Adoption and pregnancy resource centers are on the front lines of helping women faced with an unexpected pregnancy.  To learn more about these centers and organizations, go HERE.

 

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Social Media Highlights – 3 Weeks Out!

 

Today is the first day of 2014 as well as marking 3 weeks out from the March for Life!  Let’s resolve to redouble our efforts in working towards a culture of life where babies and mothers are protected from abortion.  Your excitement to start off the year by attending the March for Life in Washington, D.C. is very evident on social media!  Let’s continue to make our voices heard – you could be featured in our next Storify roundup!  And stay tuned for more ways you can participate on social media in the #marchforlife!

 

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End of the Year List of Lists

There are tons of end of the year lists out there.  Here are a few (some off the beaten path):

 

“The Big Three Obamacare Abortion Lies of the Year” by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.)

 

“President Obama’s Top 10 Constitutional Violations Of 2013” – There would have been more but the poor guy was having web site issues

 

“Top 10 Church-State and Religious Liberty Developments in 2013” – Alliance Defending Freedom is involved in 8 of these ten

 

“4 Unusual New Year preparations from around the world” – Because it isn’t a new year until you have had snakes slither over a picture of Dennis Rodman’s best friend

 

Coolest 18 science pictures of 2013 – in picture #3 a robot actually does a “selfie”

 

“15 of the world’s most exquisite libraries” – warning slideshow

 

“2013: The year of ________” – a list of things 2013 will supposedly be remembered for, from Miley Cyrus cubed to Pres. Obama disappointing the liberal base.

 

“The 9 Most Terrifying Attempts to Improve Popular Foods” – Which came first? The Egg Loaf or the Chicken in the Can?

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21 Days of Life: Know Your Plaintiffs – Little Sisters of the Poor

How radical is President Obama’s mandate within his health care law that forces private companies to pay for sterilizations, abortifacients and contraception?  The so-called exemptions don’t even cover a religious order of nuns!

 

Under the President’s health care law, commonly known as Obamacare, all insurance plans must cover sterilizations, abortifacients and contraception.   In what is likely the narrowest religious exemption in federal law only churches are exempt.  The result is that charitable organizations, schools, pro-life organizations and even convents are force to violate their faith under the President’s oppressive anti-conscience mandate. 

 

One such plaintiff striking back in Obama’s war on them is the Little Sisters of the Poor, founded in 1839.  The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Catholic religious institute for women founded by Saint Jeanne Jugan in France.  Sister Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.  Today the Little Sisters of the Poor serve in 31 countries around the world including the United States of America. 

 

Mario Diaz from Concerned Women for America has a little more background:

 

Sister Mary Bernard has dedicated her life to the service of the elderly poor. For 44 years, she served as a superior in various homes of the Little Sisters of the Poor, whose vision is “to contribute to the Culture of Life by nurturing communities where each person is valued, the solidarity of the human family and the wisdom of age are celebrated, and the compassionate love of Christ is shared with all.”

 

The Sisters run 30 health care facilities for the elderly poor in the United States — from nursing homes, to intermediate care to residential or assisted living and other independent-living facilities.

As all members of their order, Sister Bernard has disregarded worldly comforts, taking vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and hospitality, in order to serve her Lord and her neighbors. The Little Sisters of the Poor actually maintain a tradition of begging, demonstrating a life of true dependence on faith.

 

The Sisters of today get their fighting spirit from their founder, Sister Jugan.  It is reported that once Once when Sister Jugan was begging for her order a young man hit her in the face.  She simply replied with calmness, “You gave that to me, now give me something for the elderly.”

 

If this is a fight between the Little Sisters of the Poor and President Obama my money is on the Sisters.  They might not have picked this battle, however they have the faith and perseverance to win it.