Bishop Kevin Farrell

The Chief Shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas

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Roe vs. Wade remembered

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It has been forty long and tragic years since the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe vs. Wade legalized abortions in our country. Since that time there has been an estimated 55,000,000 babies aborted.

Saturday, January 19, we will march in remembrance of four decades of death in solidarity with other marchers for life throughout the United States. The March for Life will begin at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe at noon and proceed to the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse, the building where Roe vs. Wade was first filed in 1970. Speakers will talk about the ramifications of the Supreme Court decision.

Prior to the march, at 10 a.m., there will be the Roe Memorial Bilingual Mass at the Cathedral, including the Procession of Roses. Concurrently there will be a Pro-Life Ministry Fair and Praise and Worship Service at the First Baptist Church featuring music and inspirational speakers.

Please join me in the public witness of dissent from this catastrophic action.

For more information on event times and locations, please visit the Roe Memorial Events Website.

If there was ever a mustard seed story, it is the pro-life movement

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Phillip Scharper, the late Catholic publisher, once said that “only those who can see the invisible can do the impossible.”

On January 22, 1973 when the highest court in the land handed down the Roe vs Wade decision there were those Catholics whose Faith was all about seeing the invisible who set out to do the impossible.

From that time on the nascent pro-life movement began to grow exponentially into what is likely the greatest and longest-lasting grassroots movement in the history of the United States.

Most importantly it is not just a protest movement that tends to lose steam because it is essentially negative, but it has transformed itself into a positive outreach that does not simply wait for someone do “do something” about stopping abortions but has taken up the baton and run with it.

On March 26th once again the ballroom at the Hilton Anatole will be packed with those who labor on behalf of the unborn and their supporters. Last year there were nearly 2500. Maybe they can stretch to walls to make it 3000 in 2011.

What are these outreach programs of which I speak? Project Gabriel and the GEMS,
Rachel Retreats, Abortion After-care, lobbying in Austin and Washington, Speakers Bureau and outreach to the Hispanic community.

In addition diocesan agencies like Catholic Charities provide alternatives to abortion through its adoption program and Children and Adoption Services and Community Outreach (CASCO) provides help and creates hope for families and individuals through three main programs: Maternity and Adoption, the Mary R. Saner Child Development Center, our Together We Learn program and St. Joseph Residence. We are respecting and protecting life from conception to natural death.

The diocese cooperates with community programs like Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) a nonprofit organization of volunteers who are appointed by judges to make recommendations that help judges decide where abused and neglected children can live safely and permanently.

Our Safe Environment Office works closely with parishes and non-parish based organizations and with community and government agencies to insure the safety and security of our children and vulnerable-adults.

We’re not there yet. Roe vs. Wade is still on the books, but we are doing a lot more than just protesting and wringing our hands.

The mustard seed has become a tree.

A new pro-life generation

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Hundreds of thousands marching up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court to protest the Roe vs. Wade decision was impressive by any standard. However, to me the most impressive element was that many marchers were not just gray haired veterans, but young people under 30.

Before the march the young people, more than 22,000 of them, overflowed a rally at Verizon Center sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington. I am proud of the large number of Dallas young people who took part.

Chanting “we are the pro-life generation” and carrying signs proclaiming “Smile, your parents chose life” the youth sent a powerful message that the fight for life is stronger than ever.

One of the few counter demonstrators was quoted in the Washington Post as being struck by the large number of young people among the marchers, adding “it suggests that the battle over abortion will endure for a long time to come.”

He’s right!

To Be Catholic is To Be Pro-Life

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This January 22 marks the 37th anniversary of the Roe vs Wade ruling that has resulted in the tragic deaths of untold millions of unborn babies. Catholic pro-life groups work untiringly not only to reverse Roe vs Wade but to protect the unborn through a myriad of programs and by cooperating with others in creating a culture of life in our diocese and our nation.

Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth will join me and other priests in celebrating a Mass in the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe on Saturday January 16 at 10 a.m. in memory of the millions of unborn babies who have been aborted and their parents wounded by abortion. The Mass will be followed by a rally and March for Life.

I challenge Catholics who participated in the 2009 anniversary to return this year and bring a friend to make it 10 in 2010. On January 16, let’s have 10,000 Catholics praying and marching in 2010.

Thousands of others will be participating in the Texas Rally for Life in Austin on January 23 and the Youth for Life March in Washington that same weekend.
To be Catholic is to be Pro-Life.