Footprints: The Official Newsletter of Notre Dame Right to Life vol. 5, issue 1 FOOTPRINTS From Your President An address from Samantha Stempky, 2011-2012 President Dear Friends of Notre Dame Right to Life, As summer draws to a close, I can’t help but appreciate the time it has given me to spend with family and friends back home – time to remember what is truly important in my life. Similarly, amidst the busyness of the school year it can be difficult to remain aware of the issues most deserving of our attention. by Christopher Damian On April 29, 2011, Roxanne M. Martino was elected to the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees. Martino, president and chief executive officer of Aurora Investment Management, soon sparked controversy when, on May 11, the Cardinal Newman Society reported that Martino had contributed $16,150 between 2005 and 2008 to EMILY’s List, an organization “dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office.” In December of 2010, she donated $5000, the maximum The Election and Resignation of Roxanne Martino Issue 1, 8 sept 2011 In this issue: 2 4 3 6 At an address given to Project Sycamore, Fr. Miscamble, history professor and RTL chaplain, discusses Notre Dame’s Catholic Character Go to page four for a list of the 2011- 2012 Right to Life Commissioners. Footprints examines Notre Dame representation in the national University Faculty for Life Meet your Right to Life officers for the 2011-2012 academic year. “Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life work.” Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia Continued on page 8 2 Angela Pfister reports on the twenty- first annual Faculty for Life Conference, hosted by Notre Dame. Continued on page 7
Transcript
Footprints: The Official Newsletter of Notre Dame Right to Life vol. 5, issue 1
FOOTPRINTS From Your President
An address from Samantha Stempky, 2011-2012 President
Dear Friends of Notre Dame Right to Life,
As summer draws to a close, I can’t help but appreciate the time it has given me to spend with family and friends back home – time to remember
what is truly important in my life. Similarly, amidst the busyness of the school year it can be difficult to remain aware of the issues most deserving of our attention.
by Christopher Damian On April 29, 2011, Roxanne M. Martino was
elected to the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees. Martino, president and chief executive officer of Aurora Investment Management, soon sparked controversy when, on May 11, the Cardinal Newman Society
reported that Martino had contributed $16,150 between 2005 and 2008 to EMILY’s List, an organization “dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office.” In December of 2010, she donated $5000, the maximum
The Election and Resignation of Roxanne Martino
Issue 1, 8 sept 2011
In this issue:
2
4
3
6
At an address given to Project Sycamore, Fr. Miscamble, history professor and RTL chaplain, discusses Notre Dame’s Catholic Character
Go to page four for a list of the 2011-2012 Right to Life Commissioners.
Footprints examines Notre Dame representation in the national University Faculty for Life
Meet your Right to Life officers for the 2011-2012 academic year.
“Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life
work.” Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia
Continued on page 8
2
Angela Pfister reports on the twenty-first annual Faculty for Life Conference, hosted by Notre Dame.
Continued on page 7
Footprints: The Official Newsletter of Notre Dame Right to Life vol. 5, issue 1
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Friends, I want to offer a quick overview of some recent developments at Notre Dame and to give some evaluation of where we are as a Catholic university. My colleague and friend,
Prof. David Solomon, will speak as well and plans to address primarily matters associated with the Center for Ethics and Culture, which he heads, and also matters concerning the curriculum. After we are both done I
hope there will be plenty of time for questions and observations from you. Let me at the outset make
clear that there are many
wonderful developments taking place at Notre Dame. Some good teaching occurs and good scholarship is undertaken. Some good hires are made. We benefit from such fine initiatives as the Alliance for Catholic Education. We are fortunate and privileged to have fine students attend and most benefit from their time here. The place looks great and even some of our sports teams are pretty successful -‐-‐-‐-‐ let’s hear it for that fencing team and for women’s soccer and basketball. (Thank God for the women!)
Life Matters, the Roxanne Martino Case, and the Catholic Character of Notre Dame: an address delivered by Rev. Wilson D Miscamble, C.S.C.
at the 2011 Project Sycamore breakfast
“Would you not rather that Notre Dame be the place that resisted the
vain temptation to gain the whole world at the expense of its soul?”
By Angela Pfister, RTL Faculty Advisor
On June 10th – 11th, the national University Faculty for Life conference, Life and Learning XXI. Over 100 scholars from institutions throughout the United States and Canada came to Notre Dame to deepen their understanding of basic life issues in their political, social, legal, historical, psychological, ethical, and religious dimensions. During the two day conference, over thirty different papers were presented on topics ranging from the so-called “Phoenix Abortion” case, to the San Jose Articles and abortion internationally, palliative care, and the recent positive developments with state pro-life legislation. Professor Gerry Bradley, Notre Dame Law School and Notre Dame UFL Executive Board Member, was among the presenters. Professor Bradley’s insightful paper
Notre Dame Hosts Twenty-First Faculty for Life Conference
Continued on page 5
Continued on page 4
was entitled “Personhood and the 14th Amendment.”
At the conference’s closing banquet, Dr. David Solomon, Director of the Center for Ethics and Culture, received the Rupert and Timothy Smith Award for Distinguished Contributions to Pro-Life Scholarship. This award is presented annually at the UFL conference to recognize outstanding scholarly achievement and service to the pro-life movement.
In addition to the formal program, the conference was also a special opportunity for pro-life university faculty and staff to enjoy the fellowship of other pro-life
Footprints: The Official Newsletter of Notre Dame Right to Life vol. 5, issue 1
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Founded in 1989, the University Faculty for Life (UFL) seeks “to promote research, dialogue and publication by faculty who respect the value of human life from inception to natural death.” The Notre Dame chapter was approved in the fall of 2010, with Rev. Wilson D. Miscamble as its first president. Rev. Miscamble still maintains this position, with Daniel Philpott as vice president and Lauren Fox as secretary-treasurer. The following is a list of the Notre Dame faculty and staff in the Notre Dame chapter of the UFL, as of Spring 2011.
Gerard Bradley-Law School, Professor Margaret Brinig-Law School, Endowed Professor Jeffrey Burks- Accountancy, Assistant Professor Paolo Carozza- Law School, Professor & Associate Dean Daniel J. Costello, Jr.- Electrical Engineering, Emeritus Michael Crowe- PLS, Emeritus John M. Finnis- Law School, Endowed Professor Thomas P. Flint- Philosophy, Professor Lauren Fox - (Secretary-Treasurer UFL), Theology, Administrative Assistant Richard W. Garnett- Law School, Professor & Associate Dean John Gaski- Marketing, Associate Professor John Hannan - Development Office, Director, Regional Development Harv Humphrey- Notre Dame University Press, Director Judy Hutchinson-International Studies, Assistant Director Richard Klee -Tax Department, Director Richard Lamanna- Sociology, Emeritus Craig Lent- Electrical Engineering, Endowed Professor Rev. Wilson D. Miscamble (President UFL)- History, Professor Peter R. Moody, Jr.- Political Science, Professor Vincent Phillip Munoz - Political Science, Associate Professor Tonia Hap Murphy- Accountancy, Associate Professional Specialist Walter Nicgorski - PLS, Professor Mark Noll- History, Endowed Professor James O'Brien - Accountancy, Professional Specialist Brett Perkins- Campus Ministry Angela Pfister - Center for Ethics and Culture, Associate Director Daniel Philpott (Vice President UFL)- Political Science, Associate Professor Adrian Reimers- Philosophy, Visiting Professor William Schmitt- ACE Program Eric Sims- Economics and Econometrics, Assistant Professor Thomas Gordon Smith- Architecture, Professor William David Solomon- Philosophy, Associate Professor; Center for Ethics and Culture, Director Duncan G. Stroik- Architecture, Associate Professor Vicki Toumayan- Office of Arts & Letters, Assistant Dean John Uhran- Engineering, Emeritus Ronald Vierling- Morrissey Hall, Rector
How Pro-Life is Your Department? Notre Dame faculty and staff in the University Faculty for Life
Major undergraduate departments without faculty in the UFL: Africana Studies;
American Studies; Anthropology; Arabic Studies;
Art, Art History, and Design; Classics; Computer
Applications; English; Film, Television, and Theatre; Journalism, Ethics, and
Democracy; Gender Studies; German and Russian
Languages and Literatures; Medieval Studies; Music;
Peace Studies; Psychology; Romance Languages and
Literatures; Theology; Finance; Aerospace and
Mechanical Engineering; Bioengineering; Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering; Civil Engineering and
Geological Sciences; Applied and Computational
Mathematics and Statistics; Biological Sciences; Chemistry
and Biochemistry; Mathematics; Physics;
Preprofessional Studies
Notre Dame faculty and staff can join the University
Faculty for Life by submitting an application
that can be found at www.uffl.org
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academics, which is particularly edifying for those who are in university settings where there is either a lack of support or overt hostility to such positions. This year’s conference was among the largest gathering in the conference’s twenty-one year history
The Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life, and the Notre Dame University Faculty for Life Chapter served as the local hosts for the conference. This year’s conference was supported through a generous grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Institute, which the Fund to Protect Human Life and the Center for Ethics and Culture jointly sought and received.
2011-2012 Commissioners
On-Going
Advertising: Sophie Korson and John Walter
Awareness: Jessica Peek and Ariana Rangel
Communications: Madeline Roe and Bridget Quinn
Information: Chris Damian
Motherhood Resources: Margaret Kennedy
Social/Service: Patrick Schmitz
Spiritual: Benjamin Rusch and Rebecca Flanigan
Footprints Newsletter: Chris Damian
Website: Jenni Klejeski, John Walter, and Chris Damian
Special Events
Concession Stand: Peter Flores and Jason Taulman
March for Life: Mike McHale, Kyle Clark, and Alfredo Guzman
Project Mom: Abby Statham and Caroline Reuter
Lecture Series: Gabby Speach and Katherine Remley
Respect Life Week: Paul Lambert and Anne Marie McCabe
held in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the first Monday of
every month.
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I first arrived here to begin graduate studies in 1976 and have been teaching here as a priest in Holy Cross for a quarter century. It is hard for me to imagine teaching anywhere else. Now, you know well that the Notre Dame
public relations machine is excellent at producing expensive visual presentations, all kinds of engaging website material and glossy brochures to propagate the most positive spin on things around the place -‐-‐-‐Some folk here seem to think it inappropriate if one does not simply join the P.R. cheerleading squad and read from the “frequently asked questions” sheet [known as the UND NIGHT FAQs] prepared for speakers who hit the road for Universal Notre Dame Night presentations. -‐-‐-‐-‐ But I see my responsibility differently. I actually believe in the intelligence of Notre Dame alums and their spouses––and don’t think you should have to settle for canned answers. I have taught some great students over the years and I feel confident they can handle the reality of our circumstance. I feel the same about each of you. I draw some inspiration for my remarks today
from a story told about my favorite American president––Harry S. Truman. The story is told by Bill Moyers who served as an aide to LBJ. It took place in Truman’s home on Delaware Avenue in Independence, Missouri in 1965. “LBJ brought a passel of his young aides,
because he was insistent that we would meet Harry Truman. We were in a circle in what was the dining room of his house. And LBJ brought Harry Truman around and had every one of the aides shake his hands and introduced us each by name. “As we were leaving, Harry Truman said:
“Boys, you take care of the president.” And somebody said, “he can take care of himself.” “Truman said, “Boys let me tell you what I
mean. Since the president won the largest plurality in American political history last fall he’s going to say, “2+2 is five isn’t it?” And everyone in
the room is going to say: “yes, Mr. President 2+2 is five.” “And he’s going to say, ‘the sun comes up in the
West, right?’ And everyone’s going to say, “yes, Mr. President, the sun comes up in the West.” And he’s going to say: “I don’t have to put my pants on one leg at a time do I?” And everyone in the room’s going to say, “No, Mr. President, you don’t have to put your pants on one leg at a time.” And your job, boys is to tell the president, “2+2 is still four, the sun still comes up in the East, and we don’t care how you put your pants on, but your fly is unzipped.”” Let me try to talk to you plainly and directly
about recent developments here. Forgive the brevity with which I pass over events – but our time is relatively short. It is just over two years ago since the May 2009
commencement at which Notre Dame honored Pres. Barack Obama, a politician deeply committed to the abortion regime that prevails in the United States today. This was in many ways a sad event. As you may recall the visit brought forth criticism of the country’s leading Catholic University from over 80 bishops, from literally thousands of Notre Dame alums and from hundreds of thousands of committed Catholic folk who love Notre Dame and expected more from her. My purpose here is not to rehash the Obama
visit in any detail but to use it as my point of departure and to review what has happened subsequently at Notre Dame. The Obama visit was explained and defended
by Fr. John Jenkins, the president, and by Richard Notebaert, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, as an exercise in “dialogue.” This was misleading, of course. There was no two-‐-‐way exchange of views at any time. It is a sad exercise in obfuscation to suggest so -‐-‐-‐-‐ rather like saying that “2+2 equals five.” But it is not the only occasion they have engaged in such behavior, as we shall see…
(the rest of the article can be found at: http://projectsycamore.com/media/images/bulletins/110608/Miscamble110604Martino.pdf)
The Catholic Character of Notre Dame (Continued)
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2011-2012 Right to Life Officers
President: Samantha Stempky
Class Year: 2013 Major: Accounting, Theology
Dorm: Lewis Hall Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Favorite Classes: The Catholic Faith with Professor Cavadini and On Interpretation with Professor MacKenzie
Vice President: Andrew Lynch
Class Year: 2013 Major: Philosophy, Classics
Dorm: Morrissey Manor Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
My last international trip was: on a research grant to Rome.
Vice President: Jason Taulman
Class Year: 2013 Major: Accounting, Philosophy
Dorm: O’Neill Hall Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Favorite thing about ND: It has everything —great people, faith, academics, sports, clubs, etc
Secretary: Peter Flores
Class Year: 2013 Major: Philosophy, Theology
Dorm: Zahm Hall Hometown: New Orleans, LA
A good book for pro-lifers: Love and Responsibility by Pope John Paul II
Treasurer: Maria Hernandez
Class Year: 2013 Major: Biology, Philosophy
Dorm: Regina Hall Hometown: Porterville, CA
Favorite Movie: The Lord of the Rings
Development: Marcy Kreimier Class Year: 2013
Major: Science-Business, Theology Dorm: Welsh Family
Hometown: Rifle, CO
On campus I work at: Irish Gardens.
Development: Matt Povlock
Class Year: 2013 Major: Accounting, Theology
Dorm: Stanford Hall Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN
Over the summer: I worked as an intern at Hannah and Friends.
Faculty Advisor: Angela Pfister Chaplain: Rev. Wilson D. Miscamble
the new t-shirt or visit www.nd.edu/~prolife to order the official hoodie!
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This type of apathy seems to plague the pro-life movement. For Pro-lifers, it is often amazing that our nation does not have a greater reaction to the mass genocide of a generation. Yet, bills and laundry pile up, cars break down and the lawn needs to be mowed, and before we know it even we ourselves have neglected defending God’s most precious of all gifts – life.
Indifference is our enemy. With the abortion issue, knowledge literally saves innocent lives. Because we know the truth, we must shatter the lies that hurt our men, women, and children.
Awareness is key. Last year, I began an ND Right to Life commission devoted to this very duty. Through a design contest, we created T-shirts featuring the Dr. Seuss quote “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” These bright red shirts have already become silent promoters of ND Right to Life on campus, and we will continue to offer them to students and faculty.
This year, our student group has a myriad of plans in the works to further awareness of all of the different life issues as well as the presence of the pro-life movement on campus. Through collaboration with several other student groups to put on different events, we hope to reach a new demographic of students. Various trainings will be offered throughout the year – on October 1st the Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life will be hosting a session at which Ellen Sommer, MS, Director of Counseling at the Women’s Care Center will present some counseling skills and techniques on how to handle crisis pregnancy, and in the spring Student for Life of America will be offering a day of various workshops on campus. Traditional activities will also continue: an entire week of activities during Respect Life Week - including the display of crosses for the Cemetery of the Innocents, the trip to Washington D.C. for the March for Life, and our Spring Lecture Series. Fun social activities will promote our message to “Celebrate Life,” and wearing our new red T-shirts at club events will create a publicly unifying visual of our group. The spiritual activities founding our efforts in Christ will continue through monthly club Mass the first Monday of the month in the Basilica, weekly adoration hour, and weekly rosary at the abortion clinic.
This year’s team of officers and commissioners is fantastic, and I am thrilled about our plans for this 2011-2012 academic year. I believe our prayers, enthusiasm, and hard work will truly change hearts and save lives. It is not going to be easy, but the Fighting Irish will be Fighting for Life with everything we’ve got.
Stay strong, Irish, Samantha Stempky
Notre Dame Right to Life just launched a new website! For calendars, contacts, and more information, visit it at www.nd.edu/~prolife
Footprints: The Official Newsletter of Notre Dame Right to Life vol. 5, issue 1
Footprints
Notre Dame Right to Life University of Notre Dame
305 LaFortune Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.nd.edu/~prolife
editor: christopher damian
“As our nation continues to struggle with the morality and legality of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and related issues, we must seek
steps to witness to the sanctity of life.” Rev. John I. Jenkins, September 2009
permitted, to the organization.
Nearly two weeks later, Dick Notebaert, chairman of the Board, sent an email to the other board members, which included the following:
“First, it’s inaccurate to characterize Roxanne Martino as pro-choice. Ms. Martino (along with her husband, Rocco) is a Notre Dame graduate, and she is fully supportive of Church teaching on the sanctity of life.
“She has through the years contributed to organizations that provide a wide range of important services and support to women. She did not realize, however, that several of these organizations
also take a pro-choice position. This is not her personal position, and she will now review all of her contributions to ensure that she does not again inadvertently support these kinds of activities in the future.”
Mr. Notebaert’s intent was that, despite these contributions, Ms. Martino would remain on the Board.
Nonetheless, after immense pressure from various groups, the University of Notre Dame announced Martino’s resignation on June 8, 2011. George Weigel reports that Father Jenkins had met with Bishop Kevin Rhoades shortly before the resignation.
“The mission is simply, really: EMILY’s List is dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office.” –from EMILY’s List’s mission statement
