Footprints: Notre Dame Right to Life vol. 6, issue 2 FOOTPRINTS From the President Jennifer Gallic, ND ’14, provides an address as the 2012-2013 president of Notre Dame Right to Life. Dear Friends of Notre Dame, This past year we have been witnesses to one of the greatest attacks on our religious freedom. It has been a trying time for those fighting to preserve our morals and uphold our dignity as the people God intended us to be. Throughout this time of turmoil, however, there has been a strong display of courage from those who have shown that they are willing to stand and fight for what they believe in. Father Jenkins and the Notre Dame community have shown themselves to be committed to upholding our religious values. The Right to Life movement has displayed to the world that they are not willing to stand down and that they will do whatever it takes to work for the protection of all human life. This year is an especially Erin Goodrich-Gazda is the Director of Communications for the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life, and she participated in the second annual Vita Institute, sponsored by Notre Dame’s Fund to Protect Human Life. This summer, I was able to sit down with her and discuss her work and her experience at the Institute. On Notre Dame’s Second Vita Institute Issue 2, 21 aug 2012 5 6 7 We would like to thank all of our generous donors, on page 5. Want to get involved in ND Right to Life? For a list of our commissions, go to page 7! “Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life work.” Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia Continued on the next page How did you get first get involved in pro-life work? I’ve always been generally pro-life, but I was never really active in it until I started school at Texas A&M and got involved in 40 Days for Life. I was too afraid to Continued on page 3 Learn about our newest committee celebrating the Joys of Life! On page 6. 9 For a list of our coming events, visit page 9!
Transcript
Footprints: Notre Dame Right to Life
vol. 6, issue 2
FOOTPRINTS From the President
Jennifer Gallic, ND ’14, provides an address as the 2012-2013 president of Notre Dame Right to Life.
Dear Friends of Notre Dame,
This past year we have been witnesses to one of the greatest attacks on our religious freedom. It has been a trying time for those fighting to preserve our morals and uphold our dignity as the people God intended us to be. Throughout this time of turmoil, however, there has been a strong display of courage from those who have shown that they are willing to stand and fight for what they believe in. Father Jenkins and the Notre Dame community have shown themselves to be committed to upholding our religious values. The Right to Life movement has displayed to the world that they are not willing to stand down and that they will do whatever it takes to work for the protection of all human life.
This year is an especially
Erin Goodrich-Gazda is the Director of Communications for the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life, and she participated in the second annual Vita Institute, sponsored by Notre Dame’s Fund to Protect Human Life. This summer, I was able to sit down with her and discuss her work and her experience at the Institute.
On Notre Dame’s Second Vita Institute
Issue 2, 21 aug 2012
5
6
7
We would like to thank all of our generous donors, on page 5.
Want to get involved in ND Right to Life? For a list of our commissions, go to page 7!
“Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life
work.” Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia Continued on the next page
How did you get first get involved in pro-life work?
I’ve always been generally pro-life, but I was never really active in it until I started school at Texas A&M and got involved in 40 Days for Life. I was too afraid to Continued on page 3
Learn about our newest committee celebrating the Joys of Life! On page 6.
9
For a list of our coming events, visit page 9!
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important year for our club. Not only must we stand up against one of the greatest attacks on our freedom of religion, but we also commemorate the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. More than ever, we are presented with an opportunity to rekindle the fuel behind the pro-life movement. This year our club has two main goals, to increase the awareness among the student body of what it means to be pro-life and to shed a positive light on the pro-life movement.
The first goal will be accomplished by an increase of successful events from last year as well as awareness campaigns. We are working with other clubs on campus to present a political debate on the importance of voting pro-life. Plans for Respect Life Week are well underway as well as other lectures and speakers. With all of our events we are focusing on advertisement so that students are aware of the information available to them. Signups for the March for Life will start in early October alongside a comprehensive awareness campaign in hopes of bringing a record number of students. While in DC, we are working on arranging for alumni and friends of Notre Dame to come together with the students to express one strong voice that the Fighting Irish are truly the Irish Fighting for Life.
The second goal will be accomplished by the introduction of our newest committee entitled, “Joys of Life”. The Joys of Life committee,
headed by former club President, Samantha Stempky, will focus on celebrating life. We’ve become aware that the fight for life is going to be a long fight. While we are without a doubt fully committed to such a fight, we must also remember to re-fuel and appreciate the gift of life surrounding us. The Joys of Life committee will be hosting Celebration of Life events which we introduced last semester. These events show that the pro-life movement is not only about overturning legislation, but also about the simple idea of loving life. We have also expanded our service commissions, again working with other clubs to involve new students. This year we already have plans to work with Hannah’s House and Hannah and Friends, as well as the local Women’s Care Center.
This year we have increased the number of officers and commissioners and I’m excited to work with all of them. Already they have shown their willingness to work hard and to being entirely committed to fighting for life. As we continue to plan this year, I ask for your continued prayer and support for myself and my fellow officers and commissioners. With your support I believe this can be a year in which we come out fighting strong, showing that the Fighting Irish will not be silent until the dignity of human life is fully respected.
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What do you think your relationship is to the Brazos Valley community?
It’s really pretty positive. Our community is very supportive. There are a lot of organizations that help the women who need it, like pregnancy centers and different resources. It’s really positive. I think it’s starting to grow. There are a lot of churches that are starting to say, “Hey, you guys can come and talk to people.” We’re getting invited to more places.
Why did you decide to participate in the Vita Institute?
I actually spoke with one of the participants last year. She’s now a medical student here. She had mentioned it to me, but I never thought that I would get to go. And I didn’t think about it until one of our sidewalk counselors, a Notre Dame student, had mentioned it to our Executive Director, Bobby. Then Bobby decided to send me for work, because I love to study, I love research, and I love information about pro-life work. I knew it would help a lot with our programs and everything that we do.
What is the Vita Institute?
The Vita Institute is two weeks of intensive pro-life classes, studying pro-life issues from biological, theological, philosophical, law, and social science perspectives. You get a very overarching view of the pro-life issue and how to promote and defend it from pretty much any angle, which is very valuable
go out there (to do stand and pray) when there were actually people, so I purposefully picked a late night hour on a Sunday and happened to meet Erin Reynoso, a long-time volunteer (at the Coalition for Life). She talked to me a lot about the issue, and it was something that really caught my attention. I was involved off and on in college and got trained as a sidewalk counselor eventually. I never went out there on an abortion day, because it terrified me. But I liked the non-abortion days. Then when I graduated I came on board here at the Coalition for Life. And now I do it full-time.
What is the Coalition for Life?
The Coalition for Life is trying to end abortion in the Brazos Valley peacefully and prayerfully. We maintain the sidewalk presence out at the local abortion clinic that happens to be Planned Parenthood. We maintain a prayer presence. We reach out to men and women going into the clinic to let them know that there are alternatives, that they don’t have to be there if they don’t want to be. We do a lot of community outreach, going to churches, going door to door, letting people know about the pro-life issue, and we help the pro-life group on campus (at Texas A&M University).
So what does a typical day at the Coalition for Life look like?
There’s no such thing as a typical day at the Coalition for Life. It depends on what’s going on. I do a lot of communicating with sidewalk counselors and with churches, trying to get out there and let them know that we exist and how to get involved. I’m currently working on brochures and trainings and updating materials. On a typical day, I spend at least an hour on the sidewalk and then I work either on computers or contacting people or out at recruiting events.
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Vita Institute, continued from page 1
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for many different people. It was really cool, because the participants did so many different things. You get to know people who do all of those different things, and you can share ideas. And the things we learned were valuable to everyone, no matter what work you’re doing.
What was your experience of the Vita Institute?
The Vita Institute was phenomenal. I learned so much. Really, the two things I didn’t know much about before were the biology and the law perspectives. I was a history major; I don’t know any of those things. The biology is something I think gave me a real basis to defend life better, because its something people bring up, claiming that you can’t prove it’s a human life. But you can. And Dr. Condic did a really good job showing how that’s possible. The law perspective, understanding how abortion became legal and how it’s very institutionalized within our Supreme Court decisions and within our laws, is very important if we’re going to be trying to change those laws. Carter Snead was phenomenal. He was a really good professor, because a lot of the law stuff can be really over our heads. He made it all really manageable. That was one of the things that was really impressive about the professors. They brought it down to our level. These are literally college-level classes, and yet we could all understand it. I’ve never studied biology. I’ve never studied law. Most us hadn’t. A lot of us came in with liberal arts or business backgrounds, so I was really impressed that they were able to do that.
How did you enjoy campus?
I love that campus. I was so spoiled being there for two weeks. I love that there are chapels everywhere. The organizers were really awesome. They had us up in one of the dorms, and we got to go to the dining hall for most of
Continued from the previous page our meals. We enjoyed going to the grotto. We went over there a few times as a group to go pray for everyone involved in the abortion industry and for all those considering an abortion.
Did you have a favorite place on campus?
My favorite place was the chapel in Siegfried. We stayed in Siegfried, so I spent a lot of time in there just processing everything that I was learning and asking God to lead me and to show me where He wanted me to go with all this stuff. I just spent time with Him, because being formed in Him is essential to this ministry.
You mentioned that there were a lot of different kinds of people. What were the other people like? What were some of the things they did?
We had a lot of different people. We had a couple of people right out of college who were still trying to figure out what they were doing. We had several teachers. We had a couple of people from churches. One was a business manager. He also founded the Life Runners. We had somebody who started Students for Life in Illinois. We had someone who directed FRC (Family Research Council). We had someone who’s in medical school. We had someone who works at crisis pregnancy centers down in Mexico. We had a whole broad spectrum of people, so it was really neat to see where everyone was from.
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How is your pro-life work different now? Is it different? What impact has it had?
This summer we happen to be working on most of our training materials, so the Vita Institute stuff is showing up everywhere. For example, this morning we were talking about working on something for high school field trips. Some groups come here and just want to know about the life issue and then go out to the sidewalk, because it’s the Bryan Planned Parenthood. Even just this morning I was thinking about using a really cool image that Dr. Solomon used. I was thinking about putting it into the intro part of our training materials.
Who would you recommend the Vita Institute to?
Anybody who is interested in the life issue, because even if you’re involved in business or a stay at home mom or you’re involved in pro-life work, I think to have a foundational understanding of the life issue and how to defend it and explain it is absolutely essential. If we’re going to work on changing our culture and promoting life, we need to be able to do that everywhere. Even the stay at home mom talks to other moms, talks to other people who may be considering an abortion. To be able to discuss it at that higher intellectual level and at the emotional level is very important.
For more information about the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life, visit coalitionforlife.com. For more information about the Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life or the Vita Institute, email Angela Engelsen at [email protected].
To Our Generous Donors Before we proceed too far in planning for this upcoming year, we would like to take the time to step back and say “thank you” for all of your contributions. In the past, we have been fortunate enough to receive countless donations, which have made it possible for us to further our mission of establishing a culture of life on campus. The generous donations we receive go directly toward bringing pro-life speakers to campus, hosting Project Mom baby showers for the local Women’s Care Center, celebrating Respect Life Week and subsidizing the cost for the trip to Washington D.C. for the March for Life. Every year we strive to make the March as affordable as possible for Notre Dame students and to give aid to those who are unable to afford the trip. This year we are proud to say, we sent everyone who expressed interest in publicly fighting on behalf of the unborn in our nation’s capital. As we plan for the future, we anticipate high costs for the upcoming March. Our goal of
sending a record number of Notre Dame students to Washington, D.C., for the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade will greatly increase the trip’s total cost. This year is a pivotal year for Notre Dame to display a strong commitment in the fight for life, and we plan to use this opportunity to the best of our ability. More than ever, we ask for your continued support of our club. We greatly appreciate any monetary support, no amount is too small. We also ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to fight for the dignity and respect all human life deserves. Thank you! Jen Gallic, President Jason Taulman, Treasurer Checks may be made out to “Notre Dame Right to Life Club and mailed to: Notre Dame Right to Life University of Notre Dame 305 LaFortune Notre Dame, IN 46556
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This year Notre Dame Right to Life will kick off its new commission, the Joys of Life Team – an innovative idea that, it turns out, is not that innovative after all. The idea for the commission came from a club brainstorming session last spring, while students discussed the challenges of reaching out to campus. Feedback from talking to peers helped us recognize that often prolifers are viewed as being very negative and antagonistic, “anti-abortion” rather than “pro-life.” So in an effort to refocus on the energy and joy of the prolife message, the Awareness and Social Commissions were combined and transformed into the new Joys of Life Team [JOLT].
Matthew Kelly wrote, “The best way to defend life is to celebrate life,” and this is one of the central mottos of the Joys of Life Team. While still in the early stages of development, we are planning a variety of activities including fun social events, service and fundraising activities, poster series, and surprise giveaways. Our first event of the year will be LifeFest, a festival with the Knights of Columbus on South Quad. The event will have food and fun activities like inflatable hamster balls to help students celebrate life and raise money for the Women’s Care Center in South Bend.
The goal of the commission is to spread a positive prolife message while engaging students and spreading joy on Notre Dame’s campus. Psalm 32:11 tells us “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Joy evangelizes, heals, and
spreads truth. It remains an incredibly powerful tool, and one the JOLT team hopes will continue to be emphasized in the prolife message. And while this approach may be new for ND Right to Life, the idea is not new to the Church’s defense of life. We are told in Evangelium Vitae that
“despite its hardships, its hidden mysteries, its suffering and its inevitable frailty, this mortal life is a most beautiful thing, a marvel ever new and moving, an event worthy of being exalted in joy and glory.” We must live joyfully, embracing each other and the gift of joy that each life brings the world, if we are to be effective in spreading the prolife message. So let the celebration begin. If you are interested in the Joys of Life Team, you can email Samantha Stempky at [email protected].
New Commission Celebrates the Joys of Life Former Right to Life President Samantha Stempky discusses her work in starting a new commission, the Joys of Life Team.
Interested in ordering Right to Life apparel? You can order shirts or sweatshirts by visiting chooselife.nd.edu and clicking “Right to Life apparel” in the sidebar!
Sam at the Joys of Life kickoff event last spring.
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Elderly Outreach
The elderly outreach commission aims to help celebrate life in its late stages through building relationships with the elderly. Our main event is visiting Portage Manor once a month for one to two hours. On these visits we do activities with the residents, such as watch movies, play bingo, have pizza, and do holiday related activities. The dates of these visits will be determined at the beginning of fall semester. Feel free to email Emily Moser at [email protected] if you are interested in getting involved. Project Mom
Project Mom hosts a baby shower every semester for women from the South Bend area who are receiving prenatal services from the Women's Care Center. This event gives Notre Dame students an opportunity to give back to the community they live in by helping affirm and support these women's choice of life. This semester's Project Mom Baby Shower will take place on Saturday, December 1st at 12 pm. The location has yet to be determined. If you are interested in helping run donation tables, advertising for the event, assisting with shopping or anything else that may be needed, email Angela Bermudez at [email protected]. Joys of Life
Joys of Life is a new commission this year dedicated to celebrating life and promoting a positive prolife message on the ND campus through service, fun activities and social events. Check out our Twitter @JoysOfLifeND. If you have a crazy idea or would like to be involved, email Sam Stempky at [email protected].
Motherhood Resources
Motherhood resources will be looking at how to educate more students of the availability of pregnancy resources on campus. We will also be focusing on lost motherhood, or post abortion healing with a poster campaign hoping to reach out to members of the Notre Dame family who are struggling after being affected by abortion and encouraging them to go to either Project Rachel or the Counseling Center on Campus for assistance. If you are interested in helping with either of these aspects of the pro-life movement please email Kellie Raddell, [email protected]. We look forward to your input and involvement this year! Footprints Footprints is our official newsletter. We release 4-6 issues each year, commemorating Right to Life's achievements and informing alumni and students about the culture of life on campus. If you are interested in writing, managing, or editing for Footprints, email Chris Damian at [email protected]. For more information, past issues, or to sign up to receive Footprints, visit chooselife.nd.edu and click "Newsletter". Spirituality The Spirituality Commission is dedicated to supporting the work of RTL through prayer and sacrifice. We pray a Rosary each Friday outside the local abortion clinic and offer up a Fast Chain for the intentions of the unborn, along with other prayers in response to current pro-life issues. Email Rebecca Flanigan at [email protected] for more information! Service- Hannah & Friends The Hannah & Friends commission works with a local organization
What do we do? Here are our commissions: The best way to get involved in Notre Dame Right to Life is to join a commission! Below are our commissions and who to contact to get involved!
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to help children and adults with special needs. Email Matt Povlock at [email protected] for more information! High School Outreach High School Outreach works on presentations for high school students to make them aware of the pro-life message. Email Kathy Curtis at [email protected] for more information! Concession Stand Help organize one of Right to Life's most significant fundraisers, a game-day concession stand. Email Mary Ostrowski at [email protected] if you would like to get involved! March for Life The March for Life Commission is responsible for planning and coordinating Notre Dame Right to Life's annual trip to the March for Life in Washington D.C. This year is the 40th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion everywhere in the United States. Our goal this year is to have the largest student participation ever from the University of Notre Dame, and we hope, as we do every year, that this will be the last trip we will have to make. Email Andrew Lynch at [email protected] for more information or if you would like to help plan this year’s trip! Lectures and Speakers The Lectures and Speakers commission is responsible for organizing lectures and panels that address particular issues or illuminate aspects of the Gospel of Life. Email Marco Ceritelli at [email protected] for more information! Apparel The apparel commission helps plan and order apparel for the Right to Life club. Email Tori Spencer at [email protected] for more information! Media The media commission works on the digital media, including our website, blog, and facebook pages. Email Andrew Weiler at [email protected] for more information! We still need still need commissioners to head up our Hannah’s House and Advertising & Design commissions! Email [email protected] if you are interested in applying! For more information on our commissions, visit chooselife.nd.edu!
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Coming Events Note: All events listed here are tentative. For our full calendar and more information, visit chooselife.nd.edu.
Weekly Events Every other Monday 8pm: all-club meetings Wednesdays 5-6pm: Rosary at abortion clinic Thursdays 7pm: volunteering at Portage Manor Fridays (once-a-month): volunteering at Hannah and Friends
August 28: Student Activities Night, 7pm, Stephan Center. Come visit our table for information about our club! August 29: Life Fest 2.0 on South Quad, benefitting the Women’s Care Center. Come celebrate life with giant hamster ball races, steaks sold by the Knights of Columbus, RTL apparel, and more! September 3: First All-Club Meeting, 8-9pm, LaFortune ballroom September 9: Color Run benefitting the Women’s Care Center September 15: Concession Stand, 12-6:45pm, Fieldhouse Mall. Support ND Right to Life by buying food and apparel! October 7-13: Respect Life Week 2012 October 7: Life Chain with St. Joseph County Right to Life, 2:30-3:30pm on Ironwood Road. October 7-12: Cemetery of the Holy Innocents, South Quad. Each year, Right to Life puts up a display of crosses commemorating the lives lost to and hurt by abortion. Help us set up Wednesday at 9pm and take down on Friday at 4pm. October 12: Club Information Table, 3-6pm, elevator lounge of LaFortune Student Center. Come buy apparel, donate to Project Mom, and learn more about our club! December 1: Project Mom Baby Shower, 12pm. Join us as we host a baby shower with the Women’s Care Center!
