HOLY SAVIOUR COUNCIL 13710 – JAN/FEB 2008
On Monday January 22, Washington
D.C. will once again be the gathering point
for the (35th) annual March for Life. This march commemorates the
landmark Roe V. Wade case. You may be interested to read the following excerpt
from the PA State Council newsletter:
I am Roe
Jane Roe, et al. v. Henry
Wade, District Attorney of Dallas County took three years to reach the
United States Supreme Court. In the meantime, Norma Leah McCorvey (AKA Jane
Roe) had given birth. At the time of the case, she claimed her pregnancy was
the result of rape; she now claims that to have been untrue. McCorvey went
public with her identity in the 1980s. McCorvey now claims that she became the
"pawn" of two young and ambitious lawyers (Sarah Weddington and Linda
Coffee) who were looking for a plaintiff whom they could use to challenge the Texas
state law prohibiting abortion. In her 1994 autobiography, "I Am
Roe", she details her events.
At a signing of her first book in 1994, McCorvey was confronted by pro-life
activist Flip Benham. Within a year, McCorvey converted to Christianity. On August 8 1995, she was baptized by
Benham in a Dallas backyard
swimming pool that was filmed for national television. On August 10 of that
year, she announced that she had become an advocate of the pro-life movement
(specifically, "Operation Rescue"), fighting to make abortion
illegal.
I felt "crushed" under the truth of this realization. I had to face
up to the awful reality. Abortion wasn't about 'products of conception.' It
wasn't about 'missed periods.' It was about children being killed in their
mother's wombs. All those years I was wrong. Signing that affidavit, I was
wrong. Working in an abortion clinic, I was wrong. No more of this first
trimester, second trimester, third trimester stuff. Abortion--at any point--was
wrong. It was so clear. Painfully clear."
In 1998, she released a statement that affirmed her entrance into the Roman
Catholic Church, and she has been confirmed into the Church as a full member.
In 2005, she petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 decision,
arguing that the case should be heard again in light of evidence that the
procedure may harm women, but this petition was
denied.
Despite her asking for an abortion during her court case, McCorvey never had
the procedure. She gave birth to a girl, who was given up for adoption. This
was due to the fact that contested (and sometimes uncontested) court cases take
longer than nine months for decisions to be handed down.
Father Chavez
On Saturday January 12, Holy Saviour Council in concert with
the Trinity Chapter of the PA Knights of Columbus sponsored our first Men’s
Conference. The half day gathering included two speaking sessions by Father
Phillip Chavez, S.O.L.T. Afterwhich Father celebrated
Mass for the men in attendance. The essence of this conference was how to be a
good Christian man in the 21st century. Father was compelling and
insightful. Anyone who is interested in listening to Father Chavez on CD,
please contact our Worthy Chancellor to borrow any or all of
three different CDs Father has produced. This article wouldn’t be
complete without a word of congratulations and thanks to our Worthy Advocate,
John Remaley who engineered and supervised the day from start to finish.
Thanks, John!
Road Trip
Our Worthy Field Agent, Dan Bowser has requested our choir
take their show on the road. The Msgr. Schuyler Council 1333 is celebrating
their centennial this year and on Saturday, April 26th at 5 PM their chaplain, the Msgr.Deliman ,
Pastor of St Agnes in West Chester, will celebrate the
Centennial Mass. The vicar and the Cardinal have been invited. More information
to follow….
Marriage Amendment and Council Special Assessment
Brothers,
Enclosed please find a letter signed by all the Catholic Bishops in
Pennsylvania asking for our support in their efforts to amend the Pennsylvania
State Constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman
(see attached letter).
As you may recall, prior to our 2007 Pennsylvania State Convention, Cardinal
Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, on behalf of the Pennsylvania
Catholic Conference, requested that the Pennsylvania Knights get involved with
this project by donating $300,000.00. At our 2007 Pennsylvania State Convention
n the delegates unanimously voted to donate $150,000.00 for this cause (see
attached Resolution). Our Supreme Knight and the Supreme Board of Directors
provided us a matching grant of $150,000.00 to meet the Cardinal’s request.
Your state officers are aware that although the resolution passed the 2007
State Convention calls for an assessment of $2.00 per billable member, we know
that we actually need an average of $3.06 per billable member to reach our
commitment of $150,000.00. Therefore, we request that your membership consider
a voluntary contribution of an additional $1.06 for a total of $3.06 per
billable member to meet our commitment to our Bishops and the Pennsylvania
Catholic Conference to protect the sanctity of Marriage in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
We also encourage voluntary contributions on behalf of our
Honorary Life Members who have enjoyed many, many years of happy marriage in
the traditions of the Catholic Church.
Our opposition in this matter is highly funded and motivated to stop us in this
endeavor.
Money alone, while important, will not help us to our goal of protecting
marriage. We encourage your council members to contact their state legislator
and senator to let them know where we stand on this issue.
I truly believe that at the end of the day we will be victorious as long as we
live out the principal of the 1st and 2nd Degree of our Order, CHARITY AND
UNITY.
Vivat Jesus,
Michael J. O'Connor, Esq.
Pennsylvania State Deputy
michaelj@oconnorlaw.com
Knights
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