Dear beloved Brothers in Christ Jesus and St. Patrick,
As we start a New Year, we ask God that our Pro-Life Committee continues to be productive and a source of encouragement, enthusiasm and excitement for 2025 and beyond. As many of you know, the Pro-Life Committee meets on Zoom every month, on the Monday or Tuesday ahead of the monthly Pro-Life newsletter. If you would like to join the committee, or you’re not receiving the Newsletter or Meeting Invites, please send me an email at lspittcmf@gmail.com and I’ll add you to the list. We did have a few disappointments last year, as I learned through trial and error that gmail doesn’t like more than 50 addressees on emails. That caused a big problem in November and December, as the committee members received links to the Zoom meeting that weren’t correct, while gmail reported to me that the messages weren’t sent. It wasn’t until meeting night that I learned of this, as I just assumed that the committee members didn’t receive the invitation with the deleted Zoom link. Despite the confusion, we were still able to get the meetings together and plan the next Newsletter. Hopefully, that’s all behind us, and we continue to gain active members on the Zoom meetings.
One of the main purposes of the Zoom meetings is to bring all Pro-Life Committee Chairs up to date on how the AOH addresses Pro-Life Issues that are intrinsically political and destructivelydivisive. Simply put, our committee focuses on official teachings of the Holy Catholic Church, as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Holy Scripture, and the writings, lectures and activities of Catholic Bishops, commentators and clergy. We also like to shine a light on the good works our Hibernian Brothers engage in across the nation, for instance the PICKUPANDDROPOFF project in North Carolina, facilitated by our brother Jim Furman, the Statewide AOH-LAOH Pro-Life Mass facilitated by New York Pro-Life Chairman Ed Wallace, and the dedication of a Pro-Life monument in New Jersey, facilitated by New Jersey Pro-Life Chairman John Hughes. Many of our brothers also volunteer at 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigils and organize Pro-Life activities, like diaper drives and clothing drives for women’s centers in their hometowns. In January, many of you participated in the AOH National March for Life Breakfast, Mass and March in Washington, D.C. Consequently, Paeder Toibin, TD, from West Meath, Ireland, sent his regrets that he couldn’t be with us in D.C. but has promised to be there in 2026! There are dozens of other examples of our brothers engaging in Pro-Life activities, and our committee hopes that you will join in the monthly Zoom meetings and tell us what your Division, County or State is doing to promote the Pro-Life cause.