April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Pro-lifers battling apathy
Getting parishioners to understand the complexity of sanctity of life issues -- and to join in the crusade to defend them -- is among the greatest challenges facing Respect Life committees in the Albany Diocese, according to several Respect Life representatives.
"Generally speaking, people -- including many Catholics -- are in their own little worlds today. They just don't want to be bothered about issues they don't perceive as having a direct impact upon their personal lives," said Martha Wenner, a member of St. Mary's/Our Lady of the Lake "Christians For Life" committee in Cooperstown.
"Apathy about Respect Life issues seems to be typical of many Catholic parishes today. In fact, life issues in any direction, from the RU-486 abortion pill to euthanasia and points in between, are met with a ho-hum response by parishioners."
Long-term commitment
A mother of 12 who is awaiting the arrival of her 20th grandchild, Mrs. Wenner has been an outspoken advocate of pro-life issues for a quarter of a century."My involvement goes back to before Roe Vs. Wade [the 1972 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide] when a woman who had taken Thalidomide was petitioning the courts in Texas to have her unborn child aborted," she recalled. Thalidomide, widely prescribed for pregnant women experiencing nausea, was later discovered to cause birth defects.
"My husband, Frank, and I had several children of our own at the time," Mrs. Wenner continued, "but we were so appalled by the news reports that we sent a telegram, as did many other Americans, offering to adopt the woman's baby if only she would let the infant be born. Unfortunately, she went to Europe where the pregnancy was terminated."
More involvement
The Wenners, then residents of Long Island, were among those who protested unsuccessfully against Gov. Nelson Rockefeller's push in the late 1960s and early 1970s to legalize abortion in New York State.Convinced that what the politicians and feminist lobbying groups were promoting was "a total lie," Mrs. Wenner could not help but be drawn into the pro-life movement.
Asked how she could find the time to become involved in the crusade to stop abortions when she had so many children of her own to care for, Mrs. Wenner replied: "How could I not find the time?"
Education is key
Like the other Respect Life committee representatives interviewed by The Evangelist, she believes education is the key to getting parishioners to comprehend what she terms "the complexity of life issues" ranging from fetal experimentation to physician-assisted suicides.Many people, she asserted, have been brainwashed by the media into believing that such atrocities are carried out for humanitarian or valid scientific reasons.
"Part of our responsibility as Catholics and as Christians is to educate ourselves about this issues so that we help put an end to them," she declared.
Missing troops
The Cooperstown parish committee to which Mrs. Wenner belongs consists of just six to eight active members. Similar small numbers were cited by other Respect Life committee leaders:* Betty Higgins of St. Teresa of Avila parish in Albany, said her parish's Respect Life committee is comprised of nine "very active and dedicated members, and five associates."
* Theresa White, Respect Life coordinator of the St. Mary's/St. Paul's parish in Hudson Falls, has "a core group of seven hard-working individuals."
* Sheila Neugebauer of St. Mary's Church in Ballston Spa says she frequently feels "like a general with no army" -- though the troops do rally to assist when needed.
Risks and rewards
All of the women expressed concern about the indifference among many parishioners regarding the ever-increasing number of Respect Life issues."My husband, Wendell, isn't exaggerating all that much when he says there's more action [on these issues] in a graveyard than in many Catholic parishes today," said Mrs. Neugebauer. "My own feeling is that the apathy boils down to a matter of convenience."
Others, Mrs. Neugebauer believes, don't want to risk the ridicule and persecution that sometimes accompany speaking out on moral issues. She knows from personal experience that taking an active role in the anti-abortion arena can be painful in a different sort of way. The mother of six frequently endures verbal abuse and obscene gestures while standing in quiet, prayerful protest outside abortion clinics and hospitals with representatives of other churches.
Pitching in
Although Mrs. Neugebauer is often lonely for the company of fellow St. Mary's parishioners at demonstrations, she was pleased by the show of so many familiar faces at recent Life Chains. She said the Ballston Spa congregation has also responded impressively to appeals that they sign petitions or send cards to their elected representatives urging them to vote in favor of pro-life issues."Much of the time, I feel like an army of one," she said. "But when it really counts, St. Mary's parishioners come through with a tremendous show of support. In that sense, I'm very lucky."
Hesitancy
Theresa White, a Hudson Falls mother of six, grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of two, said she understands all too well the hesitancy on the part of many to become active in a parish Respect Life committee."I was getting to retire from my career as a registered nurse in 1991 and knew I wanted to become involved in some kind of parish lay ministry, but didn't know which one," she recalled. "The subject of a Respect Life committee kept coming up, but I kept hoping someone else would tackle the job. Finally, after using up all my excuses, I accepted the fact that maybe God was calling me, and I said, 'Okay, I'll give it a try.'"
Mrs. White's greatest challenge since assuming the Respect Life coordinator's position has been "getting people in the parish worked up about the issues."
To help combat apathy, she has tried everything from bringing in dynamic speakers to starting a quarterly newsletter aimed at keeping parishioners and the surrounding community informed about pro-life developments and events.
"We strive to include the latest issues that affect all areas of life from womb to the rocking chair," said Mrs. White. The newsletter, titled "St. Mary's/St. Paul's Respect Life Network," is edited by Norma Potvin.
Written information
A variation on the newsletter theme is being tried at St. Mary's/Our Lady of the Lake in Cooperstown where the "Christians For Life" committee is preparing to distribute 500 copies of a flyer designed as a lifeline for women who find themselves in crisis pregnancies.The publication provides names and numbers of Community Maternity Services offices in Albany, Cobleskill, Herkimer and Oneonta as well as toll-free numbers for Birthright USA, Bethany Center and The Nurturing Network. Also included are listings for the Albany Diocese's Family Life Office and Priests For Life.
Headlined "Are you facing a crisis pregnancy?" the flyer informs pregnant women who might be confused, frightened or in need of help that there are "dedicated, trained professionals ready and willing to assist you in making the right decisions for you and your baby."
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