She stands up for life on the job

People are often surprised when they meet Susan Tully, associate legislative counsel for pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, based in Albany.

"People say to me, 'You don't look like a pro-life person.' I'm young, unmarried and have no children," the 32-year-old parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Albany said. "It's a perception problem. There are a lot of women out there like me."

Ms. Tully spends her days advocating for life issues. Her major duties are communicating to legislators the positions and philosophy of the bishops of New York State on pro-life issues, and providing legal research and analysis on pro-life issues.

Heart in job

During the legislative session, that work can mean 24-hour days, and existing on coffee and donuts; but it's the right job for her, Ms. Tully says.

"I can put my heart and soul into my job," she said. "It's my faith in action."

After working in private law firms and at the State Legislature, she feels she has found a home working for the Church. "I'm in a position where my client shares the same beliefs I do," she explained. "It makes your job easier."

Major responsibility

She finds the job exciting and has been given more responsibility than some of her peers. "Fellow lawyers are envious," she noted. "They're researching zoning ordinances, and I deal with life and death issues."

During the past legislative session, for example, the main issue she dealt with was partial-birth abortions.

"It was difficult for me," she said. "I couldn't believe that anyone would do this. It cuts to the heart of what our society is becoming -- or has become."

She said the issue helped her to see the power the pro-abortion movement has. Pro-abortion advocates had carefully controlled information on partial-birth abortion, she said, making it sound as if it were a choice and not dealing with the brutality of the method. For example, few people knew of partial-birth abortions until pro-life advocates brought the issue to light.

"There are a lot of women out there like me," she said. "They're seeing that there's more than the choice they're being presented with by Planned Parenthood. This is especially true as they reach their child-bearing years. I think the instinct is there; children are not our enemies."

Life stories

Among the positive experiences she's had being on the job is hearing other people's stories about how they dealt with the life issues, which now span conception to old age.

"You hear the positive stories of women who made it having a child," she said. Also, "I'm constantly amazed by the power of forgiveness. There are families whose loved ones were murdered, and they don't want the death penalty."

Another positive experience she had during the 1996 legislative session involved bringing together a pro-life obstetrician and a pro-choice female legislator. The two had a frank discussion about their personal lives and their quest to have children. In the end, the legislator shook hands with the doctor and said she'd vote with the Catholic Conference.

"It was a peak experience," Ms. Tully said. "People tend to get caught up in the rhetoric of the issue, and they were able to move beyond it."

Support from employer

Ms. Tully enjoys having the support of her employer in all aspects of her life.

"The Conference supports family life," she said. "The people I work with laugh a lot, care and help. They're also interested in your life. In private practice, they don't want you to have a life. The major benefits are not financial. It's not the health plan. It's the people."

While some may criticize the Church for its lack of women in leadership positions, Ms. Tully doesn't see that as just a Church issue. "Women face this in all professions," she said. "For example, there are few women partners in Capital District law firms."

Faith in work

A graduate of Mercy High School in Albany, Ms. Tully credits her high school experience with helping her develop her faith.

"They fostered and enhanced my faith development," she said of the faculty. "I remember great retreats and Masses. When you're questioning so much, it's a good thing to have that thread of faith right there. There wasn't that aspect at college."

Asked if she thought in high school that she would be advocating Church issues on a full-time basis, she said, "I think I was concerned over who I'd go to the prom with. I did know that I was interested in law and in writing. I knew I didn't want to get married until I was older."

Her goals for the future include a desire to start her own family and to continue to learn on the job.

"I don't think about career goals in terms of years," she said. "I'd like to feel that both feet are planted on the ground when it comes to constitutional issues and the Church. There's so much to learn."