Catholic Fire

She was young, beautiful, talented, and confident. The 19-year-old had just won the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest that launched her into immediate fame, an exploding pop career, and the promise of every success. Forty-four years ago to this day, the world was her oyster. But Rosemary Scallon, Ireland’s sweetheart best known as Dana, did not let her 1970 win go to her head. Instead of rejecting her Christian faith as she was eagerly embraced by the world, she found herself longing to deepen her relationship with God. Continue reading.

U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke reflects on the impact of the pro-life movement worldwide.

Today the Susan B. Anthony List announce d that pro-life activists nationwide have sent over 100,000 letters to Congress urging the exclusion of abortion from any national health care reform effort. "As we approach the August recess, already tens of thousands of pro-life Americans have contacted Congress urging them to keep abortion out of health care," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. "Americans are urging Members of Congress to preserve the real common ground, our long-standing tradition of limiting taxpayer funds for abortion. This is exactly the type of policy the President has sought to achieve, one that stands the test of time, has popular support and appeals to members on both sides of the aisle. Yet both the House and Senate versions of health care reform legislation seek to undo this commonsense policy. Without language to explicitly exclude an abortion mandate, the legislation will result in Americans footing the bill for abortio...

The name of the campaign is called "Abortion is Not Health Care" and it will begin on Sunday, July 26, in Washington, D.C. A vote on the $1.5 trillion bill has been tentatively scheduled for the last week of July before the August recess. "Abortion is Not Health Care" will include public prayer vigils, rallies, lobbying, demonstrations and cutting edge pro-life witness on Capitol Hill. President Obama and his team have said that taxpayer funded abortions would be included in his health care plan. The campaign will focus on fighting to ensure that: Not one penny of public money is used to pay for abortions. The "Conscience Clause" is not removed from health providers that decline to perform abortions. No federal mandate requiring health plans to cover abortions. No state law restricting abortion would be invalidated. Planned Parenthood never becomes an "essential community health provider." "Abortion is Not Health Care"...

On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama, the most pro-death president in our country’s history, will be sworn into office. 2009 will be remembered as one of the most challenging years for the pro-life movement. For, Barack Hussein Obama emphatically promised more than a year ago, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act." The Freedom of Choice Act is a sweeping bill that would abolish all pro-life regulations across the nation, from parental notification laws to bans on federal funding of abortions. It would not only make unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy a national law but it would overturn the laws in all 50 states designed to reduce abortions. Today we commemorate Sanctity of life Sunday and this coming Thursday we celebrate the 36th anniversary of Roe V Wade. This is the year that I wanted more than ever to go to Washington DC to participate in the March for Life. This is the year that I wanted to protest the mass slaughter o...

Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr., shares her thoughts about the elections and some tips for holiday giving. Great video!

Eduardo Verástegui, the star of pro-life movie "Bella", has become a pro-life activist since the making of that film and has reported that 25 babies have been saved by the film so far. Today CNA reports : Mexican actor and producer Eduardo Verastegui has teamed up with the pro-life website in Spain “DerechoaVivir.org” (RighttoLife.org) in order to battle against a plan to overhaul the nation’s abortion laws. The actor appears in a video on the website inviting Spaniards to join in rejecting the plan. “As you know, I have stepped out on the front lines because I want to do everything I can to defend the lives of the most defenseless human beings, the unborn; because I want to support women with unexpected pregnancies; because I want to help end the silent holocaust of the 21st century, which is abortion,” he says in the video. Read the entire story here.

Via Michael Barber: JP Catholic students are all over two big propositions in California--and now the mainstream news media is taking notice of their efforts. First, Proposition 4, or Sarah's Law, would require parental notification for abortion. Right now, a high school can't give an aspirin to a student without notifying parents--but a child can get an abortion and the parents don't have to know a thing about it. This, of course, enables child predators, as our students highlight in this ad. This ad aired in California on television immediately after the Vice Presidential debate last Thursday. Second, Proposition 8 would amend the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Yes, we already voted on this a few years ago and such a definition won a majority of the vote (61%). But the California Supreme Court ruled (4-3) that the vote didn't matter and legalized gay marriage despite the vote. The students have been making ads for that as wel...

Today was Life Chain Sunday. Life Chain is a national effort where pro-life citizens stand along a well-traveled route for one hour, holding pre-made signs and praying for an end to abortion. In Kansas alone, there were over 70 Life Chains across the state. Here are a few photos from one of the many Life Chains held in Wichita. It was a beautiful sunny, breezy day in the low 80's -- a great day to be outdoors. This was really cute. This dog had his own combination box stand and sign, which reads: "Bark fur Life." We got a lot of thumbs up and people honking horns and waving at us. We even got into a conversation with a stopped vehicle containing two young adult men, who gave us a thumbs up and then yelled "NO OBAMA!" with thumbs down. At that all our thumbs went down.

Shutting down Planned Parenthood -- those words are like music to my ears. When I lived in IL (about three years ago) I used to pray and do sidewalk counseling outside an abortion mill with a a small group. Following our time commitment there, some of us moved onto pray outside Planned Parenthood in another location of the city. Two of the most dedicated people in that tiny group of prayer warriors were 70+ years old --and they were out there in all kinds of weather - rain or shine. I remember going out to the mill when it was below zero, with the wind blowing, wearing two pairs of gloves with every part of my body covered, (freezing) and these two went on to pray at PP afterwards. These people were and still are my heroes. I think of them whenever I read articles like this one and thank God for pro-lifers. Let's continue to pray, fast, and do everything we can to end abortion. God is moving powerfully in our times!

Thirteen people (including two Catholic priests) were arrested for blocking access to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.The police begin issuing warnings and making arrests about two minutes into this raw video.(The arrestees include Randall Terry, Fr. Norman Weslin of Nebraska, and Fr. Joseph Klee of Ohio.)

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has publicized new proposed regulations to protect the conscience rights of health care providers. They are inviting comments from the public from now through September 19 . Go there today! The HHS press release announcing can be found here . Comments can be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov/ or via e-mail to consciencecomment@hhs.gov . Related Posts: Catholic Fire: Cardinal Rigali Defends conscience protections for pro-life health workers Jill Stanek: Action needed NOW on DHHS conscience protection regs Christian Newswire: Proposed Regulation Would Protect Health Care Workers' Rights Says Fr. Pavone

The Curt Jester's Responding to Nancy Pelosi provides some satisfaction to the confusion she created on Meet The Press. American Papist asks the question we want to know: How will Pelosi respond? (I'm wondering what crazy story she'll concoct next? As long as it corresponds to the Democratic pro-death agenda, she'll be OK with it. Who cares how ridiculous and outlandish it is? No one has the expert knowledge about the faith that she does after studying it so diligently.) Jill Stanek's Democratic National Convention: Prequel Pro-life activists from everywhere have descended upon Denver to remind Democrats what their party stands for. Jill Stanek's Democrat National Convention: Day 1 "...a Planned Parenthood rep gave me my own "Protect Yourself from John McCain" condom, 1 of 10 varieties listing the "10 things everyone should know about John McCain"..." Catholic and GOP's Biden and Abortion gives us the scoop on his abortion rec...

Troopers Run Amok, Conduct Mass Arrest of Pro-lifers In Maryland Bel Air, MD – Eighteen pro-lifers participating in the Maryland Face the Truth Tour were arrested without warning by Hartford County State Troopers in the city of Bel Air, Maryland on Friday, August 1, 2008. It was during the last tour stop of the week-long event, sponsored by Defend Life . when a State Trooper named Bradley approached the group and told them to move and put away their signs or they would be arrested. In an effort to comply, group leader Jack Ames gathered the group and moved down the road, into the city limits of Bel Air, Maryland. The group stood peacefully on public property and did not “march” into the street as one news organization erroneously reported. Without warning, an estimated twenty patrol cars arrived on the scene and began arresting pro-life participants without a word. Those arrested were not told what they were being charged with, nor were they read their rights. One of the women who part...