Fr. Frank and Baby Joseph

I have wonderful news to pass on today!



Press release from Priests for Life:

STATEN ISLAND, March 14, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Under cover of darkness, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, arrived in Ontario, Canada, Sunday night to rescue Baby Joseph Maraachli from the London Health Sciences Centre. For two weeks, doctors at the hospital in London, Ontario, have been delaying the baby's transfer to a hospital where efforts to save his life will not be officially labeled "futile."

"I knew, after this dragged on day after day, that I needed to be here myself to get Baby Joseph to safety," said Father Pavone. "He needs to be in a hospital that cherishes life over the bottom line. After around-the-clock negotiations, this really became a race against time." Father Pavone was accompanied by Priests for Life staff, who were there to assure the transfer proceeded smoothly.

Baby Joseph and his father, Moe Maraachli, were flown with Father Pavone to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo., on a specially equipped air ambulance provided by Michigan-based Kalitta Charters, and sponsored and paid for by the New York City-based Priests for Life.

"If there is a chance this boy can live, we have to explore every option," said Father Pavone, who was to arrive back home in New York earlier today after weekend speaking engagements in Cleveland. Instead, he flew to Detroit and then on to Canada, vowing not to leave the country until he had Baby Joseph and his father with him.

"Priests for Life staff toiled through the night for many nights, working in concert with dozens of people to make this possible," Father Pavone said of the nighttime rescue mission. "Now that we have won the battle against the medical bureaucracy in Canada, the real work of saving Baby Joseph can begin."

Father Pavone said Baby Joseph's transfer was accomplished through the efforts of a number of people, including his parents; family spokesman Sam Sansalone; family attorney Claudio Martini; Bobby Schindler of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Dr. Martin McCaffrey, a neonatologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Medical School; the Rev. Pat Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C., and attorney CeCe Heil from the American Center for Law and Justice, also in D.C. Father Frank also thanked the many other Canadian pro-life groups and individuals who have been consistent and heroic in their advocacy for Baby Joseph and for all the vulnerable. "We are united across national boundaries to continue to work together for a Culture of Life," Father Pavone said.

SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center opened in 1956 and was named in memory of Cardinal John Glennon, Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 until his death in 1946. The hospital was a fulfillment of Cardinal Glennon's vision of a health-care facility open to all children in need of medical care. The hospital is part of SSM Healthcare, which is run by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary. The system has 19 acute-care hospitals in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

______________________________

Consider the power given to hospitals and doctors to decide who should live and who is a waste of time and money.  This issue was compounded by the Canadian healthcare system.  The hospital in Ontario claims that it was targeted with personal threats and falsehoods (because they were going to kill little Joseph) - and they just cannot imagine why people were exercising their free speech rights.  This healthcare system is the same system that the current administration in the United States hopes for.  The family simply wanted the child to be given a procedure so that they could take him home and that procedure was refused because the life of this little child was not valuable to the doctors and hospital administration.  Even if an outside source were to pay for the procedure, the procedure itself was refused.  

Praise God for Father Frank and all who have assisted in this matter.  Recall the posting on Baby Faith back in 2009 and the problems this mom faced in Canada in regard to delivering her child that, according to medical advice, was not worth giving life to. The United States is not immune to the mentality of leaving medical 'professionals' to decide where life is worth living or not.  Every day parents decide to abort a child because they may be born with a physical abnormality or not fit in to the ideals of our secular society.   Need an example?  See this post on prenatal testing, also from 2009.  


EDITED 9/29/2011: Baby Joseph passed away at home surrounded by his loving family.  Please read the story here.

Is a Baby a Punishment? Mr. Obama Thinks So

I understand that as an American you have the right to vote for whomever you wish and it is a right I treasure. Please do consider the moral character of the individual you think will best represent you, your children and the United States of America.

You cannot be Catholic and be 'pro-choice' as the two are polar opposites.

Fr. Frank Pavone, the National Director of Priests for Life is asking all Catholics to view his videos on YouTube (they are NOT actual abortions, but he does describe in vivid detail what happens during an abortion). He is asking for our help because everytime the videos are viewed, the increase in view count will be noticed by others who have not heard the message for Life.

Save a Baby.

Save a Mom.

Matthew 25:45 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

HELP Save a Baby!

My mailbox is stuffed full every single day with requests for donations from various charities. Just yesterday I received three such requests (and a newsletter from the National Right to Life Committee). One from Catholic Relief Services, another from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio from the Archdiocese of Military Services, USA (never even knew such an Archdiocese existed) and the last envelope caught my eye in a special way. The return address listed Several Sources Shelters at a PO box in New Jersey. The word which caught my attention was 'shelter'.

At a meeting some weeks ago, I was discussing with some folks from our parish various topics as found in the US Catholic Catechism for Adults. One lady mentioned that you just don't hear of many places for unwed mothers to seek shelter. I thought that perhaps this envelope held the answer to our concerns. I opened it and realized I have already received a similar envelope several times in the past only to recycle the paper materials and pull out the Miraculous Medal they enclosed. Receiving so many requests had perhaps made me numb to the words printed on the folder with the medal attached. On the back, there is a photo of four little babies and a sign below them, "Happy Mother's Day."

I have been struggling to find a place to financially support which helps to save lives, and not only preach against abortion, but an organization which actually helps these girls who are at risk of making life and death decisions. Locally, we have a wonderful charity, All Babies Cherished. We support their efforts as we can, but they just don't have the resources to house and care for hundreds of women and children. Every life counts, true, yet I prayed that there was some way to save more. Believe me, our family finances are tight and we have to be choosy when deciding which causes we can support, but I believe I have stumbled upon a new personal favorite.

Several Sources was started by founder Kathy DiFiore when she took into her own home her first pregnant teenager in 1981. In 1984 when, after having housed young pregnant women free of charge in her own home, Kathy was fined $10,000 by the state of New Jersey for running an illegal boarding house. Her story appeared in newspapers along with numerous television news programs. State Senator Gerald Cardinale sponsored a bill exempting non-profit groups from the legislation.

Some important points to note:

• 15,000 babies have been brought into this world with the support of Several Sources


• Several Sources is endorsed by Priests for Life and Fr. Pavone is on their Board of Directors


• In 1988 Kathy was invited to the White House by Pres. Ronald Reagan


• Following the birth of their babies, the young ladies learn about chastity and are given a chastity ring to wear


• Several Sources has created an interactive CD ROM and a website called "The Choice Game" as a further aid to teach the merits of abstinence


• Several Sources must raise $5,000 daily in order to keep in operation


• Several Sources operates a daytime shelter, Ladies Rest


• Several Sources currently operates four full-time shelters


• Every month, they send out 200 packages containing two videos, one the Silent Scream and the other information on Several Sources and the programs they provide. There is also a small packet and when they open the packaging and remove the paper it is wrapped in, revealed is a model of an 11-12 week old 'pre-born' with a card describing the development stages.

I could go on and on about how Mother Teresa lended her support to their programs, or how many honors the organization has been given. Please, consider supporting this endeavor. Don't take my word for the worthiness of this important casue; check out the links and you can see for yourself.

Several Sources SheltersP.O. Box 157Ramsey, NJ 07446 (201)-825-7277