Florida Catholic | Field Of Dreams

New ‘field of dreams’ for respect life facility

ANNE DIBERNARDO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 01.25.08

SUNSET | “If you build it, they will come.”

Kathy Weissinger did not hear a voice telling her to mow over her cornfield to build a baseball field for dead players who did not get a fair shake during their career.

• The Sunset respect life office is at 9360 S.W. 72 St., Suite 238, Miami, FL 33173. The phone number is 305-273-8507.

• To find the location of other offices and the various services offered by the archdiocese’s Respect Life Ministry, call 305-653-2921, e-mail ilovelife@bellsouth.net
or go to www.respectlifemiami.com.

But for the manager of the Sunset respect life office, moving to a location large enough to house ultrasound equipment was no less dramatic — although the equipment has yet to be acquired and a team of technicians yet to be hired.

The new office, a few blocks east of the former site, at 9360 S.W. 72 St., is on the south side of Sunset Drive in a large complex of small office suites.

Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Estévez blessed the new facility Jan. 12, surrounded by a group of volunteers who renewed their commitment to defend the lives of unborn children.

“We hope that by moving into a larger office, we will eventually have the funds to purchase ultrasound equipment and hire a technician,” said Joan Crown, respect life director for the archdiocese.

Pregnancy centers that have this “window into the womb” report that pregnant women are 80 percent less likely to abort their unborn children once they see the ultrasound images.

“This is God’s work,” said Weissinger, recounting the sequence of events that led her to the new office. She had begun looking in January 2006, willing to move as far south as Cutler Ridge.

“Most of the places were either too small, or if they were new they would require permits to tailor the office to meet the needs of the operation,” Weissinger said.

Although A Choice for Women Pregnancy Center, also in the Sunset Drive area, had closed, Crown advised her that the demand for assistance in the area was still considerable.

“I persevered in prayer, but by June I cried out to God saying, ‘Enough is enough!’ I wanted to take a vacation in July and I didn’t want to leave with this situation pending,” Weissinger said.

Within days, Father Arthur Dennison, pastor of Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, called in response to a plea for assistance she had made back in March.

“He hooked me up with a Realtor who instantly led me to the current space, which is actually two offices joined together,” Weissinger said. “The owners were even willing to gut the premises and build it according to our specifications, so we designed a floor plan and they built it for us. We even managed to get tile donated” as well as the labor to install it. The shelves also were obtained “at a generous discount” and delivered and installed for nothing.

“Now, all we need is the ultrasound equipment and medical professionals to operate (it),” Weissinger said. “The Lord is constantly affirming that this is his work and this is what he wants.”

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