Florida Catholic | Bishops Urger Voters To Decide

MARCH FOR LIFE

Floridians aim to change hearts

JEAN GONZALEZ | FLORIDA CATHOLIC PROJECTS EDITOR

Published: 01.25.08

With the Great Cross of Mission of Nombre de Dios at his side, Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine leads more than 800 people in prayer. “Our society unfortunately has forgotten how to be childlike.”
DAVID GONZALEZ | FC

ST. AUGUSTINE | Rob Gale believes spreading the message that abortion is wrong is important enough to take it to the streets.

Even if those streets are 200 miles from home.

The Countryside High School sophomore came to St. Augustine Jan. 20 with his parents, Bill and Diane, on a bus with other members of parishes in Citrus and Pasco counties in the St. Petersburg Diocese. They gathered with some 800 people of all ages for the second-ever March For Life St. Augustine, held on the Mission of Nombre de Dios grounds. With the Great Cross in the background, Rob explained what he would say to someone who does not understand the pro-life position on abortion.

“Well, what I would first tell them is that it’s a sin. The Ten Commandments say ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Our Constitution says we all deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Rob, as he leaned against his mother’s wheelchair. “It is just wrong to kill another human being.”

The Gales, parishioners at St. Vincent de Paul in Holiday, are no strangers to pro-life activities. They have prayed in front of abortion clinics and gathered to pray for Terri Schiavo. They had always wanted to participate in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., but the travel would not make it possible. When they heard about the march in St. Augustine, Diane Gale said, the family jumped at the opportunity.

“It is extremely important (for the movement) to be visible, to make our message visible,” she said. “It is worth the time and effort for people to see what we believe.”

Ave Maria University student Jason Byer.

DAVID GONZALEZ | FC
Jason Byer, a freshman at Ave Maria University near Naples told the crowd, “This is not a distant legislative war, but should be fought by everyone given the gift of life. Each and every one of us is called to this mission.”

May Oliver, coordinator of respect life for the Cathedral-Basilica Parish of St. Augustine, dubbed March for Life St. Augustine as the “Florida March.” As she addressed those gathered on a crisp, windy day, she said it’s better to speak out for life in 40-degree weather than 12-degree weather, as forecast for Tuesday’s march in Washington. Before the march began, participants listened to several speakers, including Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine.

“Our society unfortunately has forgotten how to be childlike,” Bishop Galeone said in prayer. “We have put comfort and convenience ahead of precious human life — life that is fragile; life that might not be perfect.”

The bishop said if pro-life efforts are not rooted in prayer, there is little hope in ending a culture of death. He said the work should not simply be about overturning Roe v. Wade, because even then abortions could continue. What is important is “converting one heart at a time” to ensure a culture of life thrives among all people.

“It is not a question of who is in the White House or who is on the Supreme Court,” he said. “It is about who will change the hearts and minds of our brothers and sisters. And that is you and I, through prayer and sacrifice.”

Jason Byer, a freshman at Ave Maria University near Naples who grew up the oldest of seven children in Jacksonville, also spoke to the crowd, echoing some of Bishop Galeone’s statements. Byer, who placed second in the National Right to Life oratory competition, said although Americans speak highly about preserving rights, ignoring the rights of the unborn makes society appear “confused” and “barbaric.” He urged marchers that to restore justice in society, life must be recognized as beginning at conception.

“This is not a distant legislative war, but should be fought by everyone given the gift of life,” said Byer, who is interested in studying law and arrived in St. Augustine with two dozen classmates. “Each and every one of us is called to this mission.”

Along with a heavy Catholic contingency, the march gathered members of other faiths. Pastor Bill Montgomery of Deliverance Time Ministries in St. Augustine inspired the group before sending them to march. He said while scientists cannot offer a concrete answer of when life begins, pro-life supporters can offer a concrete answer that is not an opinion, but based on the word of God.

“Human life begins before it began,” the pastor said, citing the Scripture verse of Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”

Montgomery told the crowd it is “time we speak up” and asked them to repeat the words, “It’s a new day and new season and a whole lot of things are about to change.”

Charged with those words, he added, “Pregnancy is God’s business. … From the beginning it was ‘Roe v. Wade,’ but now, as you and I are standing together united as a community, unified as a church, it is now ‘Roe v. the people of God.’ And let me tell you, Roe’s arms are too short to box with God.”

Marchers processed from the grounds of Mission of Nombre de Dios about a mile through a busy thoroughfare, past the Castillo de San Marcos and through the markets of downtown, where onlookers and tourists with ice cream cones or cups of coffee observed marcher after marcher carrying different signs extolling life and imploring an end to abortion. Once at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine, marchers crossed the street to Plaza de la Constitucion where a corps of fourth-degree Knights of Columbus greeted them with swords at attention.

It was the first time part-time Florida resident Anne Noble attended the march. Despite fighting off a cold, the significance of the event was too important to miss.

“This is a very positive event. I’m sure the Holy Spirit is here,” said the resident of St. Augustine and Connecticut. “It is so important to let people understand we don’t want this anymore — the killing of human begins created by God.”

For coverage of Florida participation in the Jan. 22 national March for Life in Washington, D.C., please see the Feb. 1-7 issue and www.thefloridacatholic.org.

MARCH FOR LIFE

Floridians aim to change hearts

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