by Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic Editor
A packed house was on hand at the Mansion Royal in Corpus Christi on Thursday, Sept. 3, for the 26th Annual Celebration for Life. Keynote speaker Shawn Carney, a pro-life activist and co-founder of 40-Days for Life, quickly won the crowd over when he declared, "Corpus Christi is the hub of the pro-life movement in Texas; an abortion free Corpus Christi."
He told the crowd that developments over the summer regarding the Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage and recent revelations of Planned Parenthood peddling in fetal organs and body parts, "gives clarity as to where we stand, where our culture stands."
"We have lost a sense of sin," Carney said.
The exposé regarding Planned Parenthood reveals a culture that is living without God, Carney said. You see in those videos the complete opposite of what you get at Hope House, what Birthright is, what the Gabriel Project is. The videos give clarity as to where we are. The country has had a "great awakening" this summer.
Proceeds form the dinner will benefit Birthright of Corpus Christi, the Gabriel Project and Corpus Christi Hope House.
"We know we are called to more," Carney said. The answer is love, it's mercy, it's joy; it's "from the heart of our Lord," and it all starts with prayer.
And it also starts at the local level with communities such as Corpus Christi. "We cannot and must not rely on Washington to provide the moral compass," Carney said. People at the Celebration for Life dinner are doing that at the local level.
Carney said, more people are prolife than ever before; more lives are being saved. Pregnancy centers now outnumber abortion clinics 5-1.
"This community contradicts the lie that pro-life groups don’t care about women or children or parents," he said, pointing to Hope House who has two homes for mothers and their children and a third house is in the planning stage. Hope House has served 30,000 women and children, and the numbers have gone up since abortion last clinic closed in the city.
Carney said there is a greater awareness, more than ever, that being pro-life is more than just stopping women from getting an abortion. It is a movement of "mercy and love."
"Abortion is a lie," Carney said. "Statistically, the womb is the most dangerous place in America. Abortion should break our heart."
"Love of God and love of country is why we are pro-life," Carney said. If we do not take the family seriously, then nothing else matters, he said.
In addition to Carney talk, the Celebration for Life Dinner recognized Mary Crabtree with "Helpers of God 's Most Precious Infants" as its Life Servant Award recipient. As president of the Helpers of God 's Precious Infants, the group sponsored a Mass and prayerful procession to the local abortion clinic for more than 15 years. The Helpers offered training for "sidewalk counselors" and "prayer warriors" and Youth Truth Jams. Crabtree develop the group's Shield e-Newsletter to communicate pro-life news and activities to the community.
Crabtree, who had the constant support of her husband David, announced her retirement from Helpers after the abortion clinic closed down.
Tom Pauken, who had a long career in government and politics, served as master of ceremonies. He is the author of two books, "The Thirty Years War: The Politics of the Sixties Generation" and "Bringing America Home: How America Lost Her Way and How We Can Find Our Way Back."
Bishops Emeritus Rene H. Gracida and Edmond Carmody offered the invocation and closing prayer, respectively.