Visit our website www.drvclife.org

As we approach the Feast of the Annunciation on Thursday, March 25 this year, I am reminded ever more strongly of the secret treasure in surrendering to God’s Will. Fiat mihi.

Our Lady is the perfect model for us in her consummate trust, joy, and readiness to allow God’s greatness to be fulfilled through her cooperation.

And as we mark a full year, our second Lent, in the throes of the pandemic, amidst so much public health uncertainty, cultural confusion, and social conflict, that example is even more necessary as we strive to live a moral life. In these last few weeks of Lent, consider reading Bishop Barres’ pastoral letter, Evangelium Vitae: The Gospel of Life for Today, to meditate on Mary’s role as the Mother of the Incarnate Word, in our lives and our salvation, as well as to understand the threats to human life and dignity with our responsibility to combat the culture of death.

In the next few weeks there are exciting things happening in our Office! We are offering the Roe v. Wade movie with a 35% discount through our Office between April 5 and April 19. Through a collaboration with the Gianna Center and founders of the Students for Life chapter at Stony Brook University, we will be promoting a three-part Women’s Health webinar series in April. You can read more about these upcoming events in this March Newsletter.

Since our last newsletter, several legislative actions have been proposed or have taken place. I think it is valuable to explain their impact on life issues because it is not always obvious in their illusory titles.  Read more

Soon we will be launching our new website. We hope it will become a valuable tool for you on matters of human life, family, and bioethics with information on upcoming events, important materials on various life issues, links to Church documents, archives of our newsletters, pregnancy support resources, etc.

We are excited to announce that the Roe v. Wade movie will be available to the general public as of April 2, 2021. Archbishop Naumann, Chairman of Prolife Activities for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has said: “I encourage you to see this film. With some of the artistic liberties of the movie industry, the film provides insight into the cultural circumstances that resulted in the Court decision that led to more than 62 million American children killed by abortion over the past 48 years.” We agree. And so, through the Office of Human Life, Family and Bioethics, you can download the movie to view at a special 35% discount from April 5 to April 19. (Before April 5, you can pre-order the movie.) Go to: www.drvclife.org/movie | read more

The founder of the martial art Aikido has stated that the “Ultimate challenge… is to turn an enemy’s fearful wrath into harmless laughter.” Morihei Ueshiba founded this martial art as a pure defensive act in which a person redirects an attack to the degree that the attacker is brought down in laughter. If done correctly the aggressor recognizes the absurdity of their anger and violence.

 Aikido sounds almost like the virtue of meekness. St. Thomas Aquinas defines it as the virtue that “…moderates anger and its disorderly effects. It is a form of temperance that controls every inordinate movement of resentment at another person's character or behavior.”  It’s the virtue a that allows us to remain ourselves in the midst of adversity. Read more

Making Sense of Bioethics Column #188 for February, 2021

 On March 1, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker told residents in the town of Mattapan that when it comes to the various COVID-19 vaccines, “These are all very effective. People don't need to pick one from another. People should get vaccinated. If you have a chance to get a vaccine, you should take it, whatever it is."

The governor’s sweeping statement seems to imply, first, that everybody should get a COVID-19 shot, and second, that it’s not necessary to distinguish among the different vaccines currently on the market, like Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and eventually others.

Such a perspective fails to acknowledge the important factors that are part of deciding whether to receive a particular COVID-19 vaccine or any other vaccine.

When new or experimental treatments become available, including novel vaccines, and we have limited knowledge of their side effects, adverse events, efficacy, and long-term consequences, it’s important to realize that such treatments are never morally obligatory for an individual, nor for a whole population. Achieving herd immunity, while clearly an important goal, in no way demands that everyone must be immunized.  Read more

Message from Shawn Carney, President of 40 Days for Life:

As we near the midway point of this Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign, the devil will try to distract you from your commitment to defend abortion-vulnerable moms and babies.

On today's video blog, we reveal the types of distraction to watch out for...and examples on how to maintain focus and finish strong.

Smithtown: Thank you for your prayers and sacrifices during this Lenten 40 Days for Life peaceful prayer vigil!

Please mark your calendar for Saturday, March 27th, the day before the final day of the campaign. We will celebrate Holy Mass at St. Anthony of Padua at 8:30 am then pray the Stations of the Cross for Life at the Smithtown vigil site at 10 am. Of course, if you arrive early or late, you can pray the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet with others or on your own.

Every abortion clinic is a modern day Calvary. On Good Friday on a hill just outside Jerusalem the Most Precious Blood of the innocent Son of God was shed for our salvation.

And every day in abortion clinics throughout the world the blood of innocent children is being shed. When we go to pray at these places, we are in some way entering into the mystery of the Passion of our Lord as He continues to suffer in the children who are rejected and murdered.

We remember His words: “whatever you do to the least, you do to me.” Read more

The Gianna Center is a medical practice dedicated to empowering women with a restorative, scientifically based method for treating, monitoring, and maintaining their health.

Over the last year, we have worked closely with fertility educator Jamey Hutchinson, BSN CFCP CFCE, of the Gianna Center. Our goal is to collaborate on programs that promote the dignity of women’s health and fertility as God intended, to bring information to you through our newsletter and website, and to expand on resources available to our community.

We are so pleased to extend our collaboration to the founders of a local chapter of Students for Life America—two wonderful Stony Brook University students, Sonali George and Shyna Quadras. The energy they bring to our efforts is explosive! In this, we are proud to announce a three-part series on women’s health and fertility issues (healthy cycles, menstrual symptoms, and fertility apps/health monitoring) for April. We hope you will join this webinar and/or share this event information with young women you know. This knowledge is empowering not only for basic health but also for developing an understanding of the true gift of God’s design for the human body.

Project Rachel Hope After Abortion  website, call the Respect Life Office's confidential phoneline: 1-888-456-HOPE(se habla espanol) 

1-516-766-2538, email  projectrachel@drvc.org to begin healing after abortion loss. 

En Español:  Esperanzaposaborto.org

Lisa A. Honkanen, M.D. – Director

lhonkanen@drvc.org, 516-678-5800 Ext. 381

Donna Crean – Assistant Director/Project Rachel Coordinator

dcrean@drvc.org, 516 678 5800 Ext. 626

Jamey Hutchinson BSN CFCP CFCE Educational Liaison to

Gianna Center for Women's Health & Fertility

631-376-3232