From my heart to yours ...

November 11, 2016

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you… plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

As I thought of what to share in my first message to you, our friends of life, this verse spoke to my heart. I am by nature a planner and a list-maker. I look ahead to see the next opportunity or obstacle that might reveal itself. But no amount of looking down the road could have foreseen the path that led me here. If someone had told me twenty years ago that I would have the honor and the challenge of leading this amazing organization that stands in the gap between life and death on a daily basis, I would have been incredulous.

At the time, I was a first-year law student and would eventually find myself at a downtown Dallas law firm. Four years into my practice, my colleague, friend and now husband observed: if we accept the fact that millions of children are being killed by abortion, it is hard to believe people aren’t doing more. That moment of reflection led my pro-life position to become a passion. After a brief internet search that same night, I found my future, or more aptly He showed it to me: The Catholic Pro-Life Committee.

Now after over a decade of volunteering and communicating on behalf of the CPLC, I am humbled to step into some very big shoes to help steer this ship that is doing so much good for so many.

What never ceases to amaze me is how our ministry directors and staff never stop working for those we serve. I was reminded of this just last week as our directors gathered for an evening of fellowship, and three had to step away to take urgent phone calls from people needing assistance. Their day is never done; they are never off the clock – because the needs of the most vulnerable are always with us. Of course, none of this would be possible without God’s endless grace and the support of devoted volunteers and supporters like you.

One of the most striking examples of how our ministry works with the community to support those in need is our recent outreach to a single mother with five children between the ages of 7 months and 7 years, with twins on the way. Very sick and having lost a lot of weight, she was advised to abort her twins. She desperately needed emotional support, family assistance and medical care. Through our Project Gabriel Ministry, she received the care of a Gabriel Angel, and a community of supporters stepped up to offer her meals, childcare, and even house-cleaning while she was hospitalized. This is what it looks like when Christ’s Church responds. Now healthy and happily awaiting the birth of her twins, she told our Project Gabriel Ministry Director that she wants to return to church, and has been attending Mass with her!

This mother is just one of the many who our ministry is honored to serve. During this fall 40 Days for Life campaign, our sidewalk counselors – supported by hundreds of prayer volunteers – helped 11 mothers choose life for their babies! (Plus another 318 for the year so far!!) And as we close out this Year of Mercy, our retreat teams have been blessed to journey with numerous women and men on the path to healing, including a retreatant who recently shared:

"This ministry saved my life."

CPLC also helps guide those we serve beyond their moment of crisis. GEMS – an outreach of Project Gabriel – provides mothers a path to personal, professional and spiritual growth. At the first GEMS class this fall – Beauty Inside and Out – our Gabriel Moms enjoyed a morning of pampering and learning how important it is to treasure their God-given dignity. Appreciating their own gifts is the first step towards real transformation, towards leading a life defined by Christ instead of crisis.

As we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I know we all share a great gratitude for the gift of family and friends who support us through our most challenging times. Let us also remember those who do not have those same support systems and look to us -- Christ's People of Life -- to stand in the gap.

I am so thankful for each of you, who step up and make that possible, each and every day. It is your commitment that inspires hope for the day when the gift of life will be valued at every age and any stage. Thank you, Friend of Life, for your devotion to this “future of hope.”

Grace and blessings,

Becky Visosky
Executive Director

Grace and blessings,