DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — At the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Pro Vita Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James on Jan. 19, Bishop Robert Brennan urged the faithful to advocate for the sanctity of life at all stages.
“ ‘For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent. For Jerusalem’s sake, I will not be quiet,’ so we heard in the prophecy of Isaiah,” Bishop Brennan said during his homily on Jan. 19. “And as we bear witness to life, we also cannot be silent.”
Speaking to The Tablet after Mass, Bishop Brennan explained that the advocacy of Catholics — like those at the Pro Vita Mass — is crucial for the Church to create a culture of life nationwide.
“We need to transform the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens and help them see the beauty of life in all of its stages,” Bishop Brennan said.
Father Michael Gelfant, pastor of Blessed Trinity Catholic Parish in Breezy Point and the diocese’s liaison for the Knights of Columbus, said it’s essential that the “small army” of Knights in the diocese continue speaking out for life.
“As the bishop said, ‘do not let your voice be silenced,’ ” Father Gelfant said. “Everyone thinks we won. Roe V. Wade is no longer the law of the land, but you see that New York has some of the worst legislation regarding abortion.”
While Governor Kathy Hochul didn’t mention abortion policies in her recent State of the State address, she outlined in an accompanying document pro-abortion policies, including codifying abortion as “protected emergency medical care” in New York law
Kristen Curran, the New York Catholic Conference director of government relations, described the governor’s proposals as “a familiar disappointment.”
“Despite acknowledging New Yorkers’ concerns about affordability, Governor Hochul will once again seek to funnel millions of dollars to the abortion industry while families struggle to put food on the table,” Curran said in a statement.
Curran also noted Hochul has allocated more than $35 million to abortion providers since she assumed office, which has primarily benefited Planned Parenthood.
However, in August, the organization announced that, due to funding challenges, it had to reduce its services and close four clinics statewide.
“That Governor Hochul would continue to pour resources into an entity that cannot manage funds while everyday New Yorkers struggle is deeply disappointing,” Curran said. “Women and families need compassionate solutions to lift the vulnerable out of poverty, truly address women’s health, support families, and provide babies and children with the resources they need to thrive.”
New York is often referred to as the abortion capital of the United States, as the procedure is legal through nine months of pregnancy, and it’s one of the few states to require taxpayers to fund abortion through Medicaid.
In November, New Yorkers also passed Proposal 1, the “Equal Rights Amendment,” which enshrined abortion into the state’s constitution. New York’s Catholics Bishops have said that the amendment “effectively, permanently legalize abortion without restriction, and up until the moment of birth in New York.”
Also, at the Mass, the Cathedral Basilica of St. James welcomed a new statue of the Blessed Michael J. McGivney that was gifted by the Knights of Columbus.
Father Gelfant said he and other Knights raised $70,000 to buy 11 statues to give to each of the cathedrals and co-cathedrals in New York. The statue is the second one in the Diocese of Brooklyn after the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights received one in August.
“The movement of Blessed Michael McGivney when he’s canonized will be a lot bigger … and cause other jurisdictions in the United States to start placing statues in their cathedrals, so we’re trendsetters here in New York,” Father Gelfant said.
Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Conn., in 1882 with a mission to support Catholic immigrants and orphans. The fraternal organization now exists globally, with roughly 15,000 members in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Pope Francis declared Father McGivney blessed in 2020.
Sir Knight Mario Massa of the Knights of Columbus Council #11449 received the Bishop Thomas Vose Daily award for his work with the Right to Life Movement. The award, given annually at the Mass, is named after the late Brooklyn Bishop Thomas Vose Daily, who served as the supreme chaplain for the Knights of Columbus and was a strong voice in the pro-life movement.
“I appreciate everybody that selected me today to receive this award and I am taking this award for all the brother Knights in New York State,” Massa said after receiving the award.
Sister Caroline Tweedy, RSM, executive director of St. John’s Bread and Life, received the Father Michael McGivney Medal for Life at the Pro Vita Mass.
Bishop Brennan, once a member of the Knights of Columbus, said he appreciates them being a consistent “witness to the respect and dignity” of all people.
“This is an annual event that’s sort of a reminder to us all that we have to work hard at promoting that respect,” Bishop Brennan said. “You see how that respect for the dignity of human life runs throughout the gamut of human life.
“The people who were honored today do tremendous work.”