Pro-Hope: The John Paul II Life Center’s Call

In order to graduate, I was required to take a class where an internship was required. I remember getting the list a week before the semester started and instantly looking for the “Catholic friendly” internships. On the list I found the Catholic Charities of Central Texas (they already had an intern for the semester) and Care Net of Central Texas, a pregnancy resource center (not technically Catholic, but nevertheless for the pro-life cause)

So, as a good Catholic pro-life girl, I marched myself over to Care Net and interviewed for the internship. Things worked out and I interned for them for five months in the Spring of 2011. During my internship I helped with the community outreach efforts by helping execute their big annual fundraisers, other smaller fundraisers and helped with social media.

I wasn’t near women in crisis, my conference room desk was at the administration offices where women came in for counseling, education classes and supplies. The women who came were women who had already chosen life over their other “options”. Care Net’s medial center, just a few blocks from Planned Parenthood in Waco, saw those women on the front line of the battle for life.

This past Saturday I attended a portion of the Students For Life‘s Texas Regional Conference. President Kristan Hawkins opened the morning with her thoughts on the fundamental nature of social justice, in the sense that we must seek out the needs of individuals in order to help them.  For Hawkins, no one wants to have to go to Planned Parenthood. No one wants to have an abortion but rather, they find themselves believing there are no other options, no other resources or support to help them choose life.

There is hope. There are options. There are people and places that strive to offer options, providing care and being a witness to love and compassion. Centers that provide accurate pregnancy tests, sonograms and opportunities for counseling at are the heart of the mission to provide help for women in crisis.

Here in Austin, we are blessed to have the John Paul II Life Center. The center works to create a culture of life in Central Texas to serve women and families of faiths and backgrounds. As any non-profit, they rely on donor support to continue to offer these services and hope to women.

The JPII Life’s Center 2nd annual banquet “Let Freedom Ring” is on Wednesday, December 5 where His Eminence Cardinal Dianiel DiNardo will address the importance of our First Amendment rights with the impending HHS mandate.

The John Paul II Life Center’s 2nd Annual Benefit: Let Freedom Ring

Keynote Speaker:
His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Pro-Life Chair of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops

Invocation:
Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin

Dignity of Life Award:
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Hilgers, founder of NaProTechnology – state-of-the art reproductive and gynecological health care

When:
Wednesday December 5, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

Where:
AT&T Center, 1900 University Avenue, Austin, TX 78705

How:  
Individual tickets are $50 and sponsorships at varying levels are available by visiting http://www.JP2LifeCenter.org or by calling
(512) 407-2900.