Fr. Pavone Invited to Notre Dame Commencement by Students Holding
Alternate Ceremony
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Margaret, 888-735-3448, ext. 251
May 11, 2009
Fr. Frank Pavone announced today that next Sunday, May 17, he will be present on
the campus of the University of Notre Dame.
Members of the senior class who have decided not to attend their
own graduation have invited him to lead them in prayer at the Class of 2009
Vigil for Life, which will start at 2pm, the same time as the commencement
ceremony in which President Obama will be honored.
The Class of 2009 Vigil for Life will take place at the Grotto
of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary will be prayed and
Fr. Frank will give five-minute meditations prior to each decade.
In response to the invitation, Fr. Pavone stated, “In standing
with these students, I am standing with the true spirit of Notre Dame: a
pro-life spirit, in harmony with human reason and Catholic Faith. The scandal
that has been generated does not represent what Notre Dame is all about; it
represents a radical betrayal of what Notre Dame is all about. I am encouraged
by the pro-life activities of so many student groups on this campus – activities
that are carried out all year round.”
Fr. Pavone added, “Hundreds of thousands of Catholics, hundreds
of priests, and dozens of bishops have called upon Notre Dame to end this
scandal by withdrawing its invitation to President Obama. The result of that
demand is not in our control. But one final response to this scandal is fully in
the control of each graduating senior: don’t show up. Don’t
participate in an event which will only serve to obscure rather than highlight
the Church’s pro-life teaching and the true spirit of Notre Dame. Instead, come
to the Class of 2009 Vigil for Life. The seniors who do this are manifesting the
real meaning of commencement: they are carrying out the witness to
truth and service that their hard-earned degrees have prepared them to give in
the world.”
Priests for Life has joined with the student groups that
comprise “ND Response” (see
www.NDResponse.com) in calling on all the faithful to pray a million
rosaries in reparation for the scandal of that has arisen with the decision of
Notre Dame to honor pro-abortion President Barack Obama. To sign up for this
rosary campaign, visit
www.PrayerCampaign.org.
Fr. Frank has released a YouTube commentary on the Notre Dame
situation on his channel at
www.YouTube.com/FrFrankPavone. His full commentary in print can be found at
www.priestsforlife.org.
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization
dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit
www.priestsforlife.org.
Read the text of Fr.
Frank's full statement here.
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