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By REY FLORES

CHICAGO — At times, the work of pro-lifers can seem a daunting task and a thankless job, or one would seem to think so. I have been told by some sidewalk counselors that sometimes there’s the overwhelming feeling of helplessness as they witness the daily slaughter of so many innocents.

The obstacles that block us from truly rebuilding a culture of life seem almost insurmountable, but I am here to tell you that this isn’t the case. No matter how many ver-bal and physical attacks endured by the pro-life warriors on the front lines, they return time and time again. These are prayerful people that know that they do not stand alone in their mission.

Every day, we are bombarded with countless stories about abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraceptive mandates that all illustrate just how bad things have gotten in our nation. Anything and everything that can be done to undermine God’s natural order ofthings is being attempted, and successfully in many cases. Not only have we made every human being’s life so very expendable, but also under attack are the life-affirming institutions of traditional marriage and the family.

In many communities across our nation, an unborn baby doesn’t even have a fighting chance at life anymore, but this isn’t something that we just woke up to today. There are many influential people in the history of our modern society that have been working hard to get to the point at which we find ourselves today.

While seemingly endless rhetoric echoes in the halls of Congress and opinions on such matters emanate from our TVs and radios on a continuous loop, 24 hours a day, the lives of human beings are being extinguished systematically at a rate of around 3,000 per day. And that’s just in our country alone. Just this past week, we learned about a twisted network in China that was busted for selling ground-up aborted human fetuses in pill form as an aphrodisiac and health supplement. Sadly, such anti-life horrors aren’t exclusive to China.

As director of outreach for the American Life League, I have had the opportunity to visit a number of terrific organizations throughout the United States that are entirely dedicated to rebuilding a culture of life in our nation. My ongoing travels have taken me to places like the beautiful town of Durango, Colo., and to the great state of Texas, where Planned Parenthood has been pounded on recently by a hearty bunch of pro-lifers that could only have come from Texas.

During the next few months, we’ll be visiting pro- life warriors from New York to California, and so on, until we have met with over 120 prolife organizations that are part of our ALL Associate Program.

In recent months, I have met with some of the rosary-wielding frontline foot soldiers and some very generous donors to the pro-life movement. I have also met with many of the hardworking and dedicated professionals running the crisis pregnancy centers, where on a daily basis they are given the opportunity to help many mothers choose to save their babies’ lives.

All of these people play a great role in this struggle between good and evil. There are so many people out there, some well- known and many others who are well- known only to God and the countless souls in Heaven who know that someone was out there praying for them while their lives were stolen from them.

Among some of the more wellknown pro-lifers I have heard speak in our travels was the amazing Rebecca Kiessling. Having been conceived through rape, Kiessling gave a powerful witness to debunk the argument that abortion is acceptable in these cases. Kiessling has actually had pro-aborts on some college campuses tell her that she should have been aborted because of how she was conceived.

Kiessling nailed the point right on the head when she stated that she came to the realization that her biological father wasn’t her maker, butthat it was our heavenly Father who has made her. If you ever get the chance to hear Rebecca talk, by all means do so.

Thanks And Recognition

American Life League is visiting all of our associates mainly to thank them and recognize them for the great work that they all do. I couldn’t think of a more important and noble cause. The defense of the defenseless isn’t something any of us necessarily chose to do. It is a cause that has been chosen for us by God. It is an obligation that all of us have as Catholics and as Christians.

Some of us are extremely blessed to be able to work in the pro- life movement while many others volunteer their time to this great and necessary cause. Whichever category you may fall into, it does not matter because the work is something that needs to be done.

While we are only getting started with our nationwide whirlwind prolife tour, I would like to recognize some of our ALL Associates out there fighting the good fight. I thank each and every one of you for doing what you do for life, including, but not limited to: JoAnn Murray with STOPP of Dallas and Elizabeth Muzyka from the Catholic Pro- Life Committee/ Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Dallas; Pastor Walter Hoye and the Issues4Life Foundation in California; Mary Jost with the FOCUS Pregnancy Center in Rochester, N.Y.; John Pisciotta with Pro-Life Waco and all of his great team; Christine Melchor and Suzanne Miral with the Houston Coalition for Life and their Houston pro-life colleagues at the Foundation for Life, especially Judy Vatterott.

There are so many more!

Please support your local pro-life groups out there. These good people need your prayers and support as much as possible. I welcome you to visit the American Life League’s web site at www. all. org to learn much more about the great organizations in our network and how your pro-life organization or group can also become an American Life League AssociateGroup. We look forward to seeing you soon in your part of the country. God bless!

+ + + (Rey Flores is the executive director of BetterCatholicGiving.org and the director of outreach for the American Life League. The views and opinions expressed in this article reflect Flores’ own views and do not necessarily reflect the American Life League. Flores can be reached at D i r e c t o r @ b e t t e r c a t h o l i c giving.com.)