Programming includes lecture from former abortion worker
Notre Dame Right to Life (RtL) hosted its annual Respect Life Week with the theme “Vita, Dulcedo, Spes: Building a Notre Dame Culture of Life.” The week, held September 30 to October 4, included Log Chapel mass, a keynote address by Kelly Lester, and an all-club bonfire, among other activities.
Alejandra Ricardo, RtL Director of Service, told the Rover that Respect Life Week seeks to “highlight the culture of life that pervades the Notre Dame community through acts of service, prayer, and education.” She continued, “A successful Respect Life Week will celebrate life and strengthen the Fighting Irish in our fight for life.”
RtL president Jackie Nguyen explained the week in the context of RtL’s broader mission “to foster a culture of life at Notre Dame through prayer, service, education, and community.”
Respect Life Week embraced all four pillars of this mission through eight events. The week began with an informational all-club brunch, and educational events continued throughout the week with two tabling sessions.
Tommy Le, a sophomore member of RtL, commented to the Rover, “Respect Life Week provided me with insight into the lives of pregnant mothers, as well as how Christ’s Gospel of love and mercy remains prevalent with the issue of abortion. These events allowed me to be more involved in a movement that I previously supported through words alone.”
The highlight of the week was a keynote address from former abortion worker Kelly Lester, who currently works in outreach for the non-profit organizations And Then There Were None and Pro-Love Ministries.
And Then There Were None aims to “help abortion workers quit their jobs in the abortion industry, and rediscover the peace, joy, and freedom they’ve been missing,” according to its mission statement.
Pro-Love Ministries’ stated mission is to “unify the pro-life movement, identify blind spots, and fill gaps through [their] comprehensive strategies, projects, and affiliations.”
Lester’s address, titled “Beauty from Ashes,” focused on her personal experiences with abortion and working in an abortion clinic, and how that involvement ultimately pushed her to become a pro-life advocate.
Lester began by discussing her own abortions and her time as a receptionist in a small abortion clinic. She detailed her specific tasks working in the clinic, including going through magazines in the clinic’s waiting room to cut out “anything that might cue the maternal instinct.”
Lester described further, “While the girls were in the back, we would turn the heat very hot, or the air conditioning very cold, so that the guys would get up and leave. And then when the girl would come out, we would say to her, ‘See sweetheart, if he won’t even support you for this appointment, what makes you think he’ll support you for a child?’”
In addition to sharing her experiences on both sides of the abortion industry, Lester took time at the end of her talk to focus on the prevalence of chemical abortion on college campuses. She warned, “While [Indiana] is not performing abortions at brick and mortar buildings, abortions are still happening in this state, and abortions are still happening on your campus … So, as students, it’s really important that you understand the [risks] of abortion pills.”
After the talk, Lester opened up the floor for questions. One attendee asked what “gaps” Lester identified in her pro-life outreach. In response, Lester said, “Childcare is a huge gap in our society. … If you don’t have childcare, you can’t work, you can’t go to school, you can’t do those things.”
In a comment to the Rover, Lester expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to speak on a pro-life campus, saying, “On other campuses it can be very dangerous to be [outspokenly] pro-life. There certainly would have been counter-protesters here. … if we’d been at a different university, so it was nice to not have that.”
Sophomore Georgia Blando said of the address, “After hearing [Lester’s] talk and speaking with her … I realized that I really want to try to do something to promote awareness about chemical abortion on campus.”
In a final encouragement to attendees, Lester told students, “Educate yourself on the realities of abortion. So many people have no idea what is actually going on in an abortion facility. The moral aspect of [abortion] is important, and is definitely not something we want to remove, but you need to know what you’re talking about.”
Respect Life Week concluded with an all-club mass in the Basilica, followed by a bonfire dance, which was themed “God, Country, Notre Dame.” To encourage members to bring a date, RtL debuted “Life-Pact,” a program that paired members up by common interests. Looking ahead, the club will host lectures and social events throughout the semester, culminating in their annual trip to the National March for Life in January.
Will Carlson is a sophomore in the Program of Liberal Studies with minors in theology and constitutional studies. He’s currently crying softly as he resignedly awaits yet another Dodgers’ postseason choke job. Send your condolences to wcarlso2@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: ND Right to Life
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