ND Forum panel focuses on perinatal care
Notre Dame Right to Life (RTL) hosted its annual “You Are Loved” Week from March 31 through April 6. Events included tabling, rosaries, a candlelit vigil at the Grotto, two Masses, and a panel discussion. The week concluded with the Ave Maristella ball and a Sunday brunch celebrating undergraduate families.
The panel, which Right to Life co-hosted with the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture (dCEC) took part within the year-long 2024–25 Notre Dame Forum lecture series themed “What Do We Owe Each Other?” This installment, titled “Upholding the Dignity of Mother and Child,” focused on issues facing pregnant women considering abortions and the steps healthcare providers can take to address them.
Jackie Nguyen, president of Notre Dame RtL, introduced the speakers, which consisted of Doctor Kate Callaghan of Beacon Memorial Hospital, Notre Dame Professor Mary O’Callaghan, and Erin Lynch, Director of Counselor Training at the Women’s Care Center in South Bend. The panel was moderated by Petra Farrell, RtL faculty advisor and Director of Culture of Life Initiatives at dCEC.
Callaghan, who serves as Associate Director of Memorial Family Medicine Residency, opened. “I am not a parent myself, but I not infrequently tell those dearest to me who are parents that I think that being a parent is the hardest job on the planet.” She said, “It’s beautiful and rewarding, no doubt, but that beauty and reward is hard won.”
Lynch then spoke about her experiences at the Women’s Care Center. “When I meet with a woman, I invite her into a conversation.” Describing the approach the Center takes to caring for newly pregnant women, she said, “Our goal when we’re talking to a woman isn’t to scare her or shame her out of a decision if she’s considering abortion,” rather, it is “to really understand her, to understand her circumstances.”
Professor O’Callaghan, a Visiting Fellow in the McGrath Institute for Church Life, spoke on her own experience with pro-life advocacy. “I absolutely ground my work very much in the disability rights movement.” Comparing the current narrative on the status of the unborn to eugenicists of the early 20th century, O’Callaghan said, “We’re really seeing a repetition of the eugenics movement in perinatal medicine.” Commenting on priorities for governmental reform, O’Callaghan clarified, “In terms of establishing precedent for legislation, we absolutely need to work for justice and to ground our work in rights.”
In a conversation with the Rover, O’Callaghan described how the Church can increase its support for women who would seek abortions. Recommending “ministries of accompaniment,” O’Callaghan said, “Physical support is crucial, of course, but not sufficient. … There are no ministries which support mothers who receive a prenatal diagnosis in every diocese; every parish should be ready to step up and provide support for families who experience this.”
O’Callaghan remarked that progress in the prolife movement needs to come on the legal and personal fronts. She told the Rover, “Legislative reform is absolutely necessary.” However, she also emphasized limitations in the law’s ability to prevent abortions, saying “Justice does not go far enough; we need compassion as well. Banning abortions won’t remove the fear and hopelessness that can accompany an unplanned or difficult pregnancy.”
The panel received positive reactions from students. A freshman in Siegfried Hall told the Rover, “I’m glad that we’re having events that show abortion as more than just a political issue.” A McGlinn Hall sophomore added, “As a woman, it makes me feel more like the Church is here for us with speakers like this.”
Sam Marchand is a sophomore studying political science and finance from Beaumont, Texas. He squanders much of his spare time by reading the Current Events section of Wikipedia preparing arguments for ND Speech & Debate, of which he serves as president. He can be reached at smarcha3@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: ND Right to Life instagram
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