Recapping the Spring Semester
Adapted from the Spring 2021 Alumni Newsletter
This semester, members of Georgetown Right to Life adapted to extenuating circumstances imposed by COVID-19 in all three of our pillars: social, service, and speaker events. We hope you enjoy this snapshot of our work over the last few months!
Members of the ‘20-21 GU RTL Board
The 22nd Annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life
This year marked the 22nd Annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life (OCC). Spearheaded by the OCC Board, led by Luke Lamey (SFS ’21) and Joey Yacovone (COL ’22), the 2021 OCC featured a keynote address by Aimee Murphy, founder & former Executive Director of Rehumanize International, as well as concurrent sessions discussing a variety of pro-life issues, live sponsorship exhibitions, and a panel discussion on “Global Pro-Life Approaches in the 21st Century.”
Aimee’s message stressed the need for inclusivity and consistency within the pro-life movement, a central goal of her organization. As our Vice President Matteo Caulfield (COL '23) reflected in his RTL blog post, "Aimee Murphy and Herb Geraghty’s work at Rehumanize International gives me hope for the future of the pro-life movement…they teach us how to be purposeful with our language so that it uplifts all groups of people, and they take a strong stand against all forms of hate."
“People’s dignity is innate and intrinsic. It never disappears. Everybody, however sick, whether physically or mentally, however disabled, retains an inherent and ineliminable dignity, which carries with it a right to not be intentionally killed.”
Aimee's keynote is available for viewing here, and the panel here. Stay tuned for more information on next year’s O’Connor Conference, scheduled for January 22, 2022!
Spotlighting International Dimensions of Pro-life Issues
In light of major policy changes ushered in by the Biden Administration, RTL partnered with the Georgetown Undergraduate Federalist Society to host an event this March with Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO of Americans United for Life, and Louis Brown, Executive Director of Christ Medicus Foundation. Together, Foster and Brown explained and examined the implications of increasingly liberalized domestic and international abortion laws and US foreign policy on the matter, painting a sobering picture of this accelerating trend amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February, Omar Alshogre—a public speaker, torture survivor, and Georgetown student detained seven times by the Syrian regime—shared his story with members of our group, discussing his convictions about human life and dignity in the midst of civil war, trauma, and the refugee crisis.
Members of RTL listen as Omar Alshogre shares his personal testimonial
Our final speaker event of the semester, "Unveiling the Uyghur Crisis," welcomed Nury Turkel & Olivia Enos for a panel discussion on the ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China.
Mr. Turkel, named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World last year, serves as a Commissioner for the US Commission on International Religious Freedom & was himself born in a Uyghur re-education camp. Ms. Enos, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation, expressed vital concern about the forced sterilizations of "between 80 and 80% of Uyghur women of childbearing age," among the other pro-life implications of this ongoing crisis.
Getting Creative With Service
RTL Service Chairs Mary Rawlins (NHS ’22) and Dominic Parente (COL ’22) adapted with grace and enthusiasm in providing members with new opportunities to engage in pro-life service from afar.
This March, for the first time, RTL held a Service Spotlight Week featuring a service activity of the day to encourage Hoyas everywhere to partake in pro-life service safely. Midway through the week, Susan Gallucci, Director of The Northwest Center, joined us for a conversation on the mission and work of this local, Hoya-founded non-profit and longstanding RTL partner.
Led by Mary, we also held a virtual card-writing event to write affirming notes to struggling individuals through the More Love Letters program.
Special Thanks
First, all our congratulations and best wishes to all our recent graduates who served in RTL and/or OCC leadership positions while on the Hilltop, particularly Paulina Enck, Luke Lamey, Reggie Goswami, Christof & Carina Kuehne, Andrea Carballo, Sam Dubke, and Hayley Grande. The pro-life movement at Georgetown is stronger for the vibrancy and dedication you brought to our community!
Thank you also to those who gave of their time and finances to support our work, especially the Helen V. Brach Foundation and the Seidler Family Foundation; without you, especially in a year like this, our ability to advocate for life would be significantly curtailed.
And to all our partners & co-sponsors—the OCC Board, the Georgetown Federalist Society, Georgetown's AEI Executive Chapter, GU College Republicans, Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus, and GU Politics—we do not take for granted your willingness to use your platforms to help us spread awareness of critical life issues.
Finally, on both a professional and personal note, I would like to thank each member of the ’20-21 RTL Board—Mary, Christof, Matteo, Nancy, Lillian, Tasha, Adriana, David, Dom, Reggie, & Julian—it was an immense honor leading this community alongside you. The commitment, care, and courage I saw you live out was unparalleled to what I've seen in other communities and individuals at Georgetown.
GU RTL is in excellent hands with the newly elected ‘21-22 Board!
Kerry is the outgoing President of GU Right to Life and is immensely grateful for the opportunity to have served in and with this community over the last two years.
