Following is an interview with Carolyn Watson, a pro-life leader in Greenville, SC. We are so grateful to Carolyn for taking time from her busy schedule to answer our questions and share her thoughts with you, our readers....
Can you tell us about your Culture of Life program at St. Mary's in Greenville ?
The Culture of Life Team at St. Mary's has taken its cue from John Paul
II. Our mission is to help the people of St. Mary's to find ways to
build a "culture of life" and a "civilization of love" where every human
life will be respected, protected, and nurtured. We help to promote and
implement diocesan pro-life activities in our parish (such as October
Rosaries for Life, diocesan pro-life seminars, and periodic fund-raising
for local crisis pregnancy centers). We also think up, organize and
implement a variety of events on our own. The following are some examples:
1. We brought in a disabled Viet Nam veteran, Sergeant Wayne Cockfield,
who owes his life to weeks on life-support after an accident in Viet Nam.
(He has a compelling testimony against euthanasia.)
2. Before the 2004 election we organized a panel discussion with experts
who presented Catholic teaching on abortion, embryonic stem-cell research
and marriage.
3. In 2005 we worked with University Faculty for Life at Furman to bring
in Sister Renee Mirkes, Director of the Center for NaPro Ethics of the
Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha. She gave a weekend seminar on love and
marriage that included information on NaPro Technology and the ethics of
artificial reproductive technologies.
For all these activities we typically do much of the planning, we contact
the speakers, produce and disseminate publicity. When funds are short, we
even cough up the funding from our own resources!
How long have you been involved with pro-life activities?
I have been keenly interested in pro-life issues for at least 30 years.
However my consistent, substantial involvement with pro-life work began
about 5 years ago.
What prompted you to get involved with the pro-life movement?
My involvement results from an accumulation of factors. Looking back I can
see that the motivations for my involvement began in experiences in
childhood. At every stage of my life things happened that, in sum, have
fueled my motivation.
How important is it for everyone, including older people, to be involved
with pro-life activities?
Everyone has both direct and indirect interests at stake in pro-life
issues and thus in pro-life work. The direct interest has many faces.
One, to put it bluntly, is this: no matter who you are, you may face
euthanasia, quite possibly in a wretched and painful form, if this
practice takes hold in our society. And at only one step's remove from
your own fate is that of your children and other relatives and the legacy
of your example to them. Pro-life activism, motivated by love, is a
powerful model for others in our families.
Indirectly, everyone has an interest in seeing society become more humane
and respectful of human dignity. No one wants to live in a world in which
cold, abusive conduct is the norm in social interactions. Pro-life
activities, properly motivated by love for God and humanity, will help to
make our culture more humane and nurturing.
How many abortions are done in the abortuary each week?
I don't know, but the statistics are available from the state. I would
estimate about 15 to 20; that may be low.
Have there been any incidences of conflicts between pro-lifers and
pro-aborts?
There are occasional obscenities from passers-by during our prayer vigils,
though the great majority of reactions, from passers-by, to our presence
are positive and supportive. I do not know of any assaults or physical
threats to pro-life counselors and prayer warriors.
How many days during the week are abortions done at the local abortion
mill?
I believer they can be performed almost any day by appointment; Saturday
is probably the busiest.
How long has Greenville had an abortuary?
According to information on its website, the Greenville Women's Clinic has
been open since 1976. Another clinic, the Palmetto State Medical Clinic,
closed a number of years ago.
Do the local churches (other than St. Mary's) picket or counsel at the
clinic?
People from a number of churches, both Catholic and Protestant, pray at
the clinic and work as driveway counselors. On any given Saturday
morning, members of 7 to 10 different churches might well be praying at
the abortion facility.
Does your group have any day devoted to pro-life activities at the clinic?
If so, what do you do?
Our group as such does not officially participate in activities at the
abortion facility, but a number of members of the group participate
regularly in prayer at the site.
What are some of the activities devoted to pro-life that are being done
during the year?
We have contributed to the annual Rosaries for Life, conducted in October,
and to the recent 40 Days for Life campaign (a big effort!); we are
working to engage a pro-life speaker for the St. Mary's youth group in
January. We will be promoting the annual March for Life in D.C. and its
S.C. equivalent, called Stand Up for Life, a rally held in every year
Columbia a few days prior to the D.C. March. This spring we will collect
money for a local crisis pregnancy center and begin planning an
educational event, to be held just before the '08 election, on important
pro-life issues.
How many abortuaries are in Greenville? In South Carolina?
South Carolina has three abortion facilities; one in Columbia, one in
Charleston, and one in Greenville. Planned Parenthood is apparently
planning to build another in Charleston.
