Passionate Perseverance: today i...

“Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved. Each of us is necessary.”

Today I marched...I marched for my daughter and the dignity of her life. The worlds says she is a burden, my mother's heart says she is the heart of our home and we would not know who we are without her.

Today I marched peacefully along side thousands of others who believe as I do that life begins at conception and every child is wanted and loved.

Today it rained and rained and yet, it was one of the largest crowds I have ever seen at the March for Life. God is moving hearts. He will prevail.

Today I marched for all those babies whose parents chose not to welcome into this world due a disability they felt they could not handle.

Today my mother's heart weeped for those woman and men who have been victims of abortion and all the lies the culture spews about choice. Their children didn't have a choice. They died.

Today I was amazed to see the young church in action. The Roman Catholics, the Anglicans, the Lutherans, the Methodists, the Orthodox Christians, the Greeks and the Jewish communities were represented by so many young people. About 60% of the crowd was under the age of 35. The church is alive and well. Praise God for all of them believing as they do.

Today, I received this picture form Jerry who stayed home with Miss Courtney due to the nasty weather. Usually she marches with us but this year with all of her health challenges, we felt it best for her to remain home and dry. She and Jerry prayed the Rosary for us. She likes to hold the big beads...Daddy helps her move them...

Today, I am once more humbled that God chose me to be her mother. Even though I struggle in this role, watching her suffer on a daily basis, I know God is present all the time. I know that there is a purpose for her life and I know that as long as I trust and hope, everything will be OK!

"An 80 percent abortion rate of those with disabilities shows the need to restore a fundamental respect for human dignity in America, said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia.

He underscored that the plight of disabled babies highlights "a struggle within the American soul" that will shape the future of the nation.

"These children with disabilities are not a burden; they're a priceless gift to all of us," the archbishop said. "They're a doorway to the real meaning of our humanity."

Archbishop Chaput delivered the keynote address at the thirteenth annual Cardinal O'Connor Conference on Life on Jan. 22.

The conference, which was held at Georgetown University, took place one day before the March for Life, at which hundreds of thousands of Americans annually gather in the nation's capital to protest abortion and show their support for the dignity of all human life.

"Abortion kills a child, it wounds a precious part of a woman's own dignity and identity, and it steals hope," the archbishop said. "That's why it's wrong. That's why it needs to end. That's why we march."

He warned that without a strong foundation of faith and morals, America becomes "alien and hostile" to its founding ideals. This threat is clearly demonstrated in the country's treatment of the poor and disabled, which the archbishop said "shows what we really believe about human dignity."

Parents and doctors should be realistic about the challenges, understanding that raising a disabled child will involve "some degree of suffering," he said. However, they should also see the potential and beauty of children with special needs, realizing that no child is perfect.

"The real choice in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs is between love and unlove; between courage and cowardice; between trust and fear," he said.