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April 29, 2017

Longtime pro-life advocate headlines at annual breakfast

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

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HOLYOKE – More than 150 people gathered at Summit View Banquet House on Northampton Street in Holyoke for the third annual pro-life breakfast sponsored by Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley, Inc. Roy Scarpato, one of the founders of Massachusetts Citizens for Life and the Pro-Life Legal Defense Fund was the keynote speaker.

“They’re doing a great job in the western part of the state, particularly in reaching out to the young people and bringing them on board with a background in pro-life thinking,” Scarpato told iObserve.

The Pro-Life Legal Defense Fund (PLLDF), founded in 1975, litigates cases in which pro-life groups have been denied First Amendment rights. The most notable recent case involved the Massachusetts Buffer Zone Law. Lawyers sued then Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and the state over a 2007 law, which put a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics. In June 2014,  the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law saying it violated First Amendment rights.

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Harold Brunault, president of Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley (left) stands with his wife, Paula, Anne and Roy Scarpato (center), and Carole and Philip Moran at the group’s third annual breakfast held at Summit View Banquet House in Holyoke.

“They were denying us what every other group had the right to. That was clearly against the constitution. We took that all the way to the Supreme Court and we won 9 to 0,” Scarpato continued.

The legal group also works with pro-life students at law schools in Massachusetts including Suffolk University, Boston College, Northeastern University and Harvard University.

Attorney Philip Moran, who attended the breakfast, is also a founder of PLLDF.

“There were six plaintiffs,” explained Moran about the buffer zone case. “We petitioned the Supreme Court. They agreed to hear our case. It was like winning the Super Bowl. Not only did we win, but we won 9 to nothing,” said Moran who sat at the head table with Scarpato.

In addition to the annual breakfast, Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley supports many pro-life activities in the Diocese of Springfield. Members organized a local March for Life in Springfield, to commemorate the January anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion in the United States. The group also helped pay for dozens to make the trip to Washington, D.C. for the national March for Life in January.

New to the breakfast was the Fred Glidden Pro-Lifer of the Year award. Glidden, the former president and founder of the group, passed away last November.

“We thought it was a way of honoring Fred. He was vocal and did a lot of pro-life activities at his parish (St. Jerome Parish in Holyoke),” said Harold Brunault, the current president of Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley and longtime friend of the Glidden family.

The award was presented to Longmeadow resident Tony Moran, who is the secretary of Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley. Moran, a member of St. Mary Parish in Longmeadow, was featured in The Catholic Mirror and on “Real to Reel” last January for his commitment to the pro-life cause.

“Of course, Tony stands out at the (abortion) clinic two days a week. He organizes the Pro-Life Chain and he headed up our pro-life license plate program,” Brunault added.

Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley also held an essay contest for students. There were three categories for grades four and five, middle school students, and high school students. The winners are Lamadia Strain, grade five; Leah Sullivan, grade eight; and Emily McGuinness, a junior at Holyoke High School.

“It’s important to end abortion because we need to stand for children who can’t stand up for themselves. It’s not right to kill babies,” said Emily McGuinness. She encouraged more young people to get involved.

“They shouldn’t be ashamed of fighting for the cause,” she said. “They’re not alone. There are other people who believe in the pro-life cause.”

For more information on Pro-Life of Pioneer Valley, Inc., call (413)567-3197.

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