For the past thirty years I have been saying that I have never heard a good sermon on contraception from the pulpit of a Catholic Church. I have, of course, heard excellent lectures on contraception at various pro-life meetings, have taken classes on the subject, talked at length with good priests like Fr. Paul Marx and Fr. Thomas Euteneuer about a the evil of contraception, but a sermons from the pulpit? Never. Until Sunday, January 14, 2007.
A Great Homily on Contraception
Place, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Plattsburg, NY. Speaker, Rev. Bryan D. Stitt, Parochial Vicar. Fr. Stitt apologized to the congregation for not having given a talk on contraception sooner, and then launched into what was a comprehensive view of contraception according to the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church.
The congregation became quiet, except for a crying baby, which Father worked into his sermon very effectively. To our knowledge, nobody walked out of church. Nobody stood up and shouted out angrily. But nobody clapped, either, although I felt like I should.
Later that day people were asking Father Stitt if he had written out this sermon and he said he never writes them out. We told him he should write out this one because people are going to want a copy to show to their friends who were not there. We want one to hand out to other priests who should go and do likewise.
Fr. Stitt was very matter-of-fact about what he had done, and seemed somewhat surprised that he had made such a hit. Father Stitt is a young priest—just three years ordained—was trained in Rome at the American College,a nd is a genuinely humble young man.
I’m almost sure that by now Father has put his homily in writing, and I am going to ask him for one. Perhaps you might want to write him for it, too. That would be Rev. Bryan D. Stitt, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 114 Cornelia Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. Tell Father that Joe sent you. And tell him thanks from all of us.
Your Marching Orders
Staff and volunteers of the Pro-Life Action League will gather near the Supreme Court building as the March for Life attendees approach the end of the March next Monday, January 22, to hand out thousands of brochures in our “Marching Orders” project. These brochures will encourage people attending the annual March for Life to do more to stop abortion, by taking up a variety of activities throughout the year.
We will suggest protests, Face the Truth tours, prayers at abortion mills, leafleting, forming pro-life groups in their own communities, schools and churches. And the League will welcome everyone interested in becoming more active to contact us for help in undertaking these projects. If more pro-lifers become active on a monthly or weekly basis, the movement will grow and spread and more quickly change the nation from a pro-abortion one to one that respects human life.
Mathematicians have shown that if every pro-lifer would convert only one pro-abortionist to pro-life in a week’s time, and that the new pro-lifer would do the same, that within three or four months every person in this nation would be pro-life. Well, then, let’s get started.
If you are planning to be in DC for the march and want to join in this effort, call us and volunteer at 773-777-2900. We can use your help.
