Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast a Life Affirming Success

The Pro-Life Action League’s Joe Scheidler, Corrina Gura and myself attended the Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast this morning in downtown Chicago and the event was a rousing success.

The breakfast, which is the work of Catholic Vote, opened with a Rosary and Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki. Bishop Paprocki has been an Auxiliary Bishop in the Chicago Archdiocese since 2003 but has recently been appointed the Bishop of the Springfield Diocese.

After Mass, the breakfast and program began. Fr. Frank Hoffman, better known as Fr. Rocky from Relevant Radio, was the master of ceremonies and Bishop Paprocki opened the program with a prayer.

U.S. Representative Dan Lipinski, the only Democrat from Illinois to vote no on the healthcare bill over the issue of abortion, received the first ever “Simply Catholic” award for standing up for the Catholic faith instead of towing the party line. The award was presented by Catholic Vote’s Brian Burch and congressman received a standing ovation during his remarks as he received the award.

The keynote address came from Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Diocese of Oakland, California. The bishop shared the harrowing story of his involvement in the fight to protect traditional marriage with Proposition 8 in California. He closed his remarks with an exhortation to prayer, fasting and hard work to change American culture for the better.