The 2023 Celebrate Life Banquet, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Education Fund, can be described as “spectacular.” Raymond Arroyo, a keynote speaker and cable news host, deserves considerable credit for his ability to communicate sheer joy, even as he explained the challenges that lie before the pro-life movement.
Arroyo characterized the pro-life movement as a “movement of hope,” and he lauded the Pennsylvania affiliate of National Right to Life as a “sign and extender of hope.” He further observed that the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation is a relatively small organization that is nevertheless capable of achieving significant results.
Additionally, Arroyo referenced the words of the renowned pro-life advocate Mother Teresa, who made a profound impact at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast when she stated, “The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion. Please do not kill the child.” He highlighted that “abortion has become a significant political issue at the state level, with intense debate and conflict.”
This is undoubtedly the case in Pennsylvania, where Democrat pro-abortion Governor Josh Shapiro has threatened to terminate funding for the Commonwealth’s award-winning Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services program, administered by Real Alternatives. The program provides financial assistance to pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies across Pennsylvania and has become a model for the rest of the nation.
The Celebrate Life Banquet, which benefits the life-saving, life-changing work of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Education Fund, drew hundreds of people from across the Commonwealth. The event served as a forum for attendees to both celebrate and commiserate in light of the struggles Pennsylvania faces in maintaining legal protections for preborn children and their mothers.
To learn more about the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, please visit our website at www.paprolife.org.