Media Contact: Alexa Coombs, acoombs@studentsforlife.org, (571) 295-7352
(Boston, MA) – On Monday, May 20th, Students for Life of America (SFLA) and other local and national pro-life organizations will host a Prayer Vigil and Public Witness outside the Boston College graduation ceremony to protest Ireland’s 1st pro-abortion Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, giving the commencement address and receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the Catholic institution. SFLA will gather together in prayer and to be a public witness in standing up for women, showing the value and worth of all children in the womb, and voicing support for keeping Ireland abortion-free.
When: Monday, May 20th
8am – Prayer Vigil and Public Witness
9am – Press Conference
Where: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA – By the corner of Beacon Street and Reservoir Avenue, on the public sidewalk at the entrance driveway to Visitor Parking outside Alumni Stadium
“The fact that Boston College is honoring the man who is pushing an abortion bill that will lead to the mass death of preborn Irish children and the harm of countless women and families is unconscionable,” said Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life of America. “Thousands of people from across the globe have taken action on our website NotAtBC.com to voice their outrage over the decision and send messages of support to Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who has been under attack by pro-abortion forces for boycotting the event. It is shameful that BC’s President, Rev. William Leahy, has not rescinded the school’s invitation to Prime Minister Kenny, despite the outcry from the public and its Catholic leaders. If Boston College won’t stand for the preborn at its graduation ceremonies, we will.”
Prime Minister Enda Kenny and his governing party Fine Gael have gone against their election promises and introduced abortion legislation that would legalize abortion in Ireland under the guise of preventing the suicide of pregnant women. As there is no gestational age limit to the measure, it would mean abortion on demand, by threat of suicide, through all nine months of pregnancy. In addition, Catholic hospitals would be forced to comply with the proposed law as it does not contain conscience clause protections for physicians, nurses, and other health care workers.
The Catholic Church in Ireland has denounced the measure and called upon the Irish people to lobby their elected representatives to oppose it. Cardinal Sean Brady, the Primate of Ireland, said the bill, if approved, would “make the direct and intentional killing of unborn children lawful in Ireland.” In addition, Kenny has threatened to expel pro-life Catholic TDs (members of parliament) from his Fine Gael parliamentary party if they refuse to vote for the measure.
NotAtBC.com is an action website sponsored by a coalition of the nation’s leading pro-life organizations.
Students for Life of America (SFLA) is the nation’s largest youth pro-life organization and the only national pro-life organization dedicated to training and equipping college, high school, medical, and law school students. Since 2006, SFLA has helped to establish and build over 700 student pro-life organizations and has trained tens of thousands of students nationwide. The Students for Life of America National Conference is the largest pro-life youth event in the world.
