Beech Grove Catholic

"It's Gonna Get Loud"

Thanks be to God that we do "Have a Say". My parents had a say when they also chose to accept life freely from God when he told us to be fruitful and multiply. They honored God and their marital vows. My sisters Anne, Mary, Bernadette, Rita and Lucia all have a say. My brothers Joseph, Michael, Patrick, Philip, Thomas, John Paul, David, Stephen, Dominic all have a say. And guess what? We are saying it, just like all my Aunts and Uncles are saying it, just like all my cousins are saying it. Can you hear it! It's gonna get loud.

Katie - an Adoptive Mother

I am writing, not about my parents choosing to give life, (yes I am thankful for that), but that the biological mother of our boys chose to give life. It took me several months to actually realize this. The biological mother of our boys made a great decision at the beginning not to terminate her pregnancy even though many friends and family pressured her to do. The second great decision she made was that she could not provide the home that these boys needed and deserved and to put them up for adoption. However, in between those two great decisions she made a lot of bad decisions that could have lifelong consequences for our boys. Through the first month of caring for our 2 boys, when we were stuck 800 miles away from our friends and family, the boys were going through withdrawals from the things she did while she carried them, and that made me angry.  The good thing is they came out of the withdrawals by the end of the first month without any major medical treatment.  On Facebook a friend from college posted and said “what a wonderful gift, she chose to give life and put these boys up for adoption to loving parents rather than an abortion or keeping these boys in a bad situation”. I stopped in my tracks as I read it and realized, yes what a great gift, she chose to give life, and all the other stuff doesn’t matter anymore. So for that I am thankful a complete stranger chose to give life, and give us the best blessing we could ever ask for (x2).

Laura Zetzl - IU Med School Sophomore

I have a say, thanks to my parents’ choice of life, and it is something that I have often taken for granted.  I have been immeasurably blessed, and I have so many opportunities, because of their respect for God’s plan in bringing children into the world.  As a young woman who is trying to discern where God is leading me and how to best serve him and others throughout my life, I realized that although I do not yet know the answer to the long-term questions, I do know what I am called to do right now.  I am called to live as a witness to the beauty of life, and the happiness that comes from living in accordance with God’s will.  I have a say, and it’s about time that I use it. 

             It is amazing to me, and incredibly disheartening, that society is encouraging women to “have their say” by taking away the say of others, especially their own children.  The ability to bring children into the world is so intrinsic to the female experience, and yet our culture tells us that this is a burden to rid ourselves of, or at least to put off until it is more convenient for us.  How incredibly self-serving is that?  We have this amazing gift, with the potential to bring us so much happiness, in our sexuality.  But we are encouraged to give it away in little, seemingly insignificant pieces until we decide we want to get married or have children.  By the time that happens, how much of us is lost?  And how cheapened is the gift when it is finally given in God’s intended context? 

            I have a say, and I say enough!  Enough of allowing myself to be discouraged by this culture of death.  I embrace LIFE instead.  I will not settle for this watered-down version of my femininity.  Rather, I will stand as an example of the joy that comes from respecting my sexuality enough to reject the pressures of society and saving it for use only as God intended.  As I said, I am young, and this may make me unpopular among my peers.  But I would much rather be unpopular than unhappy, and there is a huge difference between the two. 

            I thank God for giving me my say, and I thank my parents for letting me keep it.  It is because of you that I have the chance to use it today to affirm the great beauty of life!

Clare Osecki - Having a Say as an Adopted Child

Thanks to my birth parents, 19 years ago, I myself was given the opportunity to Have a Say. One thing I’ve always known throughout my 19 years of life is I am adopted. This is something I have known for as long as I can remember. I’ve always gotten many interesting reactions when friends learn I’m adopted. I’ve gotten big hugs, “I’m so sorry,” tearing up, and even comments about how you never know what you’re going to get with adopted kids, but I turned out alright. Not once did I consider it something as negative in any way. I looked at it with the view that I was given the amazing opportunity to live a comfortable life that my birth parents did not think they could provide for me. I have a wonderful family that I love with my whole heart and great friends whom I would do anything for.

My birth mother was 19 years old when she became pregnant with me. I cannot tell you a detailed account of how my birth mother and father met, nor can I tell you much about their situation, for these are things I may never completely know or understand myself. Despite the many questions about the situation they were in and what drove them to make the decision they made I know one very important thing; my birth mother and father had a say in me being able to be here today. My birth parents were my age when they made a choice. In that moment my life was in her hands. They took responsibility for the actions she made knowing they had their consequences.  They chose life.

One thing I think many people fail to realize is without generations before us saying yes to life, none of us would be here. I don’t think I will ever be able to fully understand when someone’s unborn life became no more than the “choice” of mothers. It is so distressing to me that anyone could look at the life they now have, knowing that their very own mothers once had a “choice” and still deprive unborn children the right to one day have a say, to one day be able to make a difference. Now, I don’t personally know Cecile Richards or anyone else actively a part of Planned Parenthood's campaign. Their motives for what they are doing are honestly no concern of mine. What I do know, however, is their parents had a “choice” much like the one they are advocating today. We were all once nothing more than a heartbeat and a pulse within our mother’s womb. That “choice” that your mother once made could have been the difference between you having life and you being nothing more than just a “choice” that was once made.

Thank you, mom, for choosing life. Thanks to you, I now Have a Say.

Joe Hollowell (My Dad)

I have a say and because of many brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom.  Thanks to them, I live in a country that let's me have a say.  I have gone to schools (mostly Catholic) where I learned it was important for me to have my say.  I have grandchildren who I hope will have a say someday in a land where they are free to live and worship as they see fit.  Lord willing, come next November, I will have a say as to who is running this country, voting on our laws, and making decisions on who will be our judges.  At that time I will say to those who infringe upon my right to live, pray, and worship as God calls me to do that I will do everything in my power to see that they are vanquished from any seat of power from which they have tried to restrict our freedom of religion so preciously provided through the ultimate sacrifice of the lives of my forefathers in liberty. 

Tad Starsiak, CRHS Senior

Tad has titled his essay "Rough Beginning...but Working on a Great Ending!"

My name is Thadeus David Starsiak. I'm 18 years of age, and I attend Cardinal Ritter high school. I will graduate this year, when five years ago I didn't think I would stand here today or be alive. My life certainly hasn't been the hardest, but at the age of 12 my mom passed away. Depression hit me harder than anything ever had or has so far in my life. I was extremely depressed. I would inflict harm upon myself and beat myself up emotionally...There were times when I was on the brink of death, because life didn't seem worth living.

    What I'm getting at is this, though my life to me seemed uncontrollably miserable and there was no way out, I found a way. I realized that I HAVE A SAY in my life. That I have the say whether to be happy or to be absolutely miserable and near suicidal. There is no question in my mind that everything that happens in my life that I have a say in it. Nothing can make me upset, happy, emotional, or anything unless I give it say to do so. That was such a radical idea for me. From there, my life has continued to get better.I am so happy with my life, when five years ago I was thinking of ending it... It scares me that I use to be in that place, but now. Now, I know the worth my life has and I love sharing with everyone who cares to hear that their life is worth something spectacular, because they were made in God's image. Right now, my thoughts are absorbed by the idea that I wouldn't be writing this if my mother and father hadn't said yes to my life...If not for my mother and father. its a very true statement when someone says you don't know what you have till its gone, and that was what occurred with my mom. My father though... I don't know where I would be without him. I can never thank him enough for giving me the life that I have. For giving me so much love and time to make me into a great person, and doing his best to make my life a happy one. He is three quarters of my heart, and I would do anything for him. there isn't a night where I can go to bed without letting him know that I love him. I'm not sure if people ever think about it, but I have thought about this, after I move out of my house for college I will obviously no longer be living with my father.. my father is 63 so he has the possibility of another forty years hopefully!! but out of those forty years, how often will I see him? the time spent with him will probably add up to less than a year in time.. That is a scary thought to me.

    Basically, i thank my father and mother so much for giving me my life. The love they shared let me HAVE A SAY in the world, and now i do my best to share it. To stand up for my Catholic beliefs, and say no to pro abortion agendas, and say no to Obamacare. and once again why can i do this (and any other person Earth)? Because my parents gave me a say in the world....and now ill use it for God.

    Thank you so much Mom and Dad for giving me a say. For giving me a life that has had its ups and downs, but has lead me down a road of happiness. A road where God walks beside me, and guides me. A life that I can use for great purposes and do great things. Thank you so much. I love you two so deeply!

Joe Gehret, 2nd Year Seminarian, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

To Cecile Richards, and the rest of those waving the banners of the culture of death:

My name is Joe Gehret, I’m a 20 year old Catholic man in my second year of college seminary, and I have a say.  I have a say, and what I want to say is something radically revolutionary and yet something incredibly ancient.  I have a say, and what I want to say is “No!”

 I say “No! to the culture of death, which has corroded moral well-being of our culture and taught our children lies and led them into sadness.  I say “No!” to the culture that has reduced men and women to sexual objects, that has made pornography, prostitution, and sex trafficking into billion dollar businesses.  I will say “No!” to the culture that told me to have sex outside of marriage, as though it were as ordinary and commonplace as eating, drinking, and breathing.  I will say “No!” to a culture that tells my two younger sisters that their value lies in their outward appearance and not in the beauty of their hearts.  I will say “No!” to YOUR culture, Cecile.

I am young, so I remember well my upbringing.  I remember being a teenager in the locker rooms of high school, and with my peers bragging about how far they went with their girlfriends the weekend before, or fantasizing out loud about what they would do to one of my female classmates.  They didn’t speak of respect or dignity for those young women; they spoke of objectification, of reducing them to a mere collection of body parts.  This is something that your culture has supported, even praised.  Perhaps I am old-fashioned if I say that a woman deserves more than objectification and degradation in the eyes of her male peers, but I believe it. 

I went through high school as the odd man out because I remained a virgin and treated my female peers with as much respect and dignity as I possibly could.  When I graduated high school, I entered the seminary to study to be a Catholic priest, which as you know, is a vocation of celibacy.  And yet, I welcomed it with open arms.  Why?  Well, among many reasons, I wanted my celibacy to show people that there is something much more beautiful about sexuality than lustful self-gratification.  I wanted to show people that the core of sexuality is not about gratifying our own desires, but about freely giving ourselves to the other in a mutual bond of love.  My celibacy will allow me to give myself to those I serve in the priesthood one day, as an unreserved act of love. 

You see Cecile, it is love that the human heart hungers for, not lust.  Lust is cheap, lust is weak, but love is rich and strong.  Sex is beautiful when it expresses love, true, passionate, deep, fulfilling Christ-like love.  Its more than body, its body and soul, and I refuse to make a mockery of it with contraception, with birth control, with abortion, or with any other demeaning, vulgar, or shallow display of self-seeking lust that you and your organization feed off of. 

Cecile Richards, I have a say, and I say enough is enough! I have had it with your organization’s war march against the sanctity of sex, marriage, and the family.  I’ve had it with your attempts to stomp on the sacred, both in society and in the influence of government policy, and I make my stand here.  I have a say, and I say:  “I stand with the Roman Catholic Church for truth, for love, and for the dignity, beauty, and sanctity of sexuality.”

I Have A Say Thanks to My Mom and Dad

Being the oldest of 11, I am so thankful, especially now, for my Mom and Dad saying "yes" to life!  Growing up, we never had a ton of money.  My Dad was a high school chemistry teacher and my parents decided from the beginning that they wanted to have one of them home with us.  My mom gave up her teaching career, and raised me, followed by 10 others!  My Mom also taught all 11 of us at home for part of our childhood before we would head off to Nativity Catholic Grade School.  My Dad worked long hours, eventually earning other degrees so that he could first become dean, then principal, and finally, when I was a sophomore, he was named Roncalli High School's first president.  My Dad and Mom both sacrificed SO MUCH for us. 

I remember, even as a young person, getting stared at by people, and I remember the comments they would make.  I can still hear a dental receptionist asking my Mom "Are these all yours? You know how children are made right?" followed by a real insidious but ditzy chuckle, followed by a secretarial gum crackle.  My Mom and Dad were always tight budget wise, and I'm sure at times ached with a desire to not have to take bags of clothes from other families so that we could have clothes.  I'm sure my Mom and Dad had desires to simply go to Nordstrom and by us and give us all our own new clothes and Gameboys and Reebok Pumps etc.  I'm sure they at times really wished they could just get a new car and not have to drive a fifteen passenger van around.  I'm sure at times they wanted really badly to just go to a restaurant and sick back and enjoy a big expensive meal instead of having to cut coupons and craft together economic meals on the stove.

But they chose life for us, and they chose sacrifice for themselves. 

I often think about that ditzy secretary now when our family gets together almost every weekend for dinner and laughs and to hang out.  Some of the siblings might be out of town or busy with other obligations, but inevitably, all weekend long, every weekend, our family gets together.  Sometimes, when we're out at a restaraunt, I see the couples who are alone with each other.  They hardly talk to each other and the loneliness is palpable.  A part of me feels bad that we're having so much fun with our 8 tables shoved together, telling stories, laughing good hearty and healthy laughs.  Sometimes I wonder if one of the couples sitting in the restaurant quietly and solemnly is that dental secretary - who now has piles of money and can eat wherever she wants, but doesn't have hardly anyone to share it with.  My heart breaks for the people who are alone, especially the ones who are alone because, when they could have been having children, they instead bought into the contraception lie and lived for themselves only. 

I have a say today, and so do my ten younger brothers and sisters, because my parents chose life.  Mom and Dad - thanks a million!!!