Nearly 400 faithful of all generations jumped to their feet in support as Msgr. Sean P. Flynn called for action to protect life.

“We all have a duty to protect the life of the most vulnerable from conception to birth to life in all its stages,” Msgr. Flynn, pastor of St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt, said during the 30th annual Mary's Child Pro-Life Ministry dinner Oct. 27 in Spring Lake’s Doolan’s Shore Club.

He appealed to everyone in the jam-packed room – and especially the nearly 100 young people present – to keep up their efforts to fix a system that still remains broken where life issues are concerned.

“If the system is broken, how we fix it is to treat all sisters and brothers with dignity and respect. If we can get our young people to be very pro-life, we can turn hearts,” he said.

“We need to remain vigilant,” he continued. “Even should Roe v. Wade be overturned, the battle will continue on the state level.”

Msgr. Flynn was honored as this year’s Champion for Life for his consistent work with pro-life causes in the parishes he has served throughout the Diocese, including St. Joseph, Toms River; St. Dorothea, Eatontown, and Sacred Heart, Mount Holly.

Bernard “Bernie” Ricciardi, also of St. Mark Parish, was honored with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award for his active support of pro-life causes in the Knights of Columbus, fundraising, and supporting crisis pregnancy centers and programs that help the mentally and physically challenged.

In accepting his award, Ricciardi shared his appreciation for the young people in the room who contributed $7,000 to the Knights of Columbus for a mobile ultrasound unit for the Cornerstone Women’s Resource Center, a women’s crisis center.

Good Works

The annual dinner was sponsored by the Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry, composed of the Monmouth County parishes of St. Catharine-St. Margaret, Spring Lake; St. Denis, Manasquan; St. Mark, Sea Girt; St. Rose, Belmar; St. Teresa of Calcutta, Bradley Beach, and Holy Innocents, Neptune. Proceeds from the event go to 18 charities including: Birthright of Red Bank; Good Counsel Homes-South Jersey; LifeNews.Com; Madonna House; Michael’s Feat; Rachel’s Vineyard; Sisters for Life, and Solutions Pregnancy Center.

In their remarks, Bonnie McGonegle, president of Mary’s Child Pro-life Ministry, and Mary Reilly, founding president and current vice president, shared their enthusiasm about the turnout, attributing it to the ministry’s good works and the devotion of the honorees.

“By the grace of God, Mary’s Child does good works through all kinds of people who offer loving support of the body, mind and soul approach,” McGonegle said. “We are honoring two men who have both done impactful things to save babies.”

Together, these efforts, she said, “meet the needs of the spirit and help people with loving support that lets them know God is a healing God.”

Reilly referred to Msgr. Flynn as a “voice for the voiceless” over the decades. “He has worked for life wherever he saw a way to bring [someone] home to Jesus. God sends his priests where he sends no others.”

In for Life

Among those applauding Msgr. Flynn’s words were 83 teens from the parishes, schools and religious education programs who have rallied to the cause for life. They welcomed and showed guests to their tables as well as introduced the evening’s speakers.

Matt Driscoll and Chris Clark, both 17-year old seniors in Manasquan High School, emceed the event. They were among the 11 CYO seniors recognized with Guardians of Life certificates for their contributions to a host of service projects, including visiting nursing homes, soup kitchens, and going on inner-city and rural work missions.

“Talking about why every life is import is important,” said Clark. “Bringing the message into school and communities and on into college is important.”

Added Driscoll, “Abortion is a really controversial topic, and having the whole dinner saying ‘thank you’ to the young people because they show there is something to build on, something to pass on from generation to generation, it was great.”