This work of love detailing the life of our beloved Monsignor Philip J. Reilly, founder of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, is a book that should be read by every person who embraces the philosophy of our culture of life work.
We have known Monsignor Reilly for more than 20 years. He was a visitor to our office on a couple of occasions and came with his Helper associates to train our staff on the art of loving expectant mother and her child. We recall with fond memory the lovely pink-cover handbook that was his trademark in those early days.
But his story is far more important than travel and work to train Helpers from coast to coast. Monsignor Reilly, as this biography makes clear, is a spiritual director to many and spiritual inspiration to thousands in our midst. His life has been described as “one long Lent—albeit Lent with a smile.”
Monsignor spoke often about the truths of Humanae Vitae and embraces the theme so much needed today, saying “We have to understand who man is in order to make a judgment about what he does . . . Man is from God and is returning to God.” He teaches that contraception, combined with abortion and sterilization, is a false answer to false problems fabricated by false prophets such as the Malthusians, Darwinists, and Margaret Sanger’s cadre.
Monsignor’s genuine love for the Lord and for human beings inspired so many people. Among them, Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, founder of the Sisters for Life, who discerned her vocation during one of the Helper’s activities in front of an abortion facility! The power of God works every time Monsignor trains others to do his vital work. Of that there is certainly no doubt.
Upon reading this wonderful book, I recalled an article we published about Monsignor Reilly and his work more than 10 years ago. Mary Ruiz wrote at that time:
Msgr. Reilly stresses that the Helpers are an apostolate, and the apostolate cannot begin and end with the life of the preborn child, just as the work of Christ does not begin and end at Calvary. Even if the mother has an abortion, he said, “we must be there for her. Sometimes the child dies before everyone comes to their senses. If she does abort, after four minutes her reaction is usually, ‘Thank God.’ But then after eight minutes, it’s, ‘Oh my God!’ Then there’s grieving and everyone walks away from the woman because abortion is supposed to be the answer. Tell that to some other fool. I’m outside the abortion clinics every day, and I know what it does” (bit.ly/CLM-MTH).
If you never read another book, please take the time to read Pro-Life Champion! It will touch your heart and challenge you in ways only God knows.
Pro-Life Champion, by Frederick W. Marks, PhD; CreateSpace; 2017; 204 pages; $12 (paperback)
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