Homilies of
Archbishop Richard Smith

Friday, May 12, 2011
St. Joseph's Basilica
Mass for Life

More than 25 years ago, when I was still a seminarian, I had the opportunity to work for a summer in a day camp for children with hearing impairment. Most were profoundly deaf. Others also had some serious handicaps. It occurred to me at that time, and it still does, that many of my experiences there with the children and the challenges they faced can serve as metaphors to describe the situation of our society in relation to the dignity of human life in all of its stages. My encounters with the children and their needs taught me that, with respect to the cause of life, we need to be very attentive to the language we speak, not only by our words but above all by our actions. From them I also learned the need for fervent and persistent prayer for the conversion of hearts. Read more