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Dear Pro-Lifer,

Thank you for your support of Students for Life. We wanted to share with you what has happened these past few days.

Yesterday, the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy (MATP) seminar went on as planned. However, outraged students were there hosting a Cemetery of the Innocents Display on campus. This display engaged and educated the entire student body rather than just creating a circus at the seminar, which MATP was expecting with a protest.

The day started with set-up at 7:30am and ended with prayer at 9:30pm. The students used 360 white crosses each representing 10 children killed everyday by abortion. All day pro-life students stood by the display and held pro-life signs which sayings like "Planned Parenthood Covers Up Rape," "Planned Parenthood Hurts Women," and "If you are Pregnant, We Will Support You."

The display didn't get much opposition until lunchtime when a few pro-choicers made a couple of feeble signs to support Planned Parenthood, one even saying "We Support Sex Ed.". Fortunately, the pro-life students were able to engage them very easily and were soon in a friendly debate. One student who walked by and heard the discussion was very impressed and proposed having a public debate in about a week. Both groups agreed to try and set a date to continue discussion.

Emily and Marissa, the co-presidents of the Holy Cross Students for Life group, talked to three different reporters during the course of the day and handled the media attention very well. Click here to see the story printed today in the Worcester Telegram.

At 5:00pm, we accompanied Emily to President McFarland's office to take the copies of all of the e-mails and petition signatures, but we could not get him to meet with us. His secretary told us that he was in a meeting and asked us to return in 30-45 minutes. She said his meeting might take longer, but that she would make sure we could see him. We returned to his office at 5:40pm only to find that the office was closed, locked, and completely dark.

We finished the day strong with a prayer by candlelight at 9:30pm. At least twenty students came back for the prayer (after having taken shifts all day) to pray with us (in the rain) and take down the display.

Even though the seminar was not cancelled good things have happened and progress has been made. We received and forwarded over 800 e-mails and over 900 petition signatures to Fr. McFarland and Board Chairman Collins. The various alerts that were sent out have awoken Holy Cross alumni, Catholics, and pro-lifers across the nation as to what is happening at Holy Cross. Even local residents are saying this is one of the biggest stories of the year. In addition, we spoke with Katie, a senior and the former president of the Holy Cross Students for Life, who said that she had never seen the group grow this fast nor this substantiality. She said that it was exciting that something had finally moved the campus and that things were coalescing. The size of Holy Cross Students for Life's Facebook group has grown from 20 to over 80 in little over a week. Many former members are re-identifying themselves, now, with the group.

Even though we couldn't get the seminar cancelled, by directing our efforts towards the students, we will have the ability to change not only the attitude of the students but also of the institution. Emily, Marissa, and the Holy Cross Students for Life group are now stronger than ever, ready to stand up for Life on their campus. We are already helping them plan their next events and next semester.

The future pro-life successes at Holy Cross will be linked to this event because of the leadership skills that have been developed. Emily and Marissa are now trained leaders on their campus. Holy Cross has started to see real change from within, not an artificial chipping away from outside forces.

This is what SFLA is doing across the country with our pro-life field program: equipping students with proper training and showing them how to take back their campuses for Life. Thank you for your support. If you are able, please consider donating to SFLA to further our efforts at Holy Cross and other colleges across the country.

Sincerely,

Students for Life of America