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Fr. Frank Pavone to speak at Thomas Aquinas College on March 22, 2006.
National Director, Priests for Life Founder, Missionaries of the Gospel of Life
Santa Paula, California — On Wednesday evening, March 22, 2006, Fr. Frank Pavone will address students, faculty and friends of Thomas Aquinas College. Fr. Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life and one of the most prominent pro-life leaders in the country. He will speak to the college community about life issues and the pro-life ministry as well as his newly-formed religious order of priests, Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. His talk will take place at 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph Commons. Interested members of the surrounding community are invited to attend.

Fr. Pavone is a frequent guest on national programs such as Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The O'Reilly Factor, and he makes daily appearances on EWTN and Vatican Radio. He serves on Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family Institute and has received the National Right to Life Committee's highest honor, the Proudly Pro-Life Award. Fr. Pavone is president of the National Pro-Life Religious Council and is pastoral director and chairman of the board of Rachel's Vineyard, an international retreat program for post-abortion healing.

Many of Thomas Aquinas College's 350 students are actively involved in pro-life work and pray weekly outside abortion clinics in nearby Ventura, California. More than 120 traveled to San Francisco in January for the 2nd Annual Walk for Life West Coast, marking the 33rd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision, Roe v. Wade.

About Fr. Frank Pavone:
National Director , Priests For Life
President, National Pro-Life Religious Council
Pastoral Director, Rachel's Vineyard

Fr. Frank Pavone was born in Port Chester, New York and has been active in the pro-life movement since 1976. Cardinal John O'Connor ordained him to the priesthood in 1988. Fr. Pavone did parish work and taught in seminaries. In 1993, with the permission of Cardinal O'Connor, he became National Director of Priests for Life. In this full time position, he has traveled to all of the 50 states and to five continents, preaching and teaching against abortion and helping other priests to do the same.

He conducts seminars on pro-life strategy and is regularly invited to speak at national and international pro-life gatherings. Fr. Pavone appears often on national programs such as Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The O'Reilly Factor, and other shows on all the major networks. He is quoted in papers such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. He is seen daily on EWTN and heard on Vatican Radio. His publications are distributed worldwide. He was with Terri Schiavo in her final moments and was an outspoken advocate for her life. Under Fr. Frank's leadership, the Priests for Life staff has grown to 50 full-time employees. Blessed Mother Teresa asked Fr. Pavone to address the clergy of India on the life issues. He has addressed the pro-life caucus of the United States House of Representatives, and was asked by the Vatican to help co-ordinate pro-life activities throughout the world as an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" of the Supreme Court's abortion decision Roe vs. Wade, called Fr. Pavone "the catalyst that brought me into the Catholic Church."

In 1999, Fr. Pavone was named among the Top 100 Catholics of the Century. He serves on Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family Institute. The National Right to Life Committee awarded him their highest honor, the Proudly Pro-life Award. The Franciscan University of Steubenville bestowed on him an honorary doctorate, in recognition of his pro-life work. Fr. Pavone currently serves as President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, a coalition of groups from many different denominations working to end abortion. He is also Pastoral Director and Chairman of the Board of Rachel's Vineyard, an international retreat program for post-abortion healing. In 2004, Fr. Frank was granted permission by Bishop John Yanta to be a priest of the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas in order to begin a new community of priests permanently dedicated to full time pro-life work, the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.