Several decades ago, I was trying to educate myself about pro life resources in NYC. Learning of Chris Slattery was an answer to prayer!
In a phone conversation, I recall Chris Slattery explaining in salty terms that "You've gotta have a pair _____ to do this kinda work."
In addition to his noble assistance to mothers, Chris' life is an excellent response to "Johnny come lately" pro lifers who are in denial of abortions sometimes chosen for convenience and ignorant of noble efforts such as those of Chris. Legislative protections are also needed!
Chris Slattery, a stalwart pro-life advocate who established a network of pregnancy help centers in New York and stood up against government officials and abortion industry leaders, died November 22 after a long struggle with cancer....
Expectant Mother Care...saved upwards of 2,000 babies a year. He often pointed out that EMC was situated in the “belly of the beast” — New York — often referred to as “the abortion capital of America,” having one of the highest abortion rates in the nation....
Slattery also was drawn to protests that sought to change public policy in regard to the protection of unborn life....
In 1988, Slattery and his wife, Eileen, participated in a “rescue.” Slattery was arrested....
Slattery got arrested several more times and became spokesman for Operation Rescue in New York. But he was still working in the advertising industry full time. When abortion advocates began posting “wanted” posters around the city with his photo on it, calling him an “enemy of women,” the notoriety led to his losing his job.
He took a huge salary cut, but he was committed to the cause.....collaborating with the likes of the industrialist J. Peter Grace, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, and others. He hobnobbed with Catholic leaders such as New York Archbishop Cardinal John J. O’Connor, the founder of the Sisters of Life; Mother Teresa; and spiritual writer Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel.
“The confluence of all these people reinforced for me that this was the ultimate cause; this was the cause I was to give my life for,” he recalled....
St. Josemaria Escrivá taught us we have to be excellent professionals,” said Slattery, a longtime supernumerary of Opus Dei. “We have to keep God in mind every moment, praying before, during, and after our work, always offering it for God’s glory. These are God’s children” (Aletia, 11/22/23).
As per Rev Jim Harden,
Chris’ pioneering spirit gave rise to the use of ultrasound scans in 1986, 20 years before most pregnancy centers ever considered using the technology. He even took imagining to the streets with mobile medical vans, now so popular nationwide...
In his later years, Chris became enemy number one for the abortion empire. Since the early 2000s, I personally witnessed Chris’ fighting spirit as he and I took the fight to the abortion industry’s front gate. From Eliot Spitzer to Letitia James, Andrew Cuomo to Kathy Hochul, none of the pro-abortion Goliaths in NYC were able to stand before Chris Slattery, the pro-life David. That’s Chris. Lesser men might have thrown in the towel" (LifeSite, 11/22/23)
Chris Slattery, RIP
Joe Tevington is a proudly orthodox Catholic, a husband since 1986, a dad to two adult children, a grandpa to two, and a civil service retiree. He is a sign language fluent certified rehabilitation counselor with graduate degrees in deafness rehabilitation, religious studies/moral theology, & Christian counseling psychology, as well as a catechetical diploma and certificates in benefits planning and Catholic social ministry. He deeply appreciates Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of the transmission of human life, as well as how they are to inform us in our apostolates and ministries.
On much lighter notes, he fancies himself to be the foremost authority on his native Brooklyn, when it comes to architecture, cinema, geography, history, Italian food, stick ball, stoop ball, or wiffle ball.
