By Judie Brown
The very first time we met Chris Slattery, he had come to our office to speak with my husband Paul about the needs of his ministry, Expectant Mother Care. He wanted to learn how to raise funds so that he could continue to help expectant mothers caught in the quagmire created by negligent men and an absence of cash. For many of them, as Chris explained, aborting their baby seemed like the only option available.
Paul immediately stepped in, provided funding in the immediate situation, and drew on his years of direct mail and fundraising experience to teach Chris how to raise funds. The rapport between the two of them was incredible to see, and the results of the conversation were extremely helpful to Chris in his lifesaving work.
A pro-life stalwart
As the years went on, Chris expanded his work and made a name for himself in New York—the city he loved. There were numerous beautiful tributes about Chris after his death, but these words of New York auxiliary bishop Peter Byrne exemplify the character of the man we knew and loved: Chris Slattery was “fearless, tireless, and confronted whatever obstacles he had to confront . . . but he never gave up trying to save babies.”
It was no small compliment for Brian Caulfield, a Knights of Columbus spokesman, to say that “Chris was an innovator, and he inspired many people to get involved in the pro-life movement. . . . He had strong opinions and wasn’t always easy to get along with—but there is no denying his total commitment to the cause. He was 100% focused on turning around abortion-minded women. He was a genius and was never intimidated.”
Therein resides the secret to the life of Chris Slattery. As the pro-life Braveheart, he stood in the gap between expectant mothers and the abortionists who would be all too pleased to kill their preborn children. But Chris did more than just talk about it or sidewalk counsel these moms; he built a place for them to go so that they could continue carrying their babies without the pressure to abort.
To read the remainder of this article, visit clmagazine.org/topic/pro-life-champions/the-enduring-pro-life-impact-of-chris-slattery.
To read additional pro-life articles, visit the Celebrate Life Magazine site at clmagazine.org.