Father Jim Whalen, C.V.

Father Jim Whalen, C.V.

Father Jim, pastor of Saint Margaret Mary bilingual parish in Cumberland, just outside the City of Ottawa, Canada, was born in 1939 and has been a priest with the Ottawa Archdiocese since 1972. Prior to becoming a priest, Father Jim taught at all levels in the Ottawa Separate School system.

Fr. Jim served as the spiritual director of The Senatus, the Governing Body of the Legion of Maty, Northern Ontario. He has also contributed thirty years assisting the Native people of Canada as Chaplain for Native Peoples of Ottawa and as one of the founders of Odawa Native Friendship Center. Further involve­ment includes his work assisting the Ottawa area Catholic Home Schoolers, Association as Spiritual Advisor. Fr. Jim also taught Religious Science for two years at the Ottawa University.

Father Jim has a Masters in Psychology and a Doctorate in Philosophy (Spirituality). His Doctoral Thesis in Formative Spirituality and Psychology is presently being used as a textbook at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.

Fr. Jim is not new to the pro-life movement. In the past, he was the designated Pro-Life Researcher and Analyst for the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Those who know him will quickly tell you that his struggle to advocate for the unborn and other attacks on human life goes back many years.

In the summer of 1996, Fr. Jim was asked by a group of people in the Diocese of Pembroke to take on the role of National Director for a newly created organization called Priests for Life Canada. Without hesitation, Fr. Jim accepted. When asked why he was so open to taking on this chal­lenge, Fr. Jim answered, "As a priest, we cannot 'not be involved'. We must use all the forces available to us to attack the problems of contraception, abortion, and euthanasia".

Likely the most asked question about this particular organization is:

"Is there really a need for a Priests for Life organization? Aren't all Catholic priests pro-life?" Ask Fr. Jim and he'll tell you that, without a doubt, the vast majority if not all Catholic priests are pro-life, but we also recog­nize the tremendous role a priest has in leading and educating his people in pro-life matters. Contraception, abor­tion, and euthanasia are the greatest direct attacks against humanity of all time. Isn't it only right that we sup­port and encourage our priests in this role? Isn't it important that all priests and all Catholics unite in this common struggle to attack the 'Culture of Death' so prevalent in today's society? That is the purpose of Priests for Life, not just to encour­age our Priests 'to be actively pro­life' but to also assist them in their efforts to bring back total respect for life from conception to natural death, and to assist them in revealing the 'whole truth' about pro-life issues while focusing on Moral Relativism and Secular Humanism - the anti-life heresies of our day. Fr. Jim worked tirelessly to promote "Total Christianity" and to build a culture of life, a civilization of love, truth, and justice .•