Father James Whalen: In Memoriam
It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good."(#101) Pope John Paul 11
Fr. Jim Whalen, the founding National Director of Priests for Life Canada, passed away on February 24, 2008 while giving a pro-life mission. Below is a link to many of Fr. Jim's writings during his tenure as National Director of Priests for Life Canada.
Pro Life Stewardship 2005 Priests for Life Newsletter Volume 3 by Fr. Jim Whalen
Stewardship is not an option for pro-life disciples. It is a necessity. It means responding to a personal call to “choose life” and imitate Christ, no matter what the cost. Catholics have a duty to be stewards of human life - Jesus did not hesitate to carry out His mission and expects no less from his followers: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly...” (Jn 10:10). Living as a pro-life steward means collaborating with God in His work of creation and cooperating with God in His work of redemption. A pro-life Christian steward is one who recognizes, receives, and respects God’s gifts of life thankfully - taking care, cherishing them in a responsible and accountable manner, sharing them in love and justice with others, and returning them with increase to the ‘Giver of Life’. A pro-life steward recognizes God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, and the source of all they have, are, and will be. Once human beings have accepted their lives as gifts, the Spirit can use them as instruments to spread the ‘Gospel of Life’ Click here to read more of this article by father Jim
For many more of Father Jim's Writings
click here Writings of Father Jim Whalen
As well as being the first National Director of PRIESTS FOR LIFE CANADA,
Father James Whalen was the Spiritual Director of the Legion of Mary in Ontario for over 25 years,
Father Jim Established Perpetual Adoration in the Cor Jesu Chapel
at Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Cumberland
to Pray for Vocations
Lifesite News
Obituary: click here
and for Father Jim Whalen's C.V. click here
Michael Vande Wiel remembers Father Jim click here
Fr. Jim Whalen's last talk given at a Pro-Life Lenten Mission at Holy Rosary Parish Thorold, Ontario February 23-24. 2008.click here
FUNERAL HOMILY FOR FR. JIM
by Fr. Paul Burchat, A Priest of Madonna House and Founding Chairman of Priests for Life Canada, Delivers the Homily at the Funeral Mass Divine Infant parish, Orleans ON, Friday March 7, 2008
(Readings: Wis. 3: 1-4, 4b,5,9 Eph. 5:8-14 Jn. 6: 35-40)
With the passing of Fr. Jim our country has lost one of its most dedicated priests working on behalf of pro-life. He was passionate, knowledgeable, single-minded, devoted, and courageous - all the things you would look for in someone to head an organization such as Priest for Life Canada. Knowing Fr. Jim I can only imagine that the manner of his death was exactly as he would have planned if he could have had any say in the matter (i.e. during the preaching of a pro-life mission).The readings refer to the two aspects of his faith which were so central to his life and his work, namely his seeking for truth and justice and an unwillingness to compromise with evil and secondly his great love of and devotion to the Eucharist. Click here to continue
ALSO INCLUDED ON THIS PAGE ARE:
Condolences from Concilium, the International Headquarters of the Legion of Mary, Dublin Ireland
Articles from Priests for Life 1996 Newsletter, Issue 1
Links to Newsletters
Numerous articles by Father Jim
Eulogy by Father Jim on the passing of a dearly beloved member of the Legion, Mary Brennan who was father's greatest supporter when he was in the Seminary
Links to the Encyclicals Humanae Vitae and Evangelium Vitae and other pro life information
link to Priests for Life youtube channel
Link to many pro life prayers
Condolences from Concilium, the International Headquarters of the Legion of Mary, Dublin Ireland
Thank you very much for your e-mail although it conveyed very sad news of the death of Fr. Jim Whalen, Spiritual Director of the Senatus. Please convey the condolences of Rev. Fr. Bede McGregor, the Concilium Officers, all the Concilium members and of course of myself and my husband Michael to the family of Fr. Whalen. He was a dedicated priest and committed Spiritual Director of the Senatus and was obviously spreading the gospel message up to the last minute. I am sure Our Blessed Lady welcomed him home. He will be sadly missed by the Legion and his parishioners and I am sure a large number of family, friends and contacts. We will remember him in our prayers and at the March Concilium meeting, I will arrange to have him included in the prayers for the deceased which Fr. Bede reads out each month.
Yours in Jesus and Mary,
Brid Connaughton Concilium Correspondent
Eulogy by Father Jim on the passing of a dearly beloved member of the Legion, Mary Brennan (1908-1998) who was Father Jim's greatest supporter when he was in the Seminary
Priest for Life Newsletters 1996-2005
These are older newsletters that include many excellent articles by Father Burchat and Father Hattie and others and from which the articles below by Father Whalen were taken.
From the Archives
WE NOW HAVE A NATIONAL DIRECTOR!
After only a few months of searching, Priests for Life Canada
finds a National Director.....Priests for Life Canada
taken from 1996, Issue 1 (Fall)
Priests for Life, Canada now has a National Director. After nine short months since the first meeting of the steering committee, Priests for Life is now fully established in Canada, complete with a priest as National Director.
Additionally, nine Canadian bishops have already responded to our appeal for members. For more click here
and also from the first issue of the Priests for Life Newsletter The Significant Image by Father James Whalen
and The Bottom Line: Do You Love Me? by Father James Whalen
Catholics and the Gospel of Life
Father Whalen was a great defender of Humanae Vitae
and wrote numerous articles such as Contraception is Deception and Contraceptive Love or Real Love?
If you visit the Priests for Life youtube Channel , Father Lynch provides an overview of Humanae Vitae at the Humanae Vitae Conference,
Toronto, November 18, 2009
Priests for Life youtube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/PriestsForLifeCanada
Join the International Perpetual Rosary for Life,
dedicated to Father James Whalen
"We can conquer 'The Culture of Death'
and build a 'Culture of Life'
if we unite in dedicated prayer,
through our Blessed Mother Mary,
by proclaiming the Glory of God
throughout the entire world."
Fr. James Whalen,
founding National Director,
Priests for Life Canada
( June 30, 1939 - February 24, 2008)
Ordained: June 24, 1972
by Fr. Jim Whalen, National Director, Priests for Life Canada 1996, Issue 1 (Fall)
"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything." (Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego)
Virgin of Guadalupe,
Mother of America, and Star of the New Evangelization,
pray for us.
Mary: Mother of Divine Life: Model of Prolife Apostles An Article by Reverend John A. Hardon S.J. from the Real Presence website
Father John A. Hardon, S.J. was one of the greatest teachers of the Catholic faith during the twentieth century. Father Hardon was also a mentor in the Catholic faith for thousands
HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968
To His Venerable Brothers the Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops
and other Local Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the
Apostolic See, to the Clergy and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World,
and to All Men of Good Will.
Evangelium vitae
To the Bishops
Priests and Deacons
Men and Women religious
lay Faithful
and all People of Good Will
on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life
1995.03.25
QUOTES FROM THE GOSPEL OF LIFE BY POPE JOHN PAUL II
The Gospel of Life is at the heart of Jesus’ message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture. (#1)
To all the members of the Church, the people of life and for life, I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love." (#6)
The blood of Christ, while it reveals the grandeur of the Father’s love, shows how precious man is in God’s eyes and how priceless the value of his life. . . . Furthermore, Christ’s blood reveals to us that his greatness, and therefore his vocation, consists in the sincere gift of self... Whoever in the Sacrament of the Eucharist drinks this blood and abides in Jesus (cf. Jn 6:56) is drawn into the dynamism of his love and gift of life, in order to bring to its fullness the original vocation to love which belongs to everyone. (cf. Gen 1:27; 2:18-24) (#25)
"We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the "culture of death" and the "culture of life." We find ourselves not only "faced with" but necessarily "in the midst of" this conflict: we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life." (#28)
Truly great must be the value of human life if the Son of God has taken it up and made it the instrument of the salvation of all humanity! (#33)The deepest element of God’s commandment to protect human life is the requirement to show reverence and love for every person and the life of every person. (#41)
The Gospel of Life is both a great gift of God and an exacting task for humanity....In giving life to man, God demands that he love, respect and promote life. (#52)
The use of human embryos or fetuses as an object of experimentation constitutes a crime against their dignity as human beings who have a right to the same respect owed to a child once born, just as to every person. (#63)
True "compassion" leads to sharing another’s pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear. (#66)
We are asked to love and honor the life of every man and woman and to work with perseverance and courage so that our time, marked by all too many signs of death, may at last witness the establishment of a new culture of lfe, the fruit of the culture of truth and of love. (#77)
Everyone has an obligation to be at the service of life... Together we all sense our duty to preach the Gospel of life, to celebrate it in the Liturgy and in our whole existence, and to serve it with the various programs and structures which support and promote life. (#79)
We need to bring the Gospel of life to the heart of every man and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society. (#80)
These can be summed up as follows: human life, as a gift of God, is sacred and inviolable. For this reason procured abortion and euthanasia are absolutely unacceptable. Not only must human life not be taken, but it must be protected with loving concern. The meaning of life is found in giving and receiving love, and in this light, human sexuality and procreation reach their true and full significance. Love also gives meaning to suffering and death; despite the mystery which surrounds them, they can become saving events. Respect for life requires that science and technology should always be at the service of man and his integral development. Society as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person's life. (#81)
To be truly a people at the service of life we must propose these truths constantly and courageously from the very first proclamation of the Gospel, and thereafter in catechesis, in the various forms of preaching, in personal dialogue and in all educational activity. (#82)
... I propose that a Day for Life be celebrated each year in every country, as already established by some Episcopal Conferences. The celebration of this Day should be planned and carried out with the active participation of all sectors of the local Church. Its primary purpose should be to foster in individual consciences, in families, in the Church and in civil society a recognition of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition. Particular attention should be drawn to the seriousness of abortion and euthanasia, without neglecting other aspects of life which from time to time deserve to be given careful consideration, as occasion and circumstances demand. (#85)
By virtue of our sharing in Christ’s royal mission, our support and promotion of human life must be accomplished through the service of charity, which finds expression in personal witness, various forms of volunteer work, social activity and political commitment. (#86)
No single person or group has a monopoly on the defense and promotion of life. These are everyone’s task and responsibility.... the challenge facing us is an arduous one: only the concerted efforts of all those who believe in the value of life can prevent a setback of unforeseeable consequences for civilization. (#91)
The family celebrates the Gospel of Life through daily prayer, both individual and family prayer....But the celebration which gives meaning to every other form of prayer and worship is found in the family’s actual daily life together, if it is a life of loving and self-giving (#93).
The first and most fundamental step towards...cultural transformation consists in forming consciences with regard to the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human life. It is of the greatest importance to re-establish the essential connection between life and freedom. ... There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life except in freedom. ... Love, as a sincere gift of self, is
what gives the life and freedom of the person their truest meaning. (#96)
A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world...Let us...discover anew the humility and courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will breakdown the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life. May this same power turn their hearts to resolutions and goals inspired by the civilization of life and love. (#100)
"It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. (#101