Archbishop Cushley was speaking at the 25th anniversary Mass for the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative at St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday, 25th March.
He thanked the Sisters of the Gospel of Life for their work with the Initiative, which has saved the lives of over 200 babies since its founding by Cardinal Thomas Winning.
The Archbishop said life is sacred ‘because it is a share in God’s own life’, saying that ‘its protection and promotion are among our greatest tasks.’
The Initiative was founded after Cardinal Winning, the then-Archbishop of Glasgow, made a surprise announcement that the Catholic Church would help any mother considering an abortion.
Sr Roseann Reddy, who founded the Initiative, said the past 25 years had been ‘remarkable.’
“It’s the Church at its best,” she said.
“People often ask me what I think is the most important thing we’ve done. [I think its] our pro-life presence in the Archdiocese, in the community, and in the country. I’m very happy with the way it’s going.”
Sr Catherine Farrelly, who joined the Sisters in 2020, said the experience has been ‘great’ and ‘busy’.
“We’ve got families that we’re helping at the moment and there are always people who need help with their babies,” she said.
Fr Martin Eckersley, the assistant curate at St Francis Xavier’s, Falkirk, celebrated the Mass alongside the Archbishop.
Fr Eckersley stressed the need for the Initiative to help women
“There’s such a need for the work that they do around abortion, helping women practically who are considering an abortion.
“Every person that’s considering an abortion doesn’t do it out of malice. There are real societal and financial constraints, and that’s what they meet.
“They remove those barriers to helping people be pro-life.”
If you need help with a crisis pregnancy you can contact Sr Roseann and Sr Andrea at 0141 433 2680 or email them at gospeloflifesisters@googlemail.com