Anthony DeStefano is the Executive Director of Priests for Life. You may contact Priests for Life at PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314; Tel: 888-PFL-3448 or 718-980-4400; Fax: 718-980-6515; Email: mail@priestsforlife.org; Website: www.priestsforlife.org.
Fr. Leo Prince, of St. Roch’s parish in Staten Island, New York, had a late calling to the priesthood. For many years he was a teacher in a public high school. One day, he had an overwhelming desire to attend a Novena to the Immaculate Conception at his neighborhood church. As a result of the Novena, he found himself increasingly drawn to leave the secular world and become a priest.
Eventually, at the urging of a fellow teacher, he made a trip to Dunwoodie Seminary in Yonkers, NY, and sat down with a priest. From that moment on, he never looked back. Fr. Prince is very clear about one thing: he owes his priesthood to Our Lady. He was ordained in 1986.
Fr. Prince is absolutely convinced that abortion is the most significant issue
affecting society at large. “If you disrupt and harm the family, which is the basic unit of society, then you disrupt and harm society itself,” he insists.
“It is vitally important that the clergy take the lead in this movement,” says Fr. Prince. “We must talk about it and organize the people in our parish so that they can protect and defend innocent human life.” Despite the fear among some clergy that speaking about abortion from the pulpit will drive people away (a fear which he says is “pervasive”) Fr. Prince believes that it is necessary for priests to address this issue more regularly. “The truth will always triumph. The truth will never scare the people off or harm them. The truth will enlighten them.”
Fr. Prince would also like to see a special feast day in the Church set aside for pro-life. “I think this would really bring the pro-life issue to the attention of the people,” he says. “And even more importantly, we cannot begin to place a quantitative value on the prayers that will be offered as a result. God does more great things with our prayers than we can ever imagine.”
Fr. Prince’s only regret is that he did not become a priest earlier. Yet, he says, “God calls everyone at the perfect time.”
We’re certainly glad God chose to call Fr. Prince.
