National Director, Priests for Life and
Missionaries of the Gospel of Life
President, National
Pro-life Religious Council
Pastoral Director, Rachel's
Vineyard
FR. FRANK PAVONE is one of the most prominent
pro-life leaders in the world. Originally from New York, he was
ordained in 1988 by Cardinal John O’Connor. He is a priest of
the Amarillo Diocese and serves full-time in pro-life leadership
with his bishop’s permission. In 1993 he became National
Director of Priests for Life. He is also the President of the
National Pro-life Religious Council, and the National Pastoral
Director of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and of
Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after
abortion. He travels throughout the country, to an average of
four states every week, preaching and teaching against abortion.
He produces programs regularly for religious and secular radio
and television networks. He was asked by Mother Teresa to speak
in India on the life issues, and has addressed the pro-life
caucus of the United States House of Representatives. The
Vatican appointed him to the Pontifical Council for the Family,
which coordinates the pro-life activities of the Catholic
Church. He also serves as a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical
Academy for Life. He was present at the bedside of Terri Schiavo
as she was dying and was an outspoken advocate for her life. He
was invited by members of the Class of 2009 at Notre Dame to
lead an alternate commencement ceremony for those students who
refused to attend the ceremony in which President Obama was
honored. Fr. Frank was invited by members of Congress to preach
at the prayer service they had in the Capitol just prior to the
vote on health care reform. He received the “Proudly Pro-life
Award” by the National Right to Life Committee, and numerous
other pro-life awards and honorary doctorates. He is the author
of two books, Ending Abortion, Not Just Fighting It,
and Pro-life Reflections for Every Day. Norma McCorvey,
the “Jane Roe” of the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade abortion
decision, called Fr. Frank “the catalyst that brought me into
the Catholic Church.”
