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Dear Helpers of God’s Precious Infants,
Lately some new volunteers asked about the origin of the Helpers’ Name. They were surprised to learn that in the beginning we intended to call our group the Helpers of the Holy Innocents. However we decided otherwise believing many non-Catholics unfamiliar with the Dec. 28th Feast of Holy Innocents might not understand the name’s significance. Thus the name was changed from the Helpers of the Holy Innocents to the Helpers of the Precious Infants. We deliberately called the unborn child, an infant, because the word infant comes from the present participle, fans, fantis, of the Latin verb, for, fari, fatus, which means to speak. The Latin prefix, in, has a negative effect on the root meaning, of the verb. Thus the word infant literally means not able to speak. For example those in the infantry listen and take orders rather than speak themselves. The word infants is descriptive then of the unborn who cannot speak. The Helpers are called then to speak for the infants whose lives are unjustly threatened but whose voices cannot be heard.
Moreover we help them because they are Precious. Why are they Precious? I remember sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament and asking God if the name, Helpers of the Precious Infants, was acceptable or not. Immediately God brought to my awareness that the article ‘the’ had to be removed and replaced by the word, God. The infants are Precious because they belong to God who created them and redeemed them in the Precious Blood of Christ. No matter at what stage of existence, the separation of human life from human and divine love always puts human life at risk. The Helpers prayerful presence at Golgotha witnesses the human and divine love of Christ for these infants to those in the culture of death who do not know or have forgotten that the infants are precious because they belong to God and are loved by God.
We also hope that our prayerful presence helps to make present God’s Love for the moms and dads and abortion mill workers whose spiritual conversion from the culture of death to the living God is even more serious and urgent than the unborn children’s physical safety.
Recently Edward Cardinal Egan, the Archbishop of New York wrote: “It is always encouraging to witness the dedication and hard work of groups like the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants faithfully practiced on behalf of the unborn. The prayer vigils conducted by the Helpers Apostolate are an indispensable part of our overall effort to combat the horrors associated with the culture of death. The expectation of silence, concentration on prayer and encouragement for fasting fostered by the “helpers” collectively create a powerful and public proclamation regarding the precious beauty of the unborn child at every vigil.” May these warm words of encouragement by Cardinal Egan continue to motivate all the dedicated Helpers here in Brooklyn and around the world and inspire many new volunteers to participate in the Apostolate of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.
Until we meet in prayer at Calvary,
Msgr. Philip J. Reilly
Click here for recent archives
Dear Helpers of God’s Precious Infants,
Lately some new volunteers asked about the origin of the Helpers’ Name. They were surprised to learn that in the beginning we intended to call our group the Helpers of the Holy Innocents. However we decided otherwise believing many non-Catholics unfamiliar with the Dec. 28th Feast of Holy Innocents might not understand the name’s significance. Thus the name was changed from the Helpers of the Holy Innocents to the Helpers of the Precious Infants. We deliberately called the unborn child, an infant, because the word infant comes from the present participle, fans, fantis, of the Latin verb, for, fari, fatus, which means to speak. The Latin prefix, in, has a negative effect on the root meaning, of the verb. Thus the word infant literally means not able to speak. For example those in the infantry listen and take orders rather than speak themselves. The word infants is descriptive then of the unborn who cannot speak. The Helpers are called then to speak for the infants whose lives are unjustly threatened but whose voices cannot be heard.
Moreover we help them because they are Precious. Why are they Precious? I remember sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament and asking God if the name, Helpers of the Precious Infants, was acceptable or not. Immediately God brought to my awareness that the article ‘the’ had to be removed and replaced by the word, God. The infants are Precious because they belong to God who created them and redeemed them in the Precious Blood of Christ. No matter at what stage of existence, the separation of human life from human and divine love always puts human life at risk. The Helpers prayerful presence at Golgotha witnesses the human and divine love of Christ for these infants to those in the culture of death who do not know or have forgotten that the infants are precious because they belong to God and are loved by God.
We also hope that our prayerful presence helps to make present God’s Love for the moms and dads and abortion mill workers whose spiritual conversion from the culture of death to the living God is even more serious and urgent than the unborn children’s physical safety.
Recently Edward Cardinal Egan, the Archbishop of New York wrote: “It is always encouraging to witness the dedication and hard work of groups like the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants faithfully practiced on behalf of the unborn. The prayer vigils conducted by the Helpers Apostolate are an indispensable part of our overall effort to combat the horrors associated with the culture of death. The expectation of silence, concentration on prayer and encouragement for fasting fostered by the “helpers” collectively create a powerful and public proclamation regarding the precious beauty of the unborn child at every vigil.” May these warm words of encouragement by Cardinal Egan continue to motivate all the dedicated Helpers here in Brooklyn and around the world and inspire many new volunteers to participate in the Apostolate of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.
Until we meet in prayer at Calvary,
Msgr. Philip J. Reilly