For two years now, my Andrew has participated in the San Francisco Walk for Life. His college sends a group of almost 250 students, and they hold the banner at the front of the march. And for two years now he has made me so mad at his missed opportunity. 

Both years I have told him to keep his eyes open for San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. If he were to see the good archbishop he was directed to smoothly make his way over, shake hands, and tell him that his mother in British Columbia says hello. I really feel that these demands … requests … were fair and pretty simple.

So, the first year Andrew tells me that there was no opportunity. Archbishop Cordileone was nowhere to be seen. Then, the very first picture that I saw online of the march showed students from Thomas Aquinas College holding a banner, and less than 10 feet behind them … Archbishop Cordileone. I told Andrew that if he was home I’d throttle him. 

This year was worse. Not only did the archbishop walk by him – “only four inches from me” – he was right behind Andrew the entire walk. Like right behind him. And Andrew failed me again.

What can I do? All of my threats are meaningless when he is in another country, after all.

I have a great affection for the Archbishop (as I do for our own). He is fearlessly outspoken in his support of pro-life causes. He is stalwart in his defence of the truths and traditions of the Church, and seems to be a warm, humble man of God. His name means “heart of a lion” and while he no doubt has his human weaknesses, he seems to me to be bold and not easily swayed by the demands of the world. 

Dominicans pray the Rosary during the Walk for Life West Coast. (OSV News photo/Dennis Callahan, Archdiocese of San Francisco)

There are stories of the exorcisms he has conducted on sites of desecration, and my son heard that he had brought exorcists from the archdiocese to be at the march. It is only hearsay, but I don’t doubt it, as it goes with his past actions. Assuming that it’s true, I wish that I could thank the man for seeing the reality of Satan in the works against life, and acting appropriately. 

Andrew told me of the counter-protestors he saw. A small group, of course, and not a hint of normalcy, selling abortion as health care, normal, needed to help unfortunate women. The group he saw there sounded like a scene from Dante’s Inferno.

If you compare the joyful, prayerful, youthful pictures of the pro-lifers with the dark, vile, angry pictures of the pro-abortionists (though they were all completely covered with black face mask) you cannot doubt for a moment who is orchestrating the work on each side. 

I have seen “women’s” parades where a woman dressed as the Blessed Virgin Mary  pretends to abort the Christ Child, laughing and screeching the whole time. Andrew watched as a group of girls carried pro-abortion signs under the banner of a witch’s guild.

And so I respect and am grateful if the Archbishop had exorcists present, because Satan was certainly there, and the proper work of the Church is to fight him. 

All the miraculous works of God, first and foremost being the gift of human life, are a terror to the devil. He despises and seeks to destroy all that is good. Have you ever thought that your very own family is a sign of God, and a miraculous work? Your children are loathed by the evil one, and he takes delight in corrupting their innocence because of the very beauty of their souls. 

I believe there was a time, not so very long ago, where it was taken for granted that every Catholic family had holy water in their home, with blessed candles and solid confidence in the protection of the angels. I want to encourage the families of our archdiocese to restore this custom. Bring a bottle to Mass with you and fill it with holy water, then use it up and repeat.

Parents, preferably Dad, bless your children at night. It doesn’t need to be awkward or long-winded, just a small cross on their foreheads and a “God bless you.” 

Have your homes blessed, and a few candles at the same time. Light them when you pray together. Pray together! Teach your children the prayer to Saint Michael. Every child in a Catholic home should know the thrill of imagining Michael thrusting a sword through the skull of Satan. 

Our fight to save the lives of the unborn is the same as our fight to save the souls of our children. It is a fight against black, seething evil. But Catholics have everything they need to reign victorious. What else is more worthy of the fight?