The Great Father Norm Weslin Has Died
Here are the Last Photos and Video of this Great and Holy Priest
The very great and holy priest, Fr. Norman Weslin died in the evening of May 16th. He was a giant personality in the pro-life movement—founder of the pro-life rescue group Lambs of Christ, he was arrested dozens of times and jailed for his defense of God’s little ones. He authored a book about the Lambs called The Gathering of the Lambs.
Wanting to live the poverty of Christ, he donned a tattered and patched cassock and held his shoes together with silver duct tape.
Fr. Weslin was in a category all by himself.
On April 12, 2012 Steve Gendregske, Terese Rancor Beste and I made the trip to Traverse City to visit Fr. Weslin one month before he died. These are the very last photos and video of this dear holy priest. (see video link below)
During the visit we prayed the rosary and sang hymns with him. In advanced stages of forgetfulness, he did remember me-- After the first 10 minutes he said: “Monica, right?”. Then another 10 minutes later he said, “You’re a professor.” Then another 10 minutes later he said “Oh, and you dodged the police at Notre Dame” referring to the fact that I bobbed and weaved my way across the Joyce Center parking lot to show our pro-life posters to the ND graduates lined-up for Obama’s commencement speech!
Fr. Weslin passed away peacefully in a nursing care facility in Traverse City, Michigan and died on the very anniversary of his arrest three years ago at Notre Dame—in protest of Obama’s commencement speech at this Catholic university. This was the last time Father Weslin was arrested for the pro-life cause. As Fr. Weslin was a fellow ND-88er, I am proud to have been in his company. Indeed, when I arrived at the St Joseph County Jail, Father Weslin was already there in a jail cell, singing and praying—living his faith—giving glory to God.
Fr. Weslin became a priest after his dear wife Mary Weslin was killed in a car accident. After her death he turned their Colorado home into a shelter for pregnant women. He was also a retired army colonel in and was fond of military metaphors in his pro-life work and spiritual outlook. Based on Rev. 12:1 he called Mary, the Mother of God, his 12 Star General. He was also fond of referring to what he called the “Divine Set-Ups” namely seeing the hand of God even in the smallest things of life.
I am proud to say that in 2002 Fr. Weslin was our keynote speaker at the local CPLS March for Life in Milwaukee. In 2007 he was also a supper guest in our home here in South Lyon, MI.
If we had only another 100 priests like Fr. Weslin—bold, true, loving and courageous, the battle for life would be over and the unborn would be free.
May his example, and the legacy he has left behind,
be an inspiration for priests and lay people everywhere to jump in—take up the cause—and never give up!
See below a letter from our ND 88 attorney Tom Dixon—in whose Michigan nursing home Fr. Weslin spent his last days.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of dear Fr. Norman Weslin.
Monica Migliorino Miller, Director of CPLS
Dear ND 88ers:
Father Norman Weslin passed away last evening very peacefully. He spent the last few years of his earthly life bringing joy to the residents and staff of Cherry Hill Haven, a senior living facility in Traverse City, Michigan owned and run by my wife, Patti and her incredible staff, headed by Administrator Evon Ryan.
Around the time of the ND 88 arrests, Father was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers. As the disease progressed and he required placement, the Holy Spirit's divine setups kept him closely in our lives. Even after his placement, we were able to frequently pray the Holy Rosary outside the Planned Parenthood in Traverse City, and to arrange a trip for him to be with his friends in the Washington D.C. area for a week long prayer vigil. He also received visitors from all parts of the country... many Lambs from the Omaha area, friends from Detroit, the Upper Peninsula, and throughout the country.
In the last weeks of his earthly life, Father was filled with excitement and anticipation of his reunion with the Blessed Mother, his beloved wife Mary Lou, and all of his family and friends who went before him, as they accompany him into the eternal presence of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Friends from Omaha were with him at his death, and a prayer community in Traverse City kept almost constant vigil. Even in retirement and battling the effects of Alzheimers, Father Weslin touched many lives, brought many people to Christ, and spread the joy of his faith with contagion.
I think Dr. Charlie Rice has said it best, "while we have been praying for him, we will soon start praying to him."
Father Weslin increased my faith and deepened my devotion to the Blessed Mother. Each day, when I pray the Holy Rosary, I now include at the end of each mystery "Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us" and the "Ave Maria" both included in his daily devotion. And, I now pray the Memorare as I begin my daily travels. His legacy in my life is much greater than these things, but he will always be with me as I continue in these devotions.
May God bless you all, and may we all celebrate having been bestowed the grace of being in the presence of Father Norman Weslin, and pray for our own reunion with him.
In Christ,
Tom Dixon
Thomas M. Dixon, Esq.
Dixon, Wright & Associates, P.C.
The last Video of Fr. Norm Weslin:
Father Norman Weslin, missionary priest
of the Oblates of Wisdom, RIP
From Randall Terry:
At 8:39 p.m. EST May 16, Father Norman Weslin left this life. He was 81 years old. Father Weslin was best known as the founder of Lambs of Christ. Lambs of Christ was a group of highly dedicated, sacrificial pro-life activists who would pray and get arrested at facilities where babies are murdered, and then spend weeks...sometimes months...in jail.
His life, leadership, and love touched thousands of lives across America, and other countries.
Some highlights of Father Weslin's sacred service include:
He was ordained a Catholic priest in Oblates of Wisdom, based in St. Louis, in July 1986.
For many years he ran The Mary Weslin Home for Unwed Mothers in Colorado. The home was unique in that Father Weslin welcomed women who had older children as well. Over 250 souls found help under his care. (The home was named after Father Weslin's deceased wife who was killed in a car accident in the early 1980s.)
He was a Retired Lt. Colonel from the U.S. Army. His service included time in South Korea and management of nuclear weapons.
He was arrested and jailed over 100 times, including some historic campaigns for the pro-life movement, and jailed over a year (accumulated) in various states. He was:
Arrested at Notre Dame in 2009. He made international news as he carried a cross on campus and was arrested for Protesting Obama's speech;
Arrested at Nancy Pelosi's office protesting against Obamacare in 2010;
Arrested at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008;
Arrested during Operation Rescue's siege of Atlanta in 1988;
Was arrested twice at [late-term abortionist] Leroy Carhart's abortion mill in Omaha Nebraska. He went inside, knelt down in front of the women waiting to kill their baby, and begged them to let their babies live.
Says Terry: 'Father Weslin was one of the most courageous, gentle, powerful, unflinching and sacrificial men I have ever known. I had the privilege of being arrested with him, having him stay in our home, traveling with him, and celebrating Sacraments with him. His presence will be sorely missed; his memory truly beloved.'
Charges Dropped Against Notre Dame 88!
Monica Migliorino Miller, Ph.D. Director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society
May 5, 2011-- Almost two years since they were arrested, all criminal charges have been dropped against 88 pro-lifers who protested on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in opposition to the Catholic university's invitation to pro-abortion President Barack Obama to deliver the commencement speech and receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. The commencement occurred May 17, 2009. The pro-lifers were ably represented by the Thomas More Society and lead attorney Thomas Dixon with assistance from American Catholic Lawyers Association (Chris Ferrara, Michael Hirsh and Denis Brenan). In dropping the trespass cases St. Joseph County, Indiana prosecutor, Michael Dvorak brought an end to a difficult and long legal battle between the defendants and Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins. Notre Dame's Obama invitation ignited a controversy that attracted nationwide attention to the issue of legalized abortion and galvanized the pro-life movement, including dozens of U. S. bishops, to respond to a scandal to the faith of the Church.
Several peaceful protests occurred on campus in the week leading up to the commencement resulting in dozens of arrests. Those arrested included Randall Terry, Norma McCorvey, Missy Smith, Joan Andrews Bell, Fr. Norman Weslin, Jack Ames, Monica Migliorino Miller, and former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes. On graduation day itself hundreds of pro-lifers from all over the country picketed off-campus while a university "approved" anti-commencement rally took place on campus. Minutes before the graduation began, and with Air Force One flying over their heads, 17 members of Citizens for a Pro-life Society assembled outside of the Joyce Center holding photos of aborted babies whose bodies had been retrieved by members of the group from Michigan abortion clinic trash dumpsters in 2008.
Monica Migliorino Miller, Director of CPLS explains: "Our goal was to show the victims of abortion to the hundreds of ND students already lined up outside of the Joyce Center. If they were going to listen to someone who supports the unjust law of abortion—then we felt they should at least look at the victims of this law that Obama defends and advocates—the law by which the unborn were killed and their bodies tossed in the trash. Our goal was simply to be a witness to the truth—on a day in which the truth needed to be spoken."
CPLS members, including the group's director, Monica Migliorino Miller, young Madonna University college students, and Felician Sister Lois Mitoraj were arrested when, after being ordered not to do so by campus police, they proceed to walk past the closed off ticket gates in an attempt to bring their signs as close to the Notre Dame students as possible. See You Tube Video "Nun Arrested at Notre Dame" That the criminal trespass charges were dropped is a great pro-life victory and the consequence of an agreement entered into by the defendants and the University of Notre Dame—an agreement that objectively acknowledged the pro-lifers' moral and spiritual concerns over the Obama invitation. The agreement, which passed through a number of drafts before several of the defendants believed they could, in conscience, sign it, calls for dialogue towards reconciliation. Indeed, since May 2009 Notre Dame has taken serious initiatives to strengthen its commitment to the sanctity of human life.
"This is a big step forward and a victory for the pro-life cause," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society and a 1965 Notre Dame graduate. "We are appreciative of the steps that Notre Dame has taken, including successive visits by University President John Jenkins, C.S.C., and other campus leaders to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., both in 2010 and 2011, to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and the creation of new and significant pro-life initiatives on campus. Those who share pro-life convictions may differ on tactics and approaches, but they best serve their sacred cause when they work together to secure the common good for all human beings, born and unborn alike, rather than carrying on as courtroom antagonists."
Miller explains: "With the legal burdens behind us, the dialogue has now only just begun. We know that there is still much progress yet to be made. Even recently the Notre Dame faculty-senate unfortunately refused to pass a resolution in support of Father Jenkins' participation in the March for Life and the recommendations of the University Task Force on Life. As a pro-life leader and a university professor, I will certainly continue to encourage Notre Dame to standup for life and I am more than willing to recognize that improvements have been made in this regard since our arrests in May 2009.
"I am so very grateful to our attorneys, especially Tom Dixon, who threw themselves into our defense and fought it out to the end. This is a great victory for the truth—that human life is sacred. I hope that someday even Obama will know and embrace justice for the unborn. We pray, no matter what, that our own pro-life commitment will never waver."
Open Letter to Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President, University of Notre Dame
Please permit me to speak bluntly about your announced purpose to participate in the March for Life and to "invite other members of the Notre Dame Family to join me." Notre Dame should have had an official presence at every March for Life since 1973. But until now it never has. Notre Dame students, with the encouragement of Campus Ministry, participate in the March but the University, as such, has not done so. To put it candidly, it would be a mockery for you to present yourself now at the March, even at the invitation of Notre Dame students, as a pro-life advocate while, in practical effect, you continue to be the jailer, as common criminals, of those persons who were authentic pro-life witnesses at Notre Dame…[read more]
Pro-Life Catholics Express Skepticism About Notre Dame President's Overtures
More pro-life Catholics are expressing skepticism about the overtures Notre Dame University president John Jenkins is making. Jenkins is attempting to repair the damage from inviting pro-abortion President Barack Obama to give commencement and presenting him an honorary degree…[read more]
An open letter to Notre Dame's president to release abortion protestors:
Dear Father Jenkins:
I'm writing you, as president of Notre Dame, my alma mater, with an urgent plea that you drop the criminal trespass charges that have been pending against the many defendants – most of whom are faithful, fervent pro-life Catholics – who "dared" to venture onto Notre Dame's campus last Spring, 2009, to bear peaceful, prayerful witness to the sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural death…[read more]
Mission Statement:
Victory on May 17, 2009 at the University of Notre Dame for the cause of pro-life, via an inspired witness for defense of the innocent unborn; resignation of Fr. John Jenkins C.S.C. as President of the University of Notre Dame.
Welcome Message:
Welcome to this national website, organized of necessity because the illicit "honors" being offered by America's premier Catholic university represent such a spiritual and temporal outrage, and pose such a threat of national proportions to the cause of innocent life…[read more]
Fr. Tom Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
We at Human Life International stand in solidarity with ND Affirm Life…[read more]
UPDATE May 27, 2009
Abortion clouds Obama's Notre Dame speech
Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes was among scores arrested…[read more]
An Eyewitness Account from Notre Dame Protest
I'll be absolutely frank, it was clear this was a satanic war…[read more]
Pro-Life Demonstration at Notre Dame
RelevantRadio.com interview with Father John Corapi on why he came to Notre Dame, taped Sunday evening, May 17 at the State Theatre Pro-Life Unity Reception honoring ND Response and all the valiant witnesses to life. Click to Play:
Heaven gives Notre Dame priest thunderous standing ovation
While the millstone of Notre Dame is placed around President Obortion's neck and 12,000 at Notre Dame stand giving a thunderous ovation, all heaven stood to honor an 80 year old priest as he received heaven's high honor for peacefully taking a stand for life and the plight of the unborn… [read more]
Nun Getting Arrested at Notre Dame Commencement
Sr. Lois Marie Metoraj's witness to life at Citizens for a Pro-life Society's demonstration... [read more]
Alan Keyes, arrested at Notre Dame,
offered a clarion call with Randall Terry to come and bear witness to the sanctity of innocent life. Thanks be to God for all the thousands who followed the will of God, and not the vain ambition of politicians -- and came to Notre Dame to AFFIRM LIFE!
Pray and work to end abortion.
Priest Arrested at Notre Dame for Being Pro-Life
Footage of Father Norman Weslin's arrest at Notre Dame University.
Many thousands of pro-lifers protest Obama at Notre Dame
Ride on a "Truth Truck" and see video tracking just one protest route, the 2 mile continuous demonstration from I80 to the campus's main entrance.
UPDATE
ND Response Holds Rally for Thousands on Notre Dame Campus
19 May 2009 - Click here to view our press release
Rally Transcripts and Videos
Transcripts and videos of talks by the speakers at Sunday's rally:
§ Transcript | Video – Father Wilson Miscamble, CSC, ND '77 (M.A.), '80 (Ph.D.), '87 (M.Div.), Professor of History at University of Notre Dame
§ Transcript | Video – Chris Godfrey, ND Law '93; Life Athletes (Founder and President), starting offensive guard for Super Bowl XXI Champion New York Giants
§ Transcript | Video – Liz Borger, ND '78, Former Chairman of the Board of the Women's Care Center
§ Transcript | Video – Lacy Dodd, ND '99; Room at the Inn, Board of Directors, Charlotte, NC
§ Transcript | Video – Father John Raphael, SSJ, ND '89, Principal of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, LA
§ Transcript | Video – David Solomon, Associate Professor of Philosophy at University of Notre Dame; W.P. and H.B. White Director of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics & Culture; Chair of the steering committee for the Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life
§ Transcript – [Homily] Father Kevin Russeau, CSC
More videos are available on ND Response Video page.
May 17, 5:00 p.m. Post-Commencement Honor Ceremony and Party at 214 1/2 Michigan Street, State Theatre, Downtown
NDaffirmLife.org hosted a post-commencement reception and rally with guest of honor Fr. John Corapi, SOLT at the State Theatre in downtown South Bend from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., to recognize the courageous students who stood for life and give them a send-off of support as they enter a new phase of their lives. This family-friendly gathering was attended by over 550 pro-life witnesses from the Notre Dame community and from all over the country, and featured inspiring talks by Fr. John, Dr. Alan Keyes and activist Randall Terry. Thanks to the whole pro-life community for their faithfulness and valor on Sunday, for helping awaken America to the awful reality of abortion, and for making this "unity launch" of a prolife America a tremendous, powerful witness for the sanctity of innocent life!
Nearly 40 protesters arrested at Notre Dame
Nearly 40 people were arrested Sunday as they tried to enter the University of Notre Dame to protest President Barack Obama's appearance at commencement, police said…[read more]
McCorvey among those arrested at Notre Dame today
Norma McCorvey, a primary figure in the controversial court case Roe v. Wade, and at least 36 others have been arrested today on the campus of the University of Notre Dame…[read more]
Obama Honor Puts Notre Dame's Catholic Standing at Risk
The University of Notre Dame is taking a hit with President Obama's commencement invitation, not just to its reputation but its wallet…[read more]
Letter from Two Catholic Women Arrested at Notre Dame
We are two Catholic women who reside in the State of Colorado. We made tragic mistakes in our younger years by having abortions. We came to the University of Notre Dame last Friday, May 8, to witness to the harm caused to us by our "choice."…[read more]
Notre Dame, My Mother
by Lacy Dodd
When I returned to campus, I ran to the Grotto. I was confused and full of conflicting emotions. But I knew this: No amount of shame or embarrassment would ever lead me to get rid of my baby. Of all women, Our Lady could surely feel pity for an unplanned pregnancy…[read more]
Vatican Official Criticizes ND Honor as 'Gravest Scandal'
Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Vatican's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, called on Catholics to "give an uncompromising witness" to the dignity of life and sharply criticized the University of Notre Dame for its planned honor for pro-abortion President Barack Obama…[read more]
BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Alan Keyes Charges Jenkins
Under canon law, Keyes charges Fr. Jenkins with abuse of authority... [read more]
Keyes letter charging Fr. Jenkins... [read more]
ND Scandal Arrests: A Brief Report by Alan Keyes... [read more]
60+% Catholics: No Obama at ND
By a 60% to 25% margin, U.S. Catholics say the university should not award an honorary degree to the president…[read more]
"A Notre Dame Witness for Life"
We come to affirm the sacredness of life…[read more]
Letter from the Bishop of Lincoln
[Fr. Jenkins,] I can assure you of my prayers for your conversion, and for the conversion of your formerly Catholic University…[read more]
Letter from Principal, St. Augustine High School, New Orleans
As an African American and a priest... I cannot express how deeply this action offends…[read more]
Fr. Corapi on Notre Dame Scandal
Notre Dame Students Protest Invitation
Laura Ingraham Blasts Notre Dame
