Every organization owes its existence to someone. Usually someone with an idea, and with the energy and inspiration to make that idea a reality. We refer to this special class of people as founders.
PRI owes its existence, as many of you know, to the Apostle of Life (as he was styled by Pope John Paul II). Our founder is Father Paul Marx, O.S.B., Ph.D., who began PRI back in 1989 to fight against the population controllers and other death peddlers.
Even after retiring to his abbey in 1999, Fr, Marx continued to take a keen interest in our work. Until recently he was the Chairman of PRI’s Board of Directors. He remains our guiding light. We at PRI understand that Father Marx’s presence is a particular blessing — not every organization still has its founder with it — and we turn to Father Marx frequently for advice, inspiration, and direction. And we recently had the pleasure of his company.
Hale and hearty at nearly 82 years of age, Father Marx paid us a visit the week of February 18. He inspected our new office complex here in Front Royal, just down the road from Christendom College, and pronounced it “fantastic.” He urged us to continue to oppose the Culture of Death by opposing anti-natal population control programs, with their attendant evils of abortion, sterilization, and contraception, and to work to build the Culture of Life by supporting policies to strengthen families and communities around the dying world. And he told us emphatically that we are “doing the most important work on earth.”
The high point of Father Marx’s visit was a reception in his honor. We called it (what else?) our Founder’s Reception. It began with a Mass celebrated by PRI’s chaplain, Fr. George Parker, and concelebrated by Fr. Marx himself. Over a hundred of Father’s friends and PRI supporters, as well as our staff and volunteers, were in attendance. The reception followed. People thronged around Fr. Marx, grateful for the opportunity to see him again and to thank him for his life-long (and ongoing) dedication to the cause of life and his support for PRI.
As I write, our Global Family Life conference in Santa Clara, California will soon be upon us, The high point of this conference, in my opinion, will be our banquet in honor of our founder on Saturday, April 6, As supporters of PRI, I would like to invite each and every one of you to join with us as we honor our founder. For Father Marx is with us still.
