Dr. Bruchalski Honored as ‘Champion of Life'

By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 8/9/07)

Dr. John Bruchalski, founder and director of Divine Mercy Care and Tepeyac Family Center in Fairfax, was one of three people honored last week with the “People of Life” Award.
The award recipients were recognized by the Pro-Life Secretariat of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the three-day Pro-Life Directors and State Catholic Conference Directors annual conference held in Arlington.
Molly Corcoran Kertz, director of the Respect Life Apostolate in the Archdiocese of St. Louis; and the late Thomas J. Marzen, former director of the National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled, were also honored at the ceremony held at the USCCB headquarters last Friday.
Bruchalski was introduced as a real champion in the pro-life movement whose center has brought 1,600 babies into the world in the last three years.
“On behalf of all the doctors who work for the glory of God, I accept this award,” said Bruchalski. “I pray abundance upon this group who has worked with the pro-life secretariat. Because of your work all over this great country, there are many medical doctors, students, residents, young people interested in biology. They are coming and we are going to have more and more.”     
Richard M. Doerflinger, deputy director of pro-life activities at the USCCB, presented the posthumous award to Marzen.
“In 1984, Tom took on the enormous challenge of directing the newly formed National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled, a national resource center in Indiana funded by the Legal Services Corporation to advocate for the right to life-saving medical treatment on behalf of children and adults with disabilities,” said Doerflinger.
“He became a linchpin figure in promoting mutual understanding and collaboration between the pro-life and disability rights movements in defending vulnerable human life,” said Doerflinger. “The entire movement against legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide would today be an incomparably weaker and poorer influence in our society if not for the work he did and the coalitions he helped build.”
Marzen was an adviser to the USCCB's pro-life and general counsel offices, and a board member of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD). 
Doerflinger said Marzen’s dedication, research and writing extended also to issues affecting the internal life of the Catholic Church, its history and the defense of its teaching on the sanctity of human life. 
“He was a model that many of us in the pro-life movement strove, with limited success, to emulate.  He carried his great learning very lightly. He was the last and best advocate for so many vulnerable people, insisting that they still had human dignity and that their lives mattered.”
The "People of Life" award is presented to individuals who have consistently answered the call of the gospel of life.
The conference, co-hosted by the Diocese of Arlington’s Office on Family Life, drew an estimated 100 pro-life coordinators and state Catholic conference directors. Activities included a lobbying day on Capitol Hill, a pro-life film and education sessions.

(c) Copyright 2007 by Arlington Catholic Herald