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New Respect Life director named
By John Gleason
On April 26, Jonathan Reyes, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, announced the appointment of Lynn Grandon to become the new director for the Respect Life Office for the Archdiocese of Denver.
Grandon, who currently serves as director of the Office of Respect and Human Dignity for the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., will take over in Denver on June 13.
A native of Chicago, Grandon, 55, is married to Father Douglass Grandon, a former Anglican priest who converted to Catholicism in 2003 and was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Peoria in 2008. The couple has six children and one grandchild. She told the Denver Catholic Register she is looking forward to her new position.
“I’ve already had a meeting with many of the pro-life representatives from the parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver,” she said. “There are a wide variety of personalities and backgrounds; I can’t wait to get started.”
Reyes told the Register Grandon is well qualified for the job.
“After Lynn gave her presentation to all of the Respect Life directors, they gave her a standing ovation,” he said. “Anything that’s being done in the pro-life movement today—she’s been at the forefront. I think she’ll bring a whole new set of skills to the table that the Archdiocese of Denver needs, especially in the current climate. I think she’s going to fit in just fine.”
The Respect Life Office affirms that human life is a gift from God to be protected from the moment of conception until natural death. It pursues this mission through information and education, outreach and public policy formulation and awareness as it seeks to build a culture of life. It also oversees the management of Gabriel House, which supports expectant mothers and their unborn children; Project Rachel, which provides counseling to those who have been affected by abortion; and organizes events such as the 40 Days for Life campaign, which promotes support for life at all stages.
The most important tool the pro-life movement has today is education, Grandon said.
“We have to educate people enough for them to dialogue in their spheres of influence,” she said. “Often, when you talk with Catholics about life issues, you discover that they know that certain things are wrong, but they don’t always know why. It makes you want to take the time to explain why and have them realize that ‘Wow, Mother Church really knows what she is talking about.’ That is the challenge and the reward.”
Acknowledging that pro-life work can be grueling and emotionally exhausting, Grandon said she senses a renewal of enthusiasm in the apostolate and knows that despite the vast number of people in the ministry, there are many more just waiting to be called. =
“I’ve already had people contact me about talking to their groups—all sizes and venues,” she said. “The ministry will entail conferences, rallies and speaking engagements. I plan on working with the guild of the Catholic Medical Association as well as with Archbishop (Charles) Chaput and Bishop (James) Conley. There’s a lot to do.”
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