Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

For much of his life, one father was a lukewarm Catholic. As a child and teenager, he attended Mass because his mother made him, but he did not truly understand his faith. He described his behavior as going to church on Sunday to learn about Heaven but living like hell the rest of the week.

During high school, he began dating a girlfriend despite warnings from his father to respect her and avoid taking advantage of her. When she became pregnant, they decided together with her parents to have an abortion to avoid the burden of having a baby in high school. "We took an innocent life to avoid burdening ours," he said.

The aftermath was difficult for him. He did not tell his parents about the abortion until 20 years later, fearing that his father would disown him. His relationship with his girlfriend eventually fell apart, leading him into a spiral of drugs, alcohol, and pornography.

Years later, he met someone new who became a significant part of his life. They married and had three children after suffering five miscarriages. When doctors advised against further pregnancies for health reasons, he chose to have a vasectomy despite it being against Church teachings.

A turning point came on Pentecost Sunday in 2015 when he experienced what he described as a spiritual awakening during Mass. This led him and his wife to reverse the vasectomy and they were blessed with another daughter. They also became foster parents.

Reflecting on the past, he realized that there were many things he did not know at the time of the abortion decision: "I didn’t realize that from the moment of conception, Peter had his own soul and unique DNA." He regretted not knowing about adoption options or pregnancy help centers that could have provided support.

He expressed deep regret over the finality of their decision: "What hurts the most is the finality of the decision... I robbed him of the chance to know his parents."

In conclusion, he emphasized that they are engaged in a spiritual battle: "We are at war—but not against people... This is a spiritual battle—a battle for hearts, minds, and souls." He called for action in this battle for both mothers and fathers who carry their decisions' weight and for unborn babies counting on them.