Birthright of Cape Girardeau celebrates 50th anniversary

Birthright of Cape Girardeau celebrated its 50th anniversary Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson.

The event coincided with what would have been the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, and was also a celebration of the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn the 1973 ruling, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion.

Kim Sellers, director of Birthright of Cape Girardeau, recognized and thanked all the donors and volunteers who have given their time and money to help care for and counsel women facing unplanned pregnancies.

"Without either, we could not minister to our moms and their babies," Sellers said.

She noted Birthright opened the Cape Girardeau center Aug. 6, 1973, and said that, even after 50 years, they have much to accomplish.

Kathy Mattes, board president for Birthright of Cape Girardeau, announces the purchase of the building for Birthright of Marble Hill, during Birthright's 50th anniversary celebration Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson.Danny Walter

Kathy Mattes, board president for Birthright of Cape Girardeau, announces the purchase of the building for Birthright of Marble Hill, during Birthright's 50th anniversary celebration Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson.Danny Walter

Kathy Mattes, board president of Birthright of Cape Girardeau, announced an opportunity for Birthright to purchase the building the Marble Hill branch has been renting since May 2020. She said a recent donation of $27,000, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, in addition to others, made the purchase possible. She said the building's purchase from Cape First Church is scheduled to be completed Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Also announced was the creation of a new scholarship named for Barbara McKeon, a former assistant director at Birthright. Sellers said McKeon was a nurse, a teacher of nurses and a counselor.

"Many of you know her as the 'Candy Lady,'" Sellers said. "But around Birthright, she is know as Miss Barb."

Named the Barbara McKeon Nursing Scholarship, Sellers said it would provide gifts in the amount of $500 to "Birthright moms" entering nursing school.

Stephen Imbarrato, anti-abortion activist and retired Catholic priest from Santa Fe, New Mexico, delivers the keynote address during Birthright of Cape Girardeau's 50th anniversary celebration Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson.Danny Walter

Stephen Imbarrato, anti-abortion activist and retired Catholic priest from Santa Fe, New Mexico, delivers the keynote address during Birthright of Cape Girardeau's 50th anniversary celebration Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson.Danny Walter

Keynote speaker Stephen Imbarrato, an abortion activist and retired Catholic priest from Santa Fe, New Mexico, addressed the attendees and stated, in the wake of Roe being overturned, anti-abortion efforts should now push for a Supreme Court ruling to "abolish abortion through demanding constitutional personhood from the moment of conception."

He said, in this new era, the notion that the issue is now in the hands of the states and the people where it belongs is "nonsense." He said the right to life is not predicated on any state legislature or the will of the people. "It's an inalienable right endowed by our creator," and the Founding Fathers "enshrined" that right and made it inherent in the Fifth and 14th amendments of the Constitution. He said, "There's never been a constitutional right to abortion in this country," and there never will be.

"We are one step away from abolishing abortion in this country," Imbarrato said.

He said efforts to outlaw abortion should neither be focused on state or federal legislation nor executive orders from the president.

"We need one case. One personhood initiative," to bring before the current court, with its five conservative Catholic justices on the bench, "and we can abolish abortion in this country forever," he said.

Imbarrato said, as he speaks to organizations around the country, such as Birthright, he "begs" people to stop donating money to "mainstream, corporate pro-life groups" that are spending tens of millions of dollars on huge marketing budgets and to pay huge salaries.

He, instead, encouraged the attendees to donate to the local, "front-line pro-life workers saving the babies."

"Give to your local advocates out in front of the abortion buildings, your local pregnancy resource centers and abortion recovery and healing centers," Imbarrato said. "We need marketing budgets for places like Birthright so they can go out into their local community, save babies and help wounded moms."

Imbarrato said change of this magnitude takes time. He pointed out that it was a hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation before civil rights laws were passed in the United States. He said it could take just as long to "sort out all the tentacles and implications" of anti-abortion law.

"But at least they'll be sorted out with the understanding that our babies, God's babies, that their dignity is recognized, that they are unique, precious and made in the likeness of God," Imbarrato said. "That's the only way we're going to change hearts and minds in this generation and future generations."