My Why: A Letter from Our New Executive Director

In the past week, many people have asked me why I put my legal career on pause to become the Executive Director of the Catholic Pro Life Community.

I’ve struggled to answer this question.

And that’s because, in truth, I have desperately wanted to do this work for my entire adult life—but God made me wait.

Graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Theology and Political Science and a burning desire to “change the world” like all the other idealistic college graduates, my advisors gently encouraged me to go to graduate school to cultivate a marketable skill. Even the professor who ran the Catholic Worker house in South Bend told me, while we raked leaves in the front yard, “you’ll be so useful to the people you serve and these organizations if you go work for a decade learning a profession that they need.” Hopeful, albeit a bit dejected, I chose law school.

After graduating from law school, during my federal clerkship at the Earle Cabell courthouse downtown, I passed the offices of the Legal Aid of Northwest Texas every day on my way to St. Jude Chapel for the 12:15 Mass. One day, I walked into my judge’s chambers and asked if she could please recommend me for a job at Legal Aid. I intended to walk away from the corporate job I’d accepted at the prestigious global law firm down the street.

She could see the passion in my heart, but she discouraged it. “You need to cut your teeth on complex cases before you can be useful,” she told me. Disappointed but docile, I listened, and I chose to go to the firm.

The next ten years were peppered with similar stories. In between working, trying to be a good wife, and having six babies, my heart would burn with the desire to serve and defend the Church and wash the feet of the poor. This burning only grew as my relationship with Jesus matured. I knocked on many doors, but they were all closed. So, I continued to practice law.

It probably sounds foolish to say, but I often felt overlooked my God. I was confused why God would give me the desire to serve the Church and the poor without an intent to fulfill it.

When we lost our infant son Ignatius in October 2023, I pleaded with the Lord. “Please, at least use this,” I asked Him. “Let our loss be a blessing to anyone who needs it.”

For months, I received no answer.

Then, as I began serving on the Board of the CPLC, the familiar burning heart I experienced at the Catholic Worker House and walking by the Legal Aid Clinic came back.

I stood in humility before the mission of this beautiful organization, the long history of passion and sacrifice on behalf of the innocent unborn and their mothers, the hard-won victories and the ongoing challenges, and the yearning of the community to truly build a culture that celebrates life.

The more I learned, the more excited I became – more than 10,000 babies saved at the doors of the abortion facilities, thousands of mothers served by Gabriel Angels, hundreds of women and men healed by the mercy of Christ from the unrelenting remorse of an abortion, hundreds of youth formed as impassioned advocates for the pro-life cause, and so much more.

Now, my desire to serve was not only rekindled and focused, but it was intermingled with a greater spiritual maturity and much more practical wisdom from a decade of working in the private sector serving clients and managing people.

“Is this where you have been leading me?” I asked God in prayer.

Slowly, steadily, God finally gave me His yes.

In my very first week, God has made it explicitly clear that nothing was wasted during my decade of dreams delayed. I have answered legal questions, worked on budgets, dealt with management questions, and exercised judgement that is the result of many years of training. I can see that God always saw my heart.

To the faithful supporters of the CPLC, our saintly staff, our current clients and our future clients: I want you to know that you have my heart. I have prepared my whole life for the honor of serving you, and I am so grateful the time has come.

I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for this work.

Listen to Cynthia's Full Interview on Guadalupe Radio Network Here