Students at Bishop Ludden-Grimes commemorate Respect Life Month
By: Eileen Jevis
Staff writer
(Editor’s note: A Mass for Life was also celebrated on Oct. 6 at Notre Dame Jr-Sr High School in Utica, on Oct. 9 at Seton Catholic Central in Binghamton, and one is scheduled for Oct. 28 at Holy Cross Academy in Oneida.)
What does a baseball player from the 1950s have to do with a Respect Life Mass? Father Dennis Walker brought the two themes together with one sentence: “Every human being has value.”
Bishop Douglas J. Lucia celebrated Mass at Bishop Ludden-Grimes Jr-Sr High School on Oct. 7 to commemorate Respect Life Month. Fr. Walker, Father James Buttner, and Father Bernard Menard concelebrated. During his homily, Fr. Walker told the students about a baseball player named Eddie Gaedel who played for the St. Louis Browns, a major league baseball team. The team relocated to Baltimore in 1953 and became the Baltimore Orioles. “The thing is,” said Fr. Walker, “Eddie wasn’t the fastest player. He certainly wasn’t the strongest player. He never made an All-Star game, and he certainly never became a Hall of Famer. In fact, Eddie had only one at-bat in his entire career in 1951. What was so unique about Eddie? He was only three feet, seven inches tall.”
Fr. Dennis Walker gives homily to Bishop Ludden-Grimes Students at Respect Life Mass on October 7. Photo courtesy of Christopher Tricase
Fr. Walker went on to say that because Eddie was so short, when he stood up to bat, the pitcher couldn’t find a strike zone. “Eddie walked on four pitches. They took him out for a pinch runner. That’s the last thing he did. He would never appear in another game, and his perfect on-base percentage was kept intact.”
Fr. Walker’s message to the students? Even though Eddie was three feet, seven inches tall, he had value to the team. “I want to remind you that every human being has value,” said Fr. Walker. It was later revealed that St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck signed Gaedel to a one-day contract to pinch-hit in a game as a publicity stunt. The story, however, strengthened Fr. Walker’s lesson. “Value is not about what we can do or what we can achieve. It’s not about the accomplishments we have made in life. Every human being has value because of whose image in which we were made.”
Fr. Walker referred to Genesis 1-26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’”
When talking about the value of human life, Fr. Walker acknowledged the wars and conflicts throughout the world, specifically in Gaza, Ukraine, and Russia. He also talked about the conflict in Nigeria, where Christians were being persecuted and murdered. “It may seem like people don’t value human life. That is why it’s important that it starts with us,” he said. “We have to be the ones to say all life is sacred — from the very first moment of conception until a natural death. Everyone is worth something. And maybe you need to hear that today. Maybe you don’t hear often enough that you are loved.”
Fr. Walker encouraged the students to read Genesis and other scriptures to see that God loves them first. “While your parents, other family members, and friends love you, just be reminded that every human being has a life and love that comes from God. That’s really the best thing I can tell you today — that our value is found in Jesus.”
Senior Myla Pankow, a transfer student from Bishop Grimes, said that Fr. Walker’s homily resonated with her because she has experienced people overlooking her even when she has something to offer. “Though it might not be the most obvious thing,” she said, “everyone has a special viewpoint or experience to bring to the table.” Pankow said that Right to Life is not just about babies and abortion, it’s about every and all human lives. “It’s about people with mental and physical health issues and treating them with respect,” she said. “It’s about treating others the way you want to be treated.”
“Fr. Walker’s homilies keep students interested because he always ties them into what high school students find relatable,” added Luke Ruddy, a junior at Bishop Ludden-Grimes. “Right to Life is important because everyone is made in the image of God and has value in our world. Even if it doesn’t always feel that way, we are all equal in the eyes of God.”
Father Dennis Walker is pastor of the Church of the Nativity at St. Leo, Tully; St. Patrick Mission, Otisco; St. Joseph, Lafayette; and Immaculate Conception, Pompey. Father James Buttner is parochial vicar at Sacred Heart, Cicero and Divine Mercy Parish & The Mission of St. Bernadette, Central Square. Father Bernard Menard is parochial vicar at Holy Family, Syracuse and St. Marianne Cope Parish in Lakeland and Solvay.
Below: A Mass for Life was celebrated on Oct. 6 at Notre Dame Jr-Sr High School in Utica. Photos courtesy of Donna Williams
