Bishop Names New Director for
Diocesan Pro-Life Office
Dawn Iacono, a member of
St Gregory the Great Parish, Williamsville, has been named director of pro-life
activities for the Diocese of Buffalo. Bishop
Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, made the appointment following the
announced retirement of Judith A. Gorman, director of the office since 1991.
Born in Brooklyn, Iacono
grew up in Buffalo where she attended Nardin Academy.
“My religion teacher at Nardin
was my mentor,” Iacono said. “She really planted so many seeds of
spirituality in my life.”
During one of her classes Iacono viewed what is know as the Wilke
tapes, videos of aborted babies.
“I remember at that time, and this is where I think
my pro-life activism stemmed from, looking at them and just literally looking
through the lens of God, not my own,” she said.
“Looking at human life, His creation, just totally discarded, degraded,
demoralized and dehumanized, I just knew I was called to do something.”
Iacono attended Canisius
College, Buffalo, with the hope of becoming a lawyer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political
science with concentrations in religious studies and philosophy. After starting a family, Iacono
attended Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, where she became certified in
pastoral studies.
“There was an increase in a hunger and thirst to
understand my faith,” Iacono said, “I just really
wanted to know God, to love God and to serve Him and I felt, by furthering that,
I could find my purpose in life and what He had designed for me.”
Following her graduation from the seminary, Iacono took a teaching position at Holy Angels Academy,
Buffalo. As a member of the school’s
religion department, she taught a class in sexuality and marriage and served as
the school’s moderator of the pro-life club “Angels for Life.” Iacono is planning
to implement a similar program diocesan wide.
She said she would like to see a
“Youth for Life” club within each Catholic school and parish.
Iacono’s other plans for the Office of Pro-life Activities include
making “abortion unthinkable.” Iacono explained, “Abortion may always be legal, but it
doesn’t have to be the only alternative.
If we make it unthinkable in the conscience, that’s how we can eradicate
abortion.”
Future projects also include establishing Rachel’s
Vineyard, a group retreat that supports women who have had an abortion. Iacono also hopes
to collaborate with other departments, such as the Hispanic Apostolate, Youth
Department and Office of Black Ministry.
For more information on the Office of Pro-Life
Activities, call 847-2205.
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