Students view film on abortion

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

The movie “Unplanned” opened local students’ eyes and reinforced the pro-life beliefs of some.
In it, actors portray the true story of Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director who became a pro-life advocate after directly assisting with an abortion. Her bestselling book “Unplanned” tells of her experiences.
The movie was recently shown at the central Catholic high  schools in Worcester – Holy Name and St. Peter-Marian – arranged by David Perda, superintendent of Catholic schools.
“I thought it was really important to show this movie, especially in a Catholic school, that teaches the importance and preciousness of life and our right to life,” commented Michael Clark, a St. Peter-Marian senior, who also saw the film at home.
“I thought it was correct that the school should see the movie,” said Seth Williams, a Holy Name junior from Emanuel Lutheran Church in Worcester. The movie could help those who haven’t thought about abortion to experience how it affects people, he reasoned.
The issue hits close to home, as he’s adopted and “they didn’t abort me,” he said. “I’m planning on adopting a child when I am older. … God has a plan for everyone,” so each person should be allowed to live and fulfill that plan.
Two St. Peter-Marian seniors, Olivia Russell and Cassie Tomczak, said after watching the movie the students talked about it for days.
“I think that’s what it was supposed to do, get us to talk about abortion,” Olivia said. “The movie made us see how getting an abortion could be so common.”
“We had actual conversations,” Cassie said.
Superintendent Perda said people asked him about showing the movie in schools, he discussed it with the Catholic Identity and Mission subcommittee of the Catholic School Board, and decided to show it.
He made an opt-out form for parents because the movie is R-rated, he said. The schools said alternative movies with a pro-life message were shown to students not watching “Unplanned.”
At the first showing – Jan. 16 at Holy Name – the principal, Edward Reynolds, said reasons for opting out were varied and told students to respect each other even when talking about such a charged issue. (St. Peter-Marian saw the movie the following day.)
When the movie ended at Holy Name, viewers applauded and cheered.
“It really showed me how an abortion’s done,” said Evelyn Bousbouras, a Holy Name junior who’s done pro-life presentations. “Why can’t people see how awful it is?”
“People talk about abortion as if it’s just another surgical procedure, not ripping away life with a suction tube,” said her classmate, William Aldredge. He said he already understood that abortion isn’t a “normal thing,” but the movie reminded him how horrible it is and helped him reconnect with his faith, reminding him “there’s no good things outside of God and there’s many bad things, abortion being one of them.” (He said he’s a practicing Catholic; he attends St. Mary Parish in Providence.)
He said he wished more Holy Name students chose to watch the movie, instead of watching the alternative movie or skipping school. He called it very disrespectful “to not abide by the request of the school” to watch a movie that showed the Catholic view of abortion.
“I was really proud of the students – it is a very emotional movie,” said Megan Capurso, St. Peter-Marian director of campus ministry. “The students carried themselves very well.” Some said it helped them think.
She’d tried to prepare them in her classes, telling them that however much or little they think about abortion, knowledge helps them be well-rounded.
“I always tell the kids to be open to experiences, because you never know how God will move in you,” she said.
She wanted to give them time to process the movie, and is thinking of bringing it up in class, she said.
“We are all about telling the truth – truth for life,” Cindy R. Dorsey, emcee and president of Emmanuel Radio Network, told Holy Name viewers before the movie. (Emmanuel Radio had hosted a private screening of “Unplanned” in Worcester last March.)
During and after the movie, adults were available to talk with students, who could take bathroom breaks if they felt overwhelmed. After the showing, promoters of chastity and alternatives to abortion gave brief talks and told about available resources, including pregnancy help centers and abortion recovery.
Speaker Siomara Nadreau, of NewLife Church in Leominster, said she was a product of rape and her mother tried four times to abort her. For 14 years she’s been a counselor at Problem Pregnancy of Worcester Inc., which helps pregnant women choose life for their babies.
After the movie, she told adults that she’d met many students taking a break from it. Some girls were quite upset. Some boys said they were OK, but she felt they weren’t.
One boy, influenced by her statement that abortion concerns men, not just women, said he would like to volunteer to help men affected by it, she said.
She said a girl asked: “Is this for real? Is this really happening right now?”
“These people are real; this story is real,” Mrs. Dorsey told students. She recalled being with Abby Johnson and Shawn Carney, president/CEO of the 40 Days for Life campaign to end abortion, when they visited Worcester County. The movie portrays Mr. Carney and his wife praying outside Mrs. Johnson’s clinic and helping her when she left the job.
Superintendent Perda said later that he hated to see students upset, but that Bishop McManus noted that abortion is an upsetting topic.
“The Catholic teachings on life will always be part of the Catholic education students receive,” he said. “And it’s my job as superintendent to make sure students understand why we believe in life. ...
“I’m convinced that students left … with a much stronger understanding of what abortion is and how organizations like Planned Parenthood facilitate it.”
“It’s very hard to view that film and not reach the conclusion that abortion is terminating babies’ lives,” the superintendent said. “I think if we could … show this in Catholic schools around the country, we could save lives.”

PHOTO: Abby Johnson, left, is seen on the set of the movie "Unplanned" with actress Ashley Bratcher, who plays her. The movie details the story of Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood administrator who quit that job to join the pro-life movement after her up-close interaction with abortion. (CNS photo/courtesy Unplanned)