an unsung hero of the pro-life movement

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jan 28, 2011

This year Larry Filiault organized a busload of pro-lifers from around Greenfield, Massachusetts, to attend the March for Life in Washington, as he had done so many times in the past. But this year Larry himself couldn’t make that trip. Surrounded by his family and nourished by the sacraments, Larry died on January 22 (that date again!) of Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Most of the people who read this column have probably never heard of Larry Filiault. But if you’re fortunate, perhaps you know someone like him. His death reminded me how much we all owe to the loyal foot-soldiers, the tireless organizers, the generous volunteers, the unsung heroes of the pro-life movement.

Until 2000, I had never spent much time in Greenfield. But when a Senate campaign took me all around Massachusetts searching for pro-life supporters, I quickly discovered that in that part of the state, Larry was always at the center of things.

You might recognize the type: Larry was the director of religious education simultaneously for two parishes. He ran a Catholic men’s group. He was an active board member and fundraiser for Catholic schools and pregnancy-resource centers. And whenever the pro-life movement needed something done, there was Larry with his sleeves rolled up.

After giving a talk at a luncheon that he had organized in 2000, I wanted to thank Larry before hurrying off to my next engagement. It took me quite a while to find him. He was alone in the kitchen, washing dishes. “I figured that I’m not needed out there,” Larry said, nodding toward the hall where the party was still going strong. “So I might as well do something useful.” Not needed? Baloney! If Larry hadn’t done the work beforehand, there might never have been a party that day. But now that the preparations were complete, and everyone else was enjoying the results of his efforts, Larry had already moved on to the next task. Typical.

A few years later, I ran into Larry at another social event and greeted him. He was stunned that I remembered his name, and began raving about my memory. This too was typical of this self-effacing man. Rather than entertaining the possibility that he himself might be worth remembering, instead Larry saw a virtue (a good memory) in someone else.

Well, let me now correct the record. Despite Larry’s efforts, I lost that 2000 Senate race. (The late Ted Kennedy edged me out, by a margin of just over 1 million votes.) But later I would tell my friends that during the political campaign I had identified the most effective, reliable pro-life activists in the state, who could form the backbone of some other candidate’s future campaign. Whenever I said that, I was thinking first and foremost of Larry Filiault. He died too soon to see the victory of the pro-life movement in America, but when that day comes, it will be due to the work of indefatigable, selfless people like him.

Please say a quick prayer for the repose of Larry’s soul, for the comfort of his widow Maureen, for their 4 children and their grandchildren. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for all the unsung heroes of the pro-life movement, who give so much and ask so little. And ask God to raise up a half-dozen good men for the pro-life movement in Greenfield. That’s about what it will take to replace Larry.