By Fiona Heath, 6th grade
C.S. Lewis said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Life is important. An unborn baby has a life that we need to protect. They are the most vulnerable. When standing up for them, we need a virtue called moral courage.
Moral courage is taking right action in difficult situations according to your beliefs. Marching in the March for Life or praying outside of an abortion clinic requires moral courage because it can be dangerous, and people may shout discouraging things at you. We unfortunately live in a very selfish world, and to stand up for life isn’t always popular and requires lots of moral courage. A good illustration of moral courage in my daily life is Mrs. Marie Howe and her little son Joey. Sadly, Joey only lived for a few hours. When she was still pregnant, Mrs. Howe found out about Joey’s condition and that he wouldn’t live. Many doctors forcibly told her to get an abortion. Being a witness to the doctors and nurses, Mrs. Howe refused. She chose life for Joey even though the world told her to kill him and that his life didn’t matter.
Enduring a pregnancy is very hard, especially one where you know the outcome will be the heartbreak of losing a child. She could have given up and consented to have an abortion. Instead, she carried little Joey with love until he was born according to God’s time. In the hours he lived, the Howes had him baptized and confirmed and cherished the moments they had with him. Then with heavy hearts they gave their baby up to God.
The story doesn’t end there. Every year the Howes, with their four beautiful daughters, celebrate Joey’s birthday and pray to their little saint. The Howes still respect Joey’s life, even if it was only a few hours. Mrs. Howe didn’t stop after Joey, and for that I admire her. To this day, she respects the dignity of all life. She has opened her heart to two children from their neighborhood who come from a broken family. Mrs. Howe joyfully offers to take them to Catholic camps when their parents can’t. Having them over and taking them places lightens their mood. She teaches them and others around her that all life has dignity, even those who come from a broken family. Mrs. Howe loves everyone, and she will never stop. She is very strong. She puts moral courage into practice everywhere that she goes and is always laughing and smiling. I love Mrs. Howe and her beautiful family.
Educating myself is important so I can evangelize others about the dignity of all human life. Using Mrs. Howe’s example of endless love, I will share all that I know with the entirety of the people that I encounter. Whether I’m at co-op or just hanging out with our friends, I can show my love for all people by including everyone. Joining groups like Sidewalk Advocates for Life or any other pro-life group is a good opportunity to learn, grow, and help others do the same. With lots of prayer and perseverance, we can, with God’s help, make the world a better and more loving place.
We need moral courage to love and care about everyone from preborn babies to homeless people and from people with cancer to women in crisis pregnancies. We also need it in our personal lives to make the right choice when demanding circumstances arise. God will guide us in those times to have moral courage.
Fiona Heath won third place in the middle school category of the Culture of Life Studies Program’s 2025 Pro-Life Essay Contest.