Invitation
Host
International Pro-Life Conference “Now Choose Life!” is organised by the Association “Croatia for Life!” with a goal to gather supporters of life from natural conception to natural death who will try to give their own solutions to the problem of abortion through their lectures and answers to questions. The conference was held for the first time from 27th to 29th April, 2018, and guests from all over the world participated at it.
It is our wish to organise it every year.
The mission and goal of organising such a conference is to gather both the audience and the speakers who will, in their love for the unborn and all the born people, share their knowledge and experience with each other, and after having been even more empowered, continue their fight for life in the place they live.
We believe that this kind of conference will bear good fruits.
Speakers
Ante Čaljkušić
president of Association
„Croatia for Life“ and
„40 Days for Life – Croatia“
Biography
Ante Čaljkušić, master of theology, is a husband, a father of four, the founder and leader of 40 Days for Life in Croatia. His journey to the pro-life ministry began several years before starting 40 Days for Life. In addition to leading the Association „Croatia for Life “ and 40 Days for Life, he has a great talent for directing and film art, which he uses in directing documentaries (Embrace life, 40 days…) and music videos celebrating life (Life is precious, Oil of anointment). He is also the author of the book „A whirligig in Godʼs hands“, in which he describes his growing up, meeting his beloved wife Sara and the beginnings of his work in the pro-life ministry.
Cynthia Morales
producer of the
“Shout my story” project
Biography
Cynthia Morales, M. Div. became active in the Pro-Life Movement in 2002 following a deepened commitment to Christ. She volunteered at a Pregnancy Resource Center, began praying outside the abortion clinics, and participated in Face the Truth Tours. In 2005, Cindy became the Director of Religious Education at St. Philip the apostle parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. While in that position, she published several studies for Catholic Scripture Studies International, including a study on the book of Amos, the encyclical Humanae Vitae, and three studies on the readings during Advent (for years A, B, and C). She has a BA in Sociology and M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary. In 2012, Cindy left her position as Director of Religious Education and joined Pro-Life Champions to help produce and distribute the “40” film as the Development Director and Outreach Coordinator. In 2019 she assumed the position of Executive Director and is the producer of the Shout My Story project. Cindy is married to John Morales, the founder of Pro-Life Champions, and they are the proud parents of Joseph.
Danijela De Micheli Vitturi
MD
Biography
DANIJELA DE MICHELI VITTURI, MD, is a family medicine specialist who lives in Split. She and her husband Ivan have been married for 39 years and have eight children (Ilija, Nikola, Teo, Tomislav, Marko, Anđela, Mihaela, and Antonio). She works in a specialist family medicine practice and volunteers at the family counseling centre at the Parish of Our Lady of Health in Split as a consultant for natural family planning and family medicine and logotherapy. In the same parish, she has been singing in the mixed choir for years. Since 2004, she has hosted several shows on Radio Marija. She still hosts the show „Living Love“. Since 1997, she has participated and actively collaborated in the Family Summer Schools of the FTIDI Family Center. She has been active in the Croatian Catholic Medical Society since 1994 and the Croatian Community of Marriage Meetings since 1998. She has organised Family meetings in the Franciscan monasteries in Zaostrog, Živogošće, and Kraj on Pašman. She has participated in domestic and international family medicine congresses, where she led workshops on natural family planning and gave several talks on natural methods of family planning and the importance of responsible parenting for demographic renewal. She completed her education in Christian Gestalt pedagogy at the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Split and a four-year education in logotherapy in Zagreb. She is also a teacher of the Billings method and completed a course for TEEN Star programme leaders. So far, she has published poems and articles in various magazines, as well as many books on family and religious topics. She actively cooperates and supports 40 Days for Life, having participated in international conferences and forums organised by this pro-life initiative.
Dijana Brozović
director of Pregnancy crisis centre
“You’re not alone”
Biography
I was born on February 1, 1994, in Ogulin. I came to Zagreb in 2012 to study at the Faculty of Teacher Education (classroom teaching and English). During the third year of my studies, I started coming to pray for the unborn in front of the Sisters of Charity Hospital and joined the Zagreb 40 Days for Life team. I soon took on the role of vigil coordination (I took care of filling in the prayer periods in front of the hospitals in Zagreb). Having watched other pro-life fighters full of love and fervour, devotedly serving in this ministry, I wanted to do something more as well. I decided to give myself completely to this fight for the most vulnerable among us. In 2016, at the instigation of the President of the Association, in addition to coordination, I also took care of pregnant women and families whom the Association „Croatia for Life“ helps and became the leader of the team for pregnant women „Youʼre not alone“. Concerning the need for a specific space where mothers and fathers could come for comfort, hope and encouragement, in 2017 we opened the first centre for life in the city of Zagreb, which I direct. I attended supervision and psychoeducational workshops for a year in order to improve my work with pregnant women and families, and my plan is to also finish logotherapy. Every day, I conduct interviews or consultations with mothers and fathers in need at our Centre for life. I organise the help they need and make sure that after a while they become independent, maybe finish school, and find a job.
Mirjana Radan
MD, spec. OB – GYN
Biography
Mirjana Radan was born in 1967 in Sinj. She graduated from the School of Medicine of the University of Zagreb in 1992. She completed her specialisation in gynecology and obstetrics in Zagreb in 2003. Since 2015, she has been a subspecialist in fetal medicine and obstetrics. She has been employed at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the County Hospital in Čakovec since 2003. She graduated in philosophy and religious culture at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus in Zagreb in 1997 and received her PhD in 2014 on the subject of „Assisted fertilisation methods (MPO) – an ethical judgment“. In the area of Međimurje and Varaždin counties, she participated in the medical part of the Engagement course programme. In 2007, she was appointed gynecologist-expert, external associate of the Interdiocesan Court of First Instance and the Interdiocesan Court of Appeal in Zagreb, in 2015 a member of the Croatian Bishopsʼ Conference for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers, and in 2018 a member of the Croatian Bishopsʼ Conference for Life and Family. She received her habilitation in 2019 at the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Sciences, University of Zagreb, when she was elected assistant professor in interdisciplinary fields of science, scientific field: religious sciences (philosophy, clinical medical sciences). At the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus in Zagreb, she participated as an external associate in seminars and classes in the following courses: Medical bioethics, Pastoral medicine, Premarital morality, Marriage morality, and special issues in Christian ethics. She gives invited talks on the overall physical, mental and spiritual health of women and families at professional, scientific, medical, bioethical and interdisciplinary seminars, symposia, and congresses.
Joseph Morris Igwe
Director of Society for the Promotion of Life
Biography
Amb. Morris Joseph Igwe, holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy from the University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria; as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome- Italy. He is a lover of rational enquiry on Marriage and Family. He presently serves as a board member of Lagos Archdiocesan Tribunal Curriculum Committee on Marriage & Prolife. He is the Director of Society for the Promotion of Life (SPL)- a full time, innovative prolife organization dedicated to the mission of promoting and defending the Culture of life.
Josip Markotić
PhD
Biography
He received his masterʼs degree and then his doctorate in bioethics from the School of Bioethics at Athenaeum Pontificium „Regina Apostolorum“ in Rome.
He is currently a lecturer at the Croatian Catholic University in Zagreb and an external associate at the Faculty of Medicine in Split.
Ruth Rawlins
Head of Communications CBR UK
Biography
Ruth Rawlins is Head of Communications for Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK (CBR UK), where she has worked for 7 years. She is a follower of Christ and mother to a beautiful teenage daughter, living in London. Ruth is passionate about the church becoming who she is called to be and about seeing the end to abortion in her lifetime.
Darko i Cecilija Pedić
Biography
Darko and Cecilija have been married for 14 years and are the parents of one adopted boy. They are members of the Neocatechumenal Way, through which they met. Cecilija is a long-year member of the Zadar team of 40 Days for Life, and in the last few campaigns, with the wholehearted help of her husband Darko, she has been the leader of that very team. This year, the Centre for life was opened in Zadar, at that time the third in Croatia, and Cecilija is its director.
Johana Álvarez Botero
40 days for life Colombia
Biography
My name is Johana Álvarez Botero. I was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. I studied with American nuns in my city and then I studied Law in Bogotá. I worked as a lawyer in different law firms and enterprises for 11 years. In 2007, I got married and in July 2010 my daughter was born, and my son was born in July 2012. When my babies came to my life, I quit working and I decided to take care of them. For 8 years I was married to a rude man. When I told him I wanted a divorce, he sued me more than 10 times. In one legal process, full of corruption, my little kids of 4 and 2 years at that moment where taken away from me during 41 hard months. They spent 10 terrible days in an orphanage. During that hard time for me and my kids, I met many priests, lay and Catholic movements, and I discovered how Lord is so precious and wonderful. During my hard cross, I dedicated my life to God and decided to work only for God and give up my past life. Thanks God, I got my kids back on August 2018. Since that time I have totally surrendered to them, helping them to heal all hard wounds they have, to know the Lord and to be good kids. Now they are 10 and 8 years old and they are beautiful kids, an amazing blessing from the Lord. Even though I come from satanic families, they want to be a priest and a nun. This is only due to Godʼs mercy and love. Where the sin is terrible, grace is always greater. I work as a lawyer only for people who really need it, and I prefer to advise instead of sue people. I help 40 Days for Life as a translator and a lawyer in legal matters regarding the pro-life movement. I work helping people to forgive and heal wounds. After my heavy cross, I turned out to be a different person only for the love and mercy of God. All in my life exists only for His glory. Iʼm a converted soul attached to Christʼs cross.
Katarina Dvornik
MD, spec. OB – GYN
Biography
I was born in Split in 1978. After finishing primary school, I enrolled in the mathematical high school in Split. Despite the opposite expectations of my environment about continuing my education, I enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb, from which I graduated in 2004. I completed my specialisation in gynecology and obstetrics at the Clinical Hospital Centre in Split. I have been working as a primary gynecologist at the Health Centre of the Split-Dalmatia County for 8 years.
Lynn Grandon
Director of the Respect Life office for the Archdiocese of Denver
Biography
Lynn Grandon is the Director of the Respect Life office for the Archdiocese of Denver, a position she has held for 11 years, and 5 years before that in the Diocese of Peoria. She is also the Founding Executive Director for 2 women’s medical centers based directly across from major abortion facilities, as well as Co-Chairing a Diocesan Healthcare Committee overseeing 11 hospital systems. Lynn has additionally served as the Archbishop’s Liaison for Healthcare.
She and her husband, Fr. Douglas Grandon, PhD, are adult converts to Catholicism – where he serves as a Catholic priest and a National Chaplain for FOCUS. They have 6 grown children and 3 grandchildren. Their entire family has a deep and life-long affection for Croatia.