Faith for Life Vivian Koob’s Christ-Centered Focus Drives Her Pro-Life Work BY JOHN STEGEMAN
far away from the Judeo-Christian values we were founded on and certainly the abortion issue is front and center.”
Why do you support Church teaching on life issues? Perhaps becoming a parent opened your eyes to the reality of life in the womb. Maybe a loved one’s end-of-life struggle showed you the dignity of life at all stages. There are many good reasons to choose. For Vivian Koob, founder and Executive Director of Elizabeth’s New Life Center, the reason is Jesus.“I think everything that I do is because of my belief in Christ,” she said. “I have always tried to be a good example and Christian witness, reaching out to the poor and vulnerable and those who have less. Being Christ-centered is just part of who I am, and who most people are who work for Elizabeth’s New Life Center (ENLC). Certainly, we’re a We believe Christ-centered ministry.”
The battle over cultural values and protection for the unborn swings back and forth. Progress can be made under one administration, and then reversed in the next. Koob isn’t disheartened though, choosing to look at the “little miracles” that happen in her work on a daily basis.
“I often wonder why can’t God just come and do something? But then He uses our hands and our feet and our voices and our passions and finances, or whatever we have, to accomplish the good we can,” she said. “There is a lot of positive that happens in the work that we do. Jesus calls We see lives changed every day. We see us to this mission women who were blind to the reality of what they were carrying inside of them field where it is a never-ending battle to and then have their eyes opened up and then fall madly in love with their baby. support the sanctity That’s just the most precious thing.”
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ENLC operates eight pregnancy resource centers in southwest Ohio.
Koob’s work with ENLC was part of what earned her the Archdiocese of of human life. Koob also encourages others who Cincinnati’s 2020 Respect Life Award, support the Church’s teaching on life to but she is involved in the wider pro-life get involved. “So often people just throw up their hands and movement as well. Koob serves Queen of Martyrs Parish in give up,” she said. “We’re trying to show them you can do a Dayton as Respect Life Coordinator, has adopted special lot of things in a lot of different ways to promote life.” needs children, worked with the Ohio Disability Support Council and sponsored talks on end-of-life care. She sees The other motivator that keeps her going is the same thing herself as one worker among many for the pro-life mission. that got her started in the movement – Jesus. “I think [daily Mass] really helps me,” Koob said. “I probably couldn’t do “We all have the same heart,” she said. “We believe Jesus calls this work without the sacrament of the Eucharist holding me us to this mission field where it is a never-ending battle to up and keeping me grounded.” support the sanctity of human life. Our culture has turned so 3 2 | THE CATHOLIC TELE GRAPH
