Hope for Life conference to feature keynote by 'The Chosen' Star
BRAINTREE -- Archbishop Richard G. Henning, "The Chosen" star Jonathan Roumie, and Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart will headline a massive pro-life conference in Brighton next month.
The Hope for Life Conference will take place at the Track at New Balance on Oct. 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Archbishop Henning will celebrate Mass, while Roumie, who portrays Jesus on the hit show, and Mother Olga will deliver keynote addresses. The conference will also feature music by the Vigil Project and moderated panel discussions on pro-life topics. Sylvia Fernandez del Castillo, director of the Archdiocese of Boston's Pro-Life Office, said that between 3,500 and 4,000 people are expected to attend.
"It is an evangelization effort and a celebration of what is true, good, and beautiful," she said. "We will also highlight the work that the Archdiocese of Boston does in our communities to support vulnerable women and families and to walk with our parishes and all the people of God in love and solidarity through the work of the Pro-Life Office."
The Pro-Life Office is working with the Men of Divine Mercy of Quincy and the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, Mother Olga's order, to host the event.
"This never would have happened without the support of Mother Olga," Fernandez said.
Last year, the Pro-Life Office hosted a conference for the Archdiocese of Boston's Hispanic community in Lawrence. The success of that event inspired Fernandez to host a bigger one involving the whole archdiocese.
"When Pope Francis declared the Jubilee Year of Hope, the phrase 'Hope for Life' just popped into my head," she said.
She originally envisioned that the conference would be small enough to fit inside a church.
"As some doors started to close and others started to open, I decided to go to Mother Olga for her support and see if she could be a keynote speaker," she said.
It was through Mother Olga that Fernandez got in touch with Roumie. It was then that she realized that "things needed to get a lot bigger."
"It was really an extraordinary opportunity to attract people to a message that everyone needs to hear," she said.
The full guest list includes EWTN News President Montse Alvarado; Mark Carey of the Men of Divine Mercy; Lisa Wheeler, founder and president of Carmel Communications and assistant to Jonathan Roumie; Mia Armstrong, a child actor, published author, and pro-life advocate who will share her experience of living with Down syndrome; Michelle and Asis Lopez, founders of Los Momenticos, a charity that sends care packages to Catholic families whose infant children have been hospitalized; Catholic motivational speaker AJ De La Rosa; pediatric nurse Julianne Carey; and Sara Loy, director of Springwater Healing, a Quincy-based support service for women who regret their abortion.
Tickets to Hope for Life are $50 for adults and $25 for college students. For tickets, visit www.hopeforlifeboston.com.



















