Reflecting the Truth: A Conversation with Dominic Iocco of John Paul the Great Catholic University

November 29, 2012 by Joseph Susanka

Continued from Page 2

The first project we did that got national attention was a web series called "Bump+," which tracked three women who were considering abortion. And our whole premise was simple: there's no scenario where you are not rooting for the baby to be born. If we really believe that truth is on our side, let's just let that stand. One of the more interesting results of that were some studies done on 11th and 12th graders in Pennsylvania where teachers surveyed their classes before and after they saw the series. Twenty-five percent of the students who self-identified themselves as pro-choice before they watched the show said that by the end of the series, their view on abortion had changed. That's a shocking statistic.

So, my "takeaway" is that if we can impact culture in that profound of a way—literally changing folks from pro-abortion to pro-life—then abortion will quickly stop being a political issue. And that sort of transformation will only come about through engagement with the very culture many want us to avoid. That, to me, is exactly what John Paul II is calling us to do.

Given Pope Benedict XVI's recent emphasis on the New Evangelization during the Year of Faith, and pairing that emphasis with the USCCB's recently-approved "strategic plan roadmap"—Journey with Christ: Faith, Worship, Witness—John Paul the Great's graduates seem ideally positioned to address a significant need in the Church. It will be exciting to see them tackle that challenge, and I look forward to celebrating the fruits of their labors. Thanks so much for your time, Dominic, and may God continue to bless the University's endeavors.

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About Joseph Susanka

Joseph Susanka has been doing development work for institutions of Catholic higher education since his graduation from Thomas Aquinas College in 1999. He blogs at Crisis Magazine, where he also contributes feature articles on a variety of topics.

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