Diocesan respect life directors never retire. They just find new ways to spread the pro-life message.
“They are simply too valuable to the Church and their generosity never wanes,” said Susan Wills, assistant director for education and outreach for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Despite resigning as the diocese’s respect life director three years ago, Anne Dierks is still helping the Church and reaching out to women who have had abortions.
On July 24 Dierks received the People of Life Award from the Pro-Life Secretariat of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the pro-life directors meeting in Philadelphia. Dierks was honored for her 25 years in the movement, first as director of Arkansas Right to Life and from 1989 to 2005 as diocesan respect life director. In 1991 she started Project Rachel, a healing ministry for women of any faith who have had abortions, and continues today as its director.
When Dierks was informed of the award several weeks ago, she declined to attend the ceremony.
“I don’t have time because I have Granny Camp,” she recalled saying.
The annual Granny Camp, an opportunity for her and her husband, Don, to spend time with 11 of their grandchildren at their home in Hot Springs Village, was supposed to start July 25. With her husband’s encouragement, Dierks flew to Philadelphia, arrived at 5 p.m. July 24, accepted the award, and flew back to Little Rock at 5 a.m. July 25.
“I was very humbled by it,” Dierks said. “The more I heard about it, the more I realized that it was a big deal.”
Wills presented the award to Dierks, citing her appointment to the USCCB’s National Advisory Council from 1995 to 1999 and her lifetime achievement award from Arkansas Right to Life in 2005.
In accepting the award, Dierks said, “This is not about me. It’s about all of the (respect life) directors. I was very honored.”