Fr. Bill Carmody
Father Lawrence W. “Bill” Carmody, a well known priest and pro-life champion, died in his sleep on Monday night after a long battle with cancer. Father Carmody was pastor at Saint Dominic’s Catholic Church in the Colorado Springs area. He was also an avid sports fan, and a well-loved leader in his community.
Father Carmody will be remembered for many things, including his faithful advocacy for unborn lives. In 1994, Father Carmody founded Project Rachel, offering counseling to women and men who suffered emotional and/or physical trauma following an abortion. That same year, he began holding weekly mass outside Planned Parenthood.
Bishop Michael Sheridan of the Diocese of Colorado Springs recalls Father Carmody taking a public stance against abortion from very early in his career. “Besides being a really a very good parish priest, he early on, even before he was ordained, took it upon himself to become a real champion, particularly for the unborn,” Sheridan said. “He never gave up, he never complained. He was just always ready to take the next step toward support of human life.”
Despite his battle with cancer, Father Carmody continued his work up until his death, recently testifying against a physician assisted suicide bill at the Colorado State Capitol.
Although very outspoken in his defense of human life, Carmody will be remembered as a man who always spoke and acted with love and respect. KOAA reports that during his years of protest outside Planned Parenthood, Father Carmody became acquainted with several staff members, and called to check on them after the recent shooting in Colorado Springs.
“He didn’t count them as enemies or people to be disparaged. He tried to be helpful to them as a priest and as a human being,” said Sheridan. “I think he was such a great example of what it means to speak on behalf of the Gospel of life and we can all learn from that.”
