Terre Haute man embraces pro-life cause ‘with a full yes’
Tom McBroom holds a sign on Oct. 7 during the LifeChain event in Terre Haute, which he organized. (Submitted photo)
By Natalie Hoefer
When he was received into the full communion of the Church in 1995, “I didn’t much care to talk about pro-life or abortion or artificial contraception,” said 64-year-old Tom McBroom.
Now, 23 years later, the member of St. Patrick Parish in Terre Haute is receiving Archbishop O’Meara Respect Life Award from the archdiocesan Office of Human Life and Dignity.
McBroom, 64, wasn’t in attendance to receive the award at the archdiocesan Respect Life Mass on Oct. 7 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis—he was busy organizing his 14th LifeChain event in Terre Haute set for that afternoon.
His journey from avoiding the abortion topic to dedicating more than 20 years to the pro-life cause began in 1996. That year, he became a catechist for seventh-grade students not attending St. Patrick School.
“As God’s sense of humor would have it, the first topic I had to talk about was abortion,” he said.
At the time, McBroom thought most women sought abortion for health reasons or because they were raped. But as he looked into the subject, he discovered that “those were so few of the cases.”
That realization converted McBroom into a pro-life advocate. He started participating in the national March for Life in Washington, attending 11 to date.
It was after one such trip that he became a pro-life leader in Terre Haute and nearby Brazil.
“When the march is over, the kids are asked, ‘What will you do [to help the pro‑life cause] when you go back?’ I thought I should do something, too,” recalled the husband and stepfather of one.
“So I started coordinating the LifeChain. And then I started the Roe v. Wade [solemn] observance at the [Vigo County] courthouse in Terre Haute, following the archdiocese’s lead.”
His involvement in the cause increased when he started praying at Indianapolis abortion centers with members of the city’s Helpers of God’s Precious Infants group. Structured like the first ministry founded in New York in 1989, local groups provide sidewalk counselors and pray-ers at abortion centers.
“That got me thinking,” he said. “There was a Planned Parenthood [abortion referral office] across from the [Vigo County] courthouse. I thought, ‘We should pray there.’ ”
McBroom started the group seven years ago. In 2016, the Planned Parenthood office in Terre Haute closed.
But McBroom and the Helpers weren’t finished. He coordinated efforts for the group to drive about an hour to pray at the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Bloomington on the first Saturday of each month. And when that day occurs during the fall and spring 40 Days for Life campaigns, the Terre Haute group even takes the 9 a.m.-2 p.m. prayer slots.
McBroom served on the Wabash Valley Right to Life board for several years, and last year he again became a catechist to students in seventh and eighth grades who do not attend St. Patrick School.
“Tom is wonderful with the children and is engaged in helping them grow in their love of Jesus while learning the doctrine of the Church,” said Jill Vandermarks, director of religious education at St. Patrick Parish. “Part of how he does this is to share his love of Jesus and how he lives this in his everyday life. He talks to them about traveling to Bloomington to pray the rosary outside Planned Parenthood, [and] he had them set up crosses [on the church lawn] that signify each child who was aborted [in Vigo County] in 2017.”
Father Daniel Bedel, St. Patrick’s pastor, said McBroom’s “dedication to the cause is nothing short of heroic. He personally takes part in almost every event we hold, leading others by his strong example.
“Most importantly of all, Tom is a man of deep prayer and phenomenal faith. He understands that the way to gain victory in this fight is by placing all our trust in God. And because he does this, he is able to fight the good fight by loving everyone he meets. Love is how he wins others for Christ.”
It was Meredith Brown, a former parish catechist, who nominated McBroom for the award.
“I cannot imagine the number of people this man has influenced over the years,” she commented on the nomination form.
Later, in an interview with The Criterion, she noted his commitment to the cause.
“He’s very dedicated to his purpose in promoting pro-life and being an active member in his parish and community,” Brown said. “In order to be that dedicated, you have to have a great passion for [what you do]. Obviously, God has laid this [cause] on his heart, and he’s accepted it with a full yes.” †
Related: Respect Life award winner Vesper ‘lives pro-life’
