2006 Fredericks

2006 Recipients - Dr. Barbara & Jan Fredericks

"A sacriface to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves.

The fruit of silence is prayer,

the fruit of prayer is faith,

the fruit of faith is love,

the fruit of love is service,

the fruit of service is peace."

--Blessed Mother Teresa

Barbara and Jan Fredericks live a life rich in faith, rich in family and rich in love. Their lives and work are the fruit of their love for Christ. "God's we are and He uses us each as He wishes. If He asks us to suffer, suffering for Him and the redem[ption of souls is our best. If He asks to work hard at tasks we may not care to do or feel a tad bit uncomfortable doing, this is what lorifies Him."

Barbara became a registered nurse in the 1960s and a M.D. (New York Medical College, NTC) in the 1970s. As a nurse in 1970, Barbara witnessed the death of a woman from a "safe, legal abortion." While a resident at Highland Hospital, Barbara had another devestating experience when a mother was confronted with the result of her "choice" to end the life of her child. "It was fairly obvious to me that there was something terribly wrong with abortion."

On September 2, 1978, Barbara married Jan Fredericks, a Fulbright scholar at the Eastman School of Music from South Africa. Following the example of Jan's parents and feeling "similar need to take care of children who had need of a stable home," they immediately submitted there resume to Children Awaiting Parents, a national organization that finds "forever families" for hard-to-place children. It was after having four children of their own when they were contacted about a severly handicapped child who needed a home, they adopted Mary Starr. Through Catholic Family Center and a desire to help women conflicted by choice, they were "blessed by the opportunity" to adopt a second time. Fourteen months later they "received another gift" -- a drug-addicted, HIV positive infant who is now healthy. Their "last gift," and eighth child, was adopted "at the age of three, suffering greatly from AIDS."

Barbara and Jan Fredericks have been mainstays in Rochester's pro-life community since the 1970s. They serve out of compassion for the vulnerable; recognizing the dignity and need of those around them. Barbara has volunteered for Rochester Area Right to Life, The Woman's Care Center and Mount Carmel House (hospice care). They have been Respite Volunteeers, providing foster care for the handicapped. Through her association with the Right to Life speakers' bureau, the Education Division of Rochester Area Right to LIfe and the Catholic Physician Guild, Barbara has sought to educate others by visiting schools, colleges, fairs and participatinf in debates. Each week the Fredericks family goves public witness to life by praying outside Highland Hospital. Every January a contingent of them travel to Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life.

The Frederick's remind us that we are called to move beyond what is comfortable and sacrifice more than we think possible. They urge us not to be complacent, "ignoring the need to speak out for life and morality, preferring rather to be quiet and well-liked and not making waves; ignoring the absolute moral truths because it is personally expedient or politically correct for us to do so. It is indeed challenging to live the life we claim we want to live. We cannot do it without God, without prayer and the sacraments, without giving Him each and every moment of the day, without a continual FIAT."