Amarillo, TX (LifeNews.com) -- Leading Catholic pro-life group Priests for Life will soon begin work on its new headquarters in Amarillo, Texas on Thursday. The groundbreaking ceremony will serve as the start of work on both its international office as well as the formation of its new house for pro-life seminarians of the new society, the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.

Cardinal Renato Martino, the president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will preside over the ceremony.

During the event, Father Frank Pavone, the director of the pro-life group, will become the first member of the new community and will receive promises to serve from the first group of lay associates.

"The mission of Priests for Life bears new fruit today," Fr. Pavone explained in a statement given to LifeNews.com.

"Abortion is the paramount moral tragedy of our day. The Church acknowledges that in her teaching," he said.

"She is also called to acknowledge that by the allocation of personnel and institutions focused exclusively on defending the right to life of the unborn. Our ministry, and our new community, is an example of that commitment," Pavone said abut the new society.

The new pro-life community was made possible with the support of Bishop of Amarillo John Yanta and it was officially established in December. The second group of seminarians for the Society arrived on August 17.

"This is a historic day," the Bishop commented, "and only God knows how significant it will prove to be for the pro-life movement in this country and around the world."

Pavone said the community will be helpful for those lay people and seminarians who want to work in the pro-life movement full-time. They will receive training and pro-life education from Pavone and Priests for Life and plugged into the pro-life community in various capacities.

"We invite those who feel the call to devote their lives entirely to the protection of the unborn to come to us," Pavone said. "Working in union with the entire pro-life movement, we will never turn back, and we will overcome."

Some of the guests at the groundbreaking ceremony include Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Norma McCorvey, the former "Jane Roe" of Roe vs. Wade, and Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo, along with her brother Bobby.

Several representatives of pro-life groups and other pro-life leaders will attend and take part in a special strategy session to discuss the future of the pro-life movement.

Priests for Life was established in 1993 on the authority of Cardinal John O'Connor, who ordained Fr. Pavone and gave him permission to lead the group full-time.

Related web sites:
Priests for Life - http://www.priestsforlife.org