CELEBRATE LIFE BANQUET 2025
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2025
Springfield Country Club, 400 West Sproul Road, Springfield, PA
Reception 4:00 p.m. Dinner 5:00 p.m.
We have another incredible evening lined up, including a presentation by our special guest John Bruchalski, M.D., Founder and President of Divine Mercy Care, Tepeyac OB/GYN.
The Margaret Way Hoffner Award to be presented to the Gianna Center of Philadelphia, Directed by Barbara Rose, AGPCNP, CFCP, Delia Larrauri, MD, FACOG and Karla Semen, FCPI, Medical Assistant
This PHL Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented to Lester Ruppersberger, D.O., Medical Director of area crisis pregnancy centers, author and advisor on biomedical issues, Retired Board Member and President of the Catholic Medical Association
John Bruchalski, M.D., began his career in obstetrics and gynecology practicing the full range of reproductive medicine. He experienced a profound conversion of heart following a live birth during a late term abortion procedure and resolved to practice life-affirming medicine that supported women, children and their families. As he explains it, “I came to see that true health care for women is not about rights, but relationships—not about limits, but about love and mercy.”
Dr. Bruchalski will address this year’s Celebrate Life Banquet to be held Sunday, February 23, at the Springfield Country Club. He will speak to the heart of the abortion topic based upon his vast medical knowledge and scientific experience as a physician to mothers and the preborn. Dr. Bruchalski will address the anti-life ideology permeating our society, even within the medical community, despite their professed oath to life-affirming practices.
Dr. Lester Ruppersberger is a retired NFP-only Ob/Gyn physician. Prior to retirement, he had an active practice in Bucks County. He is Past President (2015) of the national Catholic Medical Association after having served on the board for 13 years. He is a certified Natural Family Planning instructor for the Archdiocese of Phila. He had a radio program on a local EWTN affiliate for 15 years called ‘NFP…for Life’ with his wife, Betty, along with teaching Pre-Cana and he currently is the medial director for two crisis pregnancy centers and serves on the board of the Couple to Couple League. He is actively involved in medical student activities, serving on the Boot Camp Committee as well as having authored several papers in the Linacre Quarterly. He is married for 49 years to his wife, Betty, and has two grown children and 10 grandchildren.
The establishment of the Gianna Center in Philadelphia arose from grassroots efforts to provide pro-life, authentically Catholic healthcare for women and families. A key figure in this effort, Barbara Rose, pursued specialized training in the Creighton Model Fertility Care System (CrMS) and NaProTechnology at the Pope Paul VI Institute. Upon completion, she and other Fertility Care Professionals engaged with Archdiocesan leaders, to advocate for this approach.
The nonprofit women’s health center officially opened in April 2018, responding to the growing demand for Catholic reproductive healthcare. Since its launch, the Center has treated over 1,500 patients, demonstrating both the need for and the sustainability of their mission. Their dedication, has not only established a strong patient base but also cultivated a network of potential support for their efforts, ensuring that women in Philadelphia have access to faith-based, life-affirming medical care.
