Colleen Bayer was invested a Dame in the Order of St Gregory the Great on Saturday 11 May at St Therese’s Church Three Kings, Auckland.
Speaking at the investiture, Bishop Patrick Dunn said that prior to his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI named Mrs Bayer a Dame in recognition of her pro-life work with mothers and babies in New Zealand.
Mrs Bayer established Family Life International NZ in 1992.
Inspired by the late Fr Paul Marx (the great Apostle of Life) she realised the need in New Zealand for a pro-life, pro-family organisation which addressed all the life issues from natural conception through to natural death.
The organisation is unashamedly Catholic, and offers help to every pregnant mother facing a crisis pregnancy, as well as the sick, disabled and the at-risk elderly.
They also advocate for life, faith and family in the New Zealand media from their Auckland office.
Thanks to generous supporters they have chapters in many parts of New Zealand running crisis-pregnancy centres providing education, formation, and post-abortion help, as well as training in Natural Fertility Regulation.
Colleen has been married to her husband Terry for 40 years. They have five children (four adopted, three of whom have special needs), and ten grandchildren. For many years Colleen and Terry have fostered and provided respite for 27 children with various special needs, opening their hearts and their home to those who are most vulnerable in society today.
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