Export parishioner honored for lifetime work for life

By Susan Mazur
Contributing Writer

EXPORT — For most of his life, Michael Ciccocioppo Jr., a parishioner at St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, has been led through prayer and a conversation with God.
Ciccocioppo, who recently moved to the Diocese of Greensburg, says it’s the reason for his enthusiasm for life, his Catholic faith and his professional journey.

Earlier this month, Ciccocioppo was honored with the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement award at its annual dinner in Hershey. He led the organization for 20 years as chief executive officer and executive director. It’s a position he believes he was led to by God.

The oldest of 15 children, Ciccocioppo graduated from a Catholic high school and then at 17 joined the United States Air Force. Without a real idea of “what he wanted to be when he grew up,” he was assigned to work in hospital administration — at first compiling patient case files, then accepting more responsibility as his knowledge grew.

He quickly recognized his calling to work in the health care industry in this administrative capacity and set about to get his bachelor’s degree — a seven-year-long process that he juggled with his Air Force duties. His continued success prompted the Air Force to offer him the opportunity to complete his master’s degree in hospital administration at Baylor University.

His ultimate goal? To become the administrator at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill (now Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center), which was, and is, near and dear to his heart. The hospital was founded by the Sisters of Christian Charity, the order of Sisters that had taught him in grade school. He wanted to work in a Catholic health care setting, and he found his dream job at Holy Spirit.

“I knew that this was exactly where the Lord needed me to be,” he said, and he intended to stay there until “they carried me out on a stretcher!”

Ciccocioppo said the Lord had other plans for his life.

He remembers the event clearly 21 years later.

It was a Monday morning, and as was his custom, Ciccocioppo attended Mass with the sisters. Suddenly, he felt the atmosphere around him change.

“This is the only time I ever had what I think was a legitimate mystical experience,” Ciccocioppo said.

Although he regularly talks with the Lord, he said “at that moment … I hear in my head, ‘what are you willing to give?'”

The Mass continued, but his surroundings seemed to fade away.

“I was shocked by the question,” Ciccocioppo said, “because hospital administration is not an easy job. So I said in my mind, ‘What do you mean? I’m in your hospital, and I’m doing your work!'”

Again, he heard, “but what are you willing to give?”

At that moment, Ciccocioppo had a vision of an ad in his Sunday bulletin from the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation searching for an executive director.

“Why are you showing me this?” he asked God in his mind.

He knew that a job with the federation would mean a substantial pay cut and a long commute.

“But what are you willing to give?”

After Mass, Ciccocioppo prayed ” for God to tell me what to do.” He heard the words, “Just pursue it.” And so he did.

In a phone call to Susan Rogacs, federation board of directors president, he learned that a candidate had been chosen for the position. But Rogacs invited him to continue their chat.

“It was very clear that (Ciccocioppo) was a person of exceptional perception, deeply spiritual and someone we needed to meet,” she said.

After four interviews in four cities over 11 days, Ciccocioppo had a new job.

“We believed Michael Ciccocioppo had a real calling to this cause and ministry, and we were absolutely sure this was providential,” Rogacs said. “Michael took a huge leap of faith when he accepted the leadership role of this organization … with little preparation … and a steep learning curve to boot. We … are forever grateful he followed his heart and embarked on a mission that indeed saved countless lives — a legacy claimed by few.”

Marie Gallagher, current executive director of the federation, believes Ciccocioppo’s diligence “probably saved an untold number of lives in Pennsylvania. Michael truly prepared Pennsylvania for the overturn of Roe v. Wade,” she said. “Because of his foresight and vision, Pennsylvania was prepared to meet the challenge of the post-Roe era.”

Ciccocioppo was active in his diocese while living in Harrisburg. In 2007, he was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Pope Benedict XVI for long and faithful service to the Church.

After his retirement, he moved to Western Pennsylvania to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

At the partner parishes of St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and St. John Baptist de La Salle Parish, Delmont, Ciccocioppo wasted no time volunteering. He recently was asked to join the parish pastoral council and is a Eucharistic minister. He and his wife are both lectors. They attend Mass daily.

Deacon Dan Frescura, who serves both parishes, describes Ciccocioppo as a godsend.

“He came in and … he introduced himself and said, ‘If you need help with anything, let me know,'” Frescura said.

Retirement has finally afforded him some free time. He fills his days by participating in marathons; biking, swimming and running in triathlons; and usually winning his weekly racquetball game against his daughter, though he admits that, at 71, he’s beginning to lose a bit more often.

“My life at the Federation was constantly moving,” he said. “There was always an urgency about many different things.”

Ciccocioppo credits his devout parents for openly living their faith and encouraging their children to do the same.

It’s clear that he is grateful to God for leading him on a course that resulted in his ability to positively touch so many lives — especially those of the unborn, which he clearly considers his greatest achievement.

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