When a Homosexual Murders a Christian: Media Ignore Mary Stachowicz Vigil
11/17/2005 10:18:00 AM
By Peter LaBarbera, IFI Executive Director
News database search: thousands of stories on Matthew Shepard;
25 on Mary Stachowicz
No major "mainstream" media in Chicago or Illinois covered a candlelight vigil Sunday night (November 13) commemorating the three-year anniversary of the murder of Mary Stachowicz--a devout Chicago Catholic woman who was brutally killed by a homosexual man who reportedly flew into a rage when she challenged him to change his lifestyle.
*** To listen to a radio interview with IFI's Peter LaBarbera on Stephen Bennett's new radio show, "Straight Talk Radio," comparing the media's coverage of the Mary Stachowicz case to that of homosexual murder victim Matthew Shepard, click HERE for Windows Media Player or click HERE for Real Player. ***
The Stachowicz (pronounced Stack-O-vich) vigil was attended by leaders of groups representing tens of thousands of Illinoisans: Catholic Citizens of Illinois, Concerned Women for America of Illinois and Illinois Family Institute.
A cameraman with the Chicago affiliate of ABC-TV (Channel 7) filmed the vigil proceedings but no story ran on the station. No major Chicago print media covered the story. IFI sent two press releases out announcing the vigil, through U.S. Newswire and Christian Wire Service.
Among the pro-life and pro-family representatives speaking at the vigil were: Mary Anne Hackett of Catholic Citizens of Illinois, Kathy Valente of CWA-Illinois, veteran pro-decency advocate Arlene Sawicki, and this writer.
The vigil was held in front of St. Hyacinth Basilica in Chicago, as dozens of parishioners filed in for a Polish-language evening Mass. Across the street was the Sikorsky Funeral Home (see photo) where Nicholas Gutierrez reportedly hid Stachowicz's mangled body in the crawl space after beating and stabbing her to death. Both Gutierrez and Stachowicz worked at the funeral home.
An essay by a local priest and friend of Mary's describes how Gutierrez, after attacking and killing his co-worker, prayed with and consoled her family and friends for two days as they desperately searched for her.
The painful Nexis numbers: Mary S. versus Matthew S.
The Stachowicz case has received infinitesimal media coverage compared to that of Matthew Shepard, a homosexual college student who was murdered by two men in Wyoming. Through the efforts of homosexual activists, the Shepard murder has become a social phenomenom. It was widely portrayed as an anti-"gay" "hate crime"--i.e., that he was killed "just because he was gay." But ABC's "20/20" cast doubt on that claim, showing that robbery was a more likely motive for Shepard's killers. (Shepard was an "easy mark" for his assailants, who were on a drug "binge" and attacked another person the same night.)
The notoriety of the Shepard case is unprecedented-- as reflected in the numbers from the Nexis media database. Nexis is a paid service storing articles from most major print media. I used Nexis to run a comparison of print media coverage of the Shepard and Stachowicz murders. I searched for media stories on "Mary Stachowicz" between the day of her murder, Nov. 13, 2002, and today. There were 25 items. (Nexis also includes press releases and letters-to-the-editor.)
I then did a search for "Matthew Shepard" for the same time period. The Nexis search engine produced this notice: "This search has been interrupted because it will return more than 1,000 documents." I needed to scale back the time period. So I plugged in Shepard's name for just the last year (11-17-04 through 11-17-05). Nexis produced 728 stories/items on the Shepard case-many of them on newspaper articles about "The Laramie Project," a high school play that promotes the idea that Shepard's murder was a "hate crime" as a way of engendering pro-"gay" tolerance in schools.
In this context, the reality of modern-day "tolerance" becomes clear. When the victim is Politically Correct, the media cooperates with activist groups to use the tragedy to promote the desired "progressive" end--in the case of Shepard's murder, homosexual-inclusive "hate crimes" legislation.
When the murder victim is not Politically Correct--such as Mary Stachowicz, a devout Catholic woman brutally beaten and stabbed to death by an enraged homosexual--what we get is media disinterest and silence.
Sunday night's vigil for Mary was more evidence that in the eyes of the liberal media, some victims are more important than others.
Illinois Family Institute will continue to publicize this case and the trial of Nicholas Gutierrez, which is scheduled to begin later this month.
To listen to a radio interview with Peter LaBarbera on Stephen Bennett's new radio show, Straight Talk Radio, discussing the Mary Stachowicz case, click HERE for Windows Media Player or click HERE for Real Player.
The following are some statements given at the Mary Stachowicz vigil Sunday evening:
Mary Anne Hackett, Catholic Citizens of Illinois:I'm here to give honor to Mary Stachowicz, because she gave her life to witness to her faith. She loved Nick Gutierrez enough to offer him the choice of a different life, and for that, he took her life. There are many hate crimes committed in this country but many of them are committed against Christians. And so, I am here to pray for Mary, to honor her and to thank her for her witness to the truth. Kathy Valente, CWA of Illinois:The murder of Mary Stachowicz was tragic. A woman who shared the message of hope and change to a man imprisoned in an unhealthy and deadly behavior was killed for her loving act. But there are a number of tragedies in this murder case. It's tragic that the media has chosen to ignore her murder and the reason she was murdered. It's tragic that lawmakers passed SB 3186 into law, choosing to embrace this changeable behavior, thereby passing a death sentence on those trapped in it. It's a tragedy that it is politically incorrect to speak the truth about a behavior that's killing men and was a mental disorder only 35 years ago. It's a tragedy that every major religion disapproves of this behavior, yet the silence is deafening.
Mary Stachowicz did not die in vain. CWA of IL will remember her tragic death and continue to speak the truth about homosexuality. Arlene Sawicki:As I prepared for the vigil held for Mary Stachowicz, thoughts of vindictiveness and judgement started to fill my mind. I thought of how unfair and biased the press was in covering up this tragic, cold-blooded murder at the hands of a crazed, hate-filled homosexual. I started forming a statement that would express my disgust.
However, the more I reflected upon Mary Stachowicz, the more the Peace Prayer of St. Francis filled my mind, over and over. I believe what the Lord was trying to tell me is that Mary has forgiven her assailant, just as He teaches us to forgive our enemies. Mary died a martyr's death for witnessing in faith to a sinner who would not listen to her words of instruction. Our prayers tonight must go for Nick Gutierrez whose heart still remains in darkness. May God have mercy on his soul. Grant rest and peace to Mary's family as they grieve her untimely death.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred
let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not
so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood
as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving
that we receive;
It is in pardoning
that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life.
IFI news release announcing Mary Stachowicz vigil; sent to Illinois media, November 13, 2005:
IFI Joins Vigil for Mary Stachowicz, Chicago Woman Brutally Murdered Three Years Ago by Homosexual
Calls Media Silence 'Staggering' Compared to Matthew Shepard Case
CHICAGO--Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera will be among those attending a candlelight vigil this (Sunday) evening for Mary Stachowicz, a devout Chicago Catholic woman who was brutally murdered three years ago by homosexual co-worker Nicholas Gutierrez, who was reportedly irate that she tried to persuade him to change his lifestyle.
The candlelight vigil will be held tonight [Nov. 13, 2005] at 6:15 in front of St. Hyacinth Basilica, located at 3636 W. Wolfram in Chicago.
The Stachowicz case has received infinitesimal media coverage compared to "gay" murder victim Matthew Shepard-despite the "hate crime" nature of her murder. Nicholas Gutierrez beat and stabbed Mary to death and then hid her mangled body in a crawl space. He then prayed with and consoled Stachowicz' family as they worried frantically about her disappearance.
Gutierrez confessed to police that he attacked Mary after an argument in which she urged him to change his homosexual lifestyle-discussions that reminded Gutierrez of his mother's disapproval.
"Mary Stachowicz is a modern day martyr who died because she told the truth to a man caught up I in homosexuality," LaBarbera said. "Her compelling story is largely unknown to Americans, because the same media that devoted millions of print column inches and broadcast minutes to covering the Matthew Shepard murder case have largely ignored Mary's story."
Given the notoriety over the Shepard case, LaBarbera said the media silence on Stachowicz is "staggering."
LaBarbera said that, incredibly, some homosexual activists cheered Stachowicz' murder. One online writer, Barry, said that it was Gutierrez who was "verbally assaulted by homophobes relying on their religion," and asked sarcastically: "Where do I send a check for [Gutierrez'] defense fund?"
"The reality today is that growing secularist intolerance threatens to redefine Judeo-Christian beliefs as 'prejudice,' 'intolerance,' or worse, 'hatred,'" he said. "The result is widespread intimidation of Christians and, in the most extreme cases, actual physical suffering or death for people like Mary who dare to boldly live out their faith and not check it at the church door on Sunday."
IFI is a non-profit, non-partisan group that works to protect marriage, the natural family and the sanctity of life in Illinois. Phone: 630-790-8370.
Helpful links
Interview with Peter LaBarbera on "Straight Talk Radio," ex-"gay" Stephen Bennett's new radio show, discussing the Mary Stachowicz case and comparing it the celebrated Matthew Shepard case (Click HERE for Windows Media Player or click HERE for Real Player.)
"Killers talk about crime that shocked the nation" (ABC's "20/20" report on the real story of Matthew Shepard's murder)
"These victims are people, too; What hate crimes have wrought" (Rod Dreher column in National Review Online about media hypocrisy and the Mary Stachowicz case)
"Why Isn't Stachowicz's murder a 'hate crime'?" (IFI online article, Sept. 23, 2005)
"The tragic story of Jesse Dirkhising: How confused 13-year-old died brutal death as a sex toy" (WorldNetDaily.com article by Allyson Smith about another Politically Incorrect victim, Jesse Dirkhising, a 13-year-old Arkansas boy who died at the hands of two homosexual predators)
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