In a long-ago article for Catholic New York (September 3, 1992, to be exact), Brian Caulfield profiled a remarkable woman named Nivene Young. Nivene, who passed away on November 15, was a native of Jamaica who converted to Catholicism while she was a student at a Catholic school there. Her enthusiasm for the faith waned somewhat after she immigrated to New York at the age of 12, but a tragic occurrence during her senior year at Cathedral High School drew her mysteriously into a life of deep devotion. An operation to remove a brain tumor damaged her optic nerve, and from the age of 17, she became totally blind. The attention of a solicitous priest helped to strengthen her spiritual life, and her helplessness drove her to a greater dependence on God.

Nivene became, ultimately, an extremely accomplished individual who, after learning Braille, received her bachelor’s from Marymount College and Master’s degrees from Columbia’s Teachers College and the University of Kansas. She worked for a time as a special education teacher in the public school system, navigating the subways and streets with her cane.

The uniqueness of Nivene, however, and what brought about my own encounter with her was her passionate commitment to the pro-life movement. Her time at the University of Kansas introduced her to professors who favored the idea of abortion and euthanasia as solutions to the problems of the handicapped. The idea of the preciousness of each human life became personal to her, and she became a lifelong advocate for the unborn. I do have a vivid memory, going back more than 30 years of seeing Nivene being arrested after participating in one of the actions of civil disobedience directed against abortion facilities known as “Operation Rescue.” The incongruity of the police taking her into custody was blended with her own spirit of tranquility. As was her habit, she surrendered herself to God’s care.

An account of Nivene’s life, no matter how detailed, would never seem to capture the singular qualities of a very special person. She didn’t have an especially large circle of acquaintances – she spent most of her life in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan – but she left an indelible impression on anyone who had the privilege of meeting her. Her smile was, as they say, radiant, and it was constant and exuded a calmness that was clearly based on an intimate connection with her Savior. Right to the end, amidst a struggle with brain cancer, she was uncomplaining. Anyone who came into her presence was forced to see their own troubles from a new perspective.

Each year, at the meeting of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the stories of particularly saintly individuals are presented to the assembled bishops by their local ordinaries in the hope that their cause for canonization might be considered. My personal favorite, introduced a while ago by Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia, was Fr. Bill Atkinson OSA, the first quadriplegic to be ordained a priest. In his letter to Pope St. Paul VI requesting ordination, Fr. Atkinson wrote the following:

“From my own physical condition, the Lord is calling me to a very special vocation, closely conformed to His own cross. It is my conviction that in this modern age when the dignity of human life is measured in productivity alone and where suffering should be eliminated at all costs, we must more than ever preach Christ crucified.”

It is clear to me that Nivene Young made a similar offering of herself as a witness to the value of each human life, in whatever condition it is found. At this year’s bishop’s meeting, after the stories of the possible candidates were read, my confrere Bishop Bonnici opined that Nivene would be worthy of inclusion within that company. (He had met her during his time at the Respect Life Office under Cardinal O’Connor).

It would be a great thing if at some point her cause might get a hearing, but in the meantime, I am secure in my own belief that Nivene Young, long sightless, now enjoys, or will soon enjoy, the vision of God.