In 2006 and 2007, Catholic youth attending the Holy House began talking about forming a diocesan pro-life youth group. They agreed to attend the Cardinal’s pro-life Mass in January 2007 and then met afterward to discuss forming the group. Since February 2007, the group has had at least one activity per month, sometimes many more.
The praying of the rosary outside of Planned Parenthood was and continues to be a central and vital activity done by the COOL. Some other activities done during this early period included the March of the Surviving Youth, attending the Austin March for Life, and the March for Life in Washington D.C.
The COOL was formally instituted as a corporation with a Board of Directors in 2010, the IRS approved the 501 (c) (3) status in April 2011.
In this early stage of the COOL many initiatives sprouted to fruition in addition to those previously mentioned. The COOL helped organize the Unite for Life event in which 1500 people marched to Planned Parenthood. Additionally, a pro-life youth magazine was developed to share the pro-life message. It was distributed in local churches and contained the pro-life message in comics, original stories, and news pieces which added up to a 24-page document.
The COOL is a centrally Catholic organization. This fact played a large role in its founding. Early on there was discussion of what prayers to pray with the group. It was certain that prayer was to be a central part of the identity of the COOL. Prayer is needed since it is ultimately Christ who touches the hearts of his faithful enlightening them with the fire of the Holy Ghost, allowing them to see and seek the truth. The president reminded everyone that this was not merely a Christian organization but it was a Catholic one. Therefore, the rosary was to be prayed to gain the special intercession of our Mother, Mary most holy.
The Cool continued to grow and seek new innovative ways to share the pro-life message. In 2015 the COOL made a faith-based movie with an underlying pro-life theme called The Extrovert. In the summer of 2015, the COOL had its first pro-life retreat. It was a two-day retreat that took place at a bay house near Kemah, Texas. The name of this retreat was COOL by the Bay.
The COOL also took on service work during this time such as cleaning up an old building so that a crisis pregnancy center could open up in it. From 2008 to 2010 the COOL also raised money for the Foundation of Life Maternal Assistance Program by assisting with the Mother’s Day Rose sale at Annunciation Catholic Church.
This is just a small taste of the many creative initiatives the COOL took on in its early days. May this be an inspiration for the future so that the pro-life message may grow and dwell within the hearts of all.
– Carlos Carrillo
The COOL 