Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a husband and father of two daughters, is President Donald Trump’s newest nominee to the highest court in the land. He is 53 years old and a judge from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and his faith is very important to him: He’s active in his local Catholic church and was once an altar boy, as he explained from the podium at the White House on Monday night.

Pro-life advocates are cheering the president’s choice.

“The historic nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is a reflection of the sentiment at the grassroots level that elected President Trump,” Shawn Carney, president and CEO of 40 Days for Life, said in a statement to LifeZette. “Americans want a Supreme Court that understands the limit of the court to interpret rather than create or modify the law and the Constitution. [The group] 40 Days for Life encourages pro-life Americans to call their senators and ask for a swift confirmation process, conducted with fairness and respect.”

Carney continued, “The already outlandish criticisms of this appointment overlook Kavanaugh’s impressive career as a judge who upholds the Constitution and appeals to the law and not activism.”

Kavanuagh’s wife, Ashley, and his two daughters, Margaret and Liza, stood by their father’s side as the president made his announcement.

The nominee’s parents, Everett Edward Kavanaugh Jr. and Martha Gamble Kavanaugh, were also on hand for the announcement. “My mom and dad are here,” said Brett Kavanaugh from the podium. “I am their only child. When people ask what it’s like to be an only child, I say, ‘It depends on who your parents are.’ I was lucky.”

He said his mother was a teacher at two largely African-American public high schools in Washington, D.C., McKinley Technical High School and H.D. Woodson High School. “Her example taught me the importance of equality for all Americans,” Kavanaugh said. “My mom was a trailblazer. When I was 10, she went to law school and became a prosecutor. My introduction to law came at our dinner table, when she practiced her closing arguments. Her trademark line was, ‘Use your common sense — what rings true, what rings false.'”

He continued, “That’s good advice for a juror and for a son. The president introduced me tonight as Judge Kavanaugh, but to me that title will always belong to my mom.”

The nominee’s father went to law school at night while working full time, he said. “He has an unparalleled work ethic, and has passed down to me his passion for playing and watching sports. I love him dearly.”

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Kavanaugh’s wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, who is from Abilene, Texas, currently works as the town manager in their community of Chevy Chase, Maryland.

“We met in 2001 when we both worked in the White House,” said Kavanaugh. His wife was then-President Bush’s personal secretary.

“Our first date was on Sept. 10, 2001,” he noted, saying he was “a few steps behind” Estes the next day — September 11 — as the Secret Service shouted at everyone to run out of the White House because an inbound plane was headed their way.

“In the difficult weeks that followed, Ashley was a source of strength for President Bush and for everyone,” he noted. He called her a “great wife” and “an inspiring mom.”

Kavanaugh appeared visibly proud of his children, smiling at them often.

“I have two spirited daughters, Margaret and Liza,” he said. “Margaret loves sports, and she loves to read. Liza loves sports” — at this he looked over at the younger child, who was grinning — “and she loves to talk.” After a lot of laughter, father and daughter then gave each other a quick high five.

“I thank God every day for my family,” the new nominee said from the podium.

“I have tried to create bonds with my daughters like my dad created with me,” noted Kavanaugh. “For the past seven years I have coached my daughters’ basketball teams. The girls on the team call me ‘Coach K,'” he said, laughing at the clear reference to another famous Coach K — the Duke University men’s basketball head coach and Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.

“I am proud of our Blessed Sacrament team that just won the city championship,” Kavanaugh went on, pointing to his older daughter Margaret.

The newly-minted nominee said that he is a part of the “vibrant” Catholic community in the Washington, D.C. area. “The members of that community disagree about many things, but we are united by a commitment to serve. Fr. John Ensler is here,” he said “Forty years ago I was an altar boy for Fr. John. These days I help him serve meals to the homeless at Catholic Charities.”

With abortion such a hot issue in the country today, and with many liberals fearing Roe vs. Wade could be overturned at some point, there is a lot of passion on both sides over the Kavanaugh pick.

Those who honor life in all its forms are excited for the future.

Related: Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s Supreme Court Pick: Everything You Need to Know

“Evangelicals are ecstatic because in less than two years, President Trump has filled a second Supreme Court vacancy with a second conservative — just as he promised,” Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, said in a statement provided to LifeZette. “The fact that the president chose another conservative justice is more important than the name of that justice. This is a huge win for President Trump.”

“Now, evangelicals who give the president a 75 percent approval rating are turning their eyes to the Senate,” added Jeffress. “Americans gave Republicans control of the presidency, the House and the Senate for precisely this moment. The president has kept up his end of the bargain — and now the Senate must have the guts to do the same. We will be praying — and watching.”

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A humble committed Christian will be praying, too, as he prepares to navigate the SCOTUS nomination process.

“I thank God every day for my family,” the new nominee said from the podium.

All Americans who value life and liberty would do well to pray with — and for — this special SCOTUS pick.

Deirdre Reilly is a senior editor with LifeZette. Follow her on Twitter.