Denver Catholics prayerfully mark 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Denver, Colo., Jan 18, 2013 / 02:11 am

Archbishop Samuel Aquila of the Denver archdiocese will lead local Catholics in remembering the 40th anniversary of legalized abortion throughout America with a Respect Life Mass this Sunday.

The Mass will be said at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at 10:30 the morning of Jan. 20.

Following the Mass, many will participate in the March for Life Denver, beginning with speakers at 12:30 at the state capitol. The march will progress down Colfax Avenue from the Cathedral and Capitol to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church.

The Denver march is in solidarity with the large events held in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. Among its organizers is Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Littleton, and Students for Life of America.

Later that afternoon, Archbishop Aquila will again join pro-life activities with a prayer event at Lighthouse Women's Center in Denver. This pro-life medical center is located across the street from Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, one of the largest clinics of that organization in the country.

The 3 p.m. event at Lighthouse is called "40-Year Remembrance: Honoring Denver's Children Lost to Abortion." After song and prayer, Archbishop Aquila will address the crowd, and bless those making pilgrimage to the pro-life marches on the east and west coasts.

A life-sized image of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn, will be on display at the event. It is to end with a procession to Planned Parenthood, where participants will pray for those children who have lost their life there. Participants are encouraged to bring flowers to leave in their memory.

Across the country events are being planned to commemorate the Supreme Court's Jan. 22, 1973 decision which legalized abortion throughout the country. Some 55 million human persons have been killed by abortion in the past 40 years in the U.S.

The March for Life will take place Jan. 25 on the National Mall in Washington D.C. and will feature exciting changes aimed at youth and cultural renewal.

San Francisco's Walk for Life West Coast will be the following day, Jan. 26. Speakers will include Archbishop Carlo Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., who will read a message from Pope Benedict.

Several bishops are releasing messages marking Roe v. Wade's 40th anniversary, including those of Nebraska.

The state's three bishops lamented the "catastrophic" results of the ruling yet see "signs of hope" among young pro-life advocates. They also prayed that the 40 years spent in the "desert" of legal abortion will lead to "a new culture of human life."

And the U.S. bishops are inviting the faithful to participate in a novena of prayer, penance, and pilgrimage Jan. 19-27 to mark Roe v. Wade's anniversary.