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HERALD Staff Writer |
FALLS CHURCH — Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde and his diocese joined together in an invocation for life against the culture of death on Holy Saturday at several abortion facilities in Falls Church, Alexandria, Manassas and Burke. The prayer services for life — not demonstrations — were sponsored by the Arlington Diocese Office for Family Life and gathered more than 1,200 faithful from 30 participating parishes.
"The presence of Bishop Loverde, so soon after the installation on March 25, seems to send a significant message to the Catholics in Northern Virginia that stopping abortion is a very high priority to him," said Robert Laird, assistant director of the Office for Family Life of the diocese and coordinator of the events.
In Manassas, more than 400 people gathered
to pray the rosary. Although many parishes were represented, parishioners
from All Saints in Manassas, St. Andrew the Apostle in Centreville and
St.
William of York in Stafford constituted the
majority. Among other parishes represented were St. John the Evangelist
in Warrenton, St. Clare in Clifton and Our Lady of Angels in Woodbridge.
Many members of the clergy, deacons and priests
as well as seminarians, were in attendance. Pat Lohman, director of AAA
Women for Choice, a crisis pregnancy center located a few buildings
away from the abortion facility, believes
their presence contributed to the large turnout.
"When the shepherds lead, the people will follow," Lohman said.
According to officials at the Office for Family Life, this was the largest event of its kind ever in the diocese.
"Holy Saturday marked a significant day in the fight to end abortion in the Arlington Diocese," said a joint statement from Deacon Ted Ostrom and Laird, from the Office for Family Life, and Gerri Laird, director of Project Rachel. "In speaking with those involved in this sinister battle over the years, the 400-500 people along Route 7 around the Commonwealth Women's Center abortion facility in Falls Church was the largest crowd of people ever amassed to pray at that location."
In a recent statement concerning abortion, Bishop Loverde expressed his admiration for Cardinal John O'Connor of New York and his firm stand against abortion.
"I've seen him a number of times stand up and say 'Let every woman in this country know the Archdiocese of New York will not let someone be forced into aborting her child because she doesn't have help. Come to us and we'll get her the help'. I think all of us should try to do that in same way."
Bishop Loverde said to the HERALD that he was delighted to join so many people in witnessing for life.
"It is a privilege to strengthen our people in our witness for life from its beginning at conception to its end at natural death," he said.
Bishop Loverde first led the rosary outside the Commonwealth Women's Clinic in Falls Church. It was 7 a.m. and there was very little traffic along Route 7. Sidewalks on both sides of the street were filled with parishioners praying the rosary in groups.
"These prayer events focus on the positive aspects of the Gospel of Life by portraying pictures of happy babies, an experience that many post-abortive women never had," said Bob Laird.
Father Denis M. Donahue, associate pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Falls Church, said that he was struck by the peacefulness of the people praying the rosary. He also noted that as Bishop Loverde prayed with each group, the volume of voices increased.
"You could sense that there were many graces flowing," he said.
Another priest said that he was appreciative that the bishop was able to participate in this prayer event so early after his arrival so that he could experience the enthusiasm among his clergy and his faithful in spite of the criticism often leveled against the Arlington Diocese for not "being with the times."
Copyright ©1999 Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
This article was published in the Arlington
Catholic Herald,
200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 607, Arlington, VA 22203; Vol 24, No 14,
dated Apr. 8, 1999, on page 1.
.
E-mail:
letters@catholicherald.com
Fax: 703/524-2782;
Editorial: 703/841-2590;
Advertising: 703/841-2594;
Circulation: 703/841-2565
A note from the Web Master:
It is noteworthy and honorable that some folks are willing to stand up for a ban on Partial-Birth Abortion. Let us not forget that ordinary everyday run of the mill abortion is also murder. We must understand that aborting the life of a baby is murder no matter the method. Because one method of abortion seems to be horrible does not make the other methods less so. We should be horrified and sickened by any abortion regardless of the method. The Fifth Commandment spells it out clearly:
"Thou shalt not kill."
A fetus is a person, a human being with a God given soul.
Imagine the pain the Lord must feel when any abortion occurs. Please
contact both of your Senators and Representative, via letter or phone,
to let them know how horrified you are that abortions are legal and to
stop, once and for all, Partial-Birth abortions and all other abortions
as soon as possible.
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