NEWTOWN—Following a Mass for the March for Life at St. Rose of Lima Church, dozens of people marched to the iconic flagpole in Newtown praying the Rosary to publicly support and bring awareness to the protection of all human life.
“We’re praying that we live in a culture of life not a culture of death,” said Deacon Norm Roos during his homily. “We gather to pray for the end of abortion.”
Deacon Roos shared how he would walk in downtown Danbury and stop and pray the Rosary in front of Planned Parenthood.
“Oftentimes women might find themselves pregnant and in what might seem to be a difficult position,” he said. “We pray that women who find themselves in that position find the courage, strength and love to bring that life to fruition.”
Deacon Roos also emphasized the importance of praying for the families involved, that they are able to provide the financial, emotional and physical support that may be needed.
Organizations such as Catholic Charities and Birthright can help women with unplanned pregnancies, offering assistance and alternatives such as adoption, which can be a welcome opportunity for couples facing challenges to conceive on their own or who want to expand their family.
Prayers, Deacon Roos said, are also needed for medical professionals who perform abortions.
“We pray that their minds be turned and souls be filled with the knowledge that pregnancy is not an illness to be cured but an opportunity for life.”
Parishioner Ann Hayek attended the Mass and said it was important for her to be here, “to support young girls going through this situation.”
Following the Mass, some parishioners stayed at the church to pray the Rosary, while dozens of others gathered at the front of the church and braved the frigid temperatures and sometimes icy sidewalks to walk along Church Hill Road to the flagpole on Main Street.
“This is a great way locally to show our support,” said Brian Corson, who participated in the Mass and the march to the flagpole with his wife Mariotte. The couple, who adopted a daughter years ago and who now has a family of her own, has travelled to Washington D.C. in the past to participate in the Right to Life March.
“It’s working. It’s making a difference,” Mariotte said. “People are becoming more aware.”
“People have to know we care,” said 92-year-old Gloria Markey, bundled in a plaid coat with a hat, scarf, gloves and study boots to make the half mile trek uphill to the flagpole and back. “We care about the future generation.”
Deacon Roos echoed the same sentiment.
“We pray for all civil leaders around the world to understand that this is life in the womb,” he said. “This is the future and they should protect it.”
By Kathy-Ann Gobin
