Cardinal
leads
witness for unborn
By NADIA MARIA SMITH
CS&T Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — A number of women made their way through police barricades
and into an abortion center as more than 100 pro-life advocates led by
Cardinal Justin Rigali prayed peacefully on Saturday morning, Jan. 19.
The vigil began with 7 a.m. Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church at
21 South 13th Street in Center City. After exposition of the Blessed Sacrament,
the Cardinal led priests, seminarians and members of the Helpers of God’s
Precious Infants to the nearby clinic, which is operated by Planned Parenthood
of Southeastern Pennsylvania, where they prayed all four mysteries of
the rosary.
“This is God’s work, and our presence is merely allowing Him
to work through us,” said Wendi Dwyer, a convert to Catholicism
who belongs to St. Patrick Parish in Philadelphia. “Our Lord is
touching those women’s hearts through our prayers.”
Dwyer recalled the words of Msgr. Philip J. Reilly, the founder of the
Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, when she explained how the group
is not deterred, even when its members are unable to save any lives during
a vigil.
“Msgr. Reilly reminds us that when Jesus came into the world, He
asked the Blessed Mother …, ‘May I live within you?’
and …, ‘Will you take me to Calvary?’ So when we receive
holy Communion, we are [asking] the Lord Jesus to live within us, and
then we go to the modern day Calvary to allow Him to do His work through
us.…
“He is not only helping these women and the pre-born babies, but
us as well, so that we can grow to be more holy,” she added.
After praying at the abortion site, the Helpers returned to St. John the
Evangelist Church, where Cardinal Rigali concluded the vigil with Benediction.
In closing remarks, Father John R. McFadden, parochial vicar at Presentation
B.V.M. Parish in Cheltenham, reminded the participants that there are
many encouraging signs for the pro-life movement.
“Only half [the number] of abortions are being done today [than]
in the 1990s,” he said. He added, “More than half of the freestanding
abortion clinics have closed since 1993 [because of the] steadfast, stick-to-it
tenacity of the servants of the kingdom of God.”
Christ has already won the battle, Cardinal Rigali told those gathered
for the vigil: “Jesus Christ, through the Resurrection, has conquered
death. We already know the end of the story because of Jesus Christ, our
Victory, our King, our Risen Lord. Amen.”
For more information on the Helpers, visit www.helpers brooklynny.org.
CS&T staff writer Nadia Maria Smith may be reached at npozo@ adphila.org
or (215) 965-4614.
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