On Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States. Since that ruling 41 years ago, it is estimated 56.9 million babies have died nationwide through abortion. To commemorate the anniversary, there will be events in the Denver Archdiocese for the faithful to memorialize lives lost, witness publicly, get educated, and pray for an end to abortion.
Mass of Remembrance
At 12:10 p.m. Jan. 18, all are invited to an annual Mass of Remembrance to be celebrated by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at 1530 Logan St. in Denver.
March for Life Denver
Colorado Right To Life has organized the annual March for Life Denver beginning at 1 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Colorado State Capitol in downtown Denver. The solemn rally, which will include pro-life speakers, will begin on the west side of the Capitol building. For more information, visit www.coloradorighttolife.org, call 303-753-9394 or email office@ColoradoRTL.org.
41-Year Remembrance Event
Archbishop Aquila will preside at a gathering 3 p.m. Jan. 18 to memorialize aborted children: 41-Year Remembrance: Honoring Denver’s Children Lost to Abortion. The event will be held at Lighthouse Women’s Center at 3894 Olive St. in Denver, a block from the Denver headquarters of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. This is the second largest Planned Parenthood facility nationwide, the country’s largest provider of abortions.
The remembrance will begin with song and prayer, followed by words from the archbishop, who will then bless area pilgrims headed to the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22. For more information on the national march, visit www.marchforlife.org.
The Lighthouse event will conclude with a procession to Planned Parenthood. There, participants will place flowers along the fence that surrounds the facility and pray for children who lost their lives at that location. Attendees are asked to bring flowers.
Pro-Life Boot Camp
Lynn Grandon, program director of Respect Life Resources of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver, will conduct the third annual Pro-Life Boot Camp for eighth- through 12th-graders 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at St. Thomas More Church at 8035 S. Quebec St. in Centennial. The boot camp will empower youth with “sound reasoning to impact future generations,” according to Grandon, who will educate attendees on the medical and Catholic perspectives on conception and abortion. The boot camp will include lessons on embryology, as illustrated with soft fetal models and 3-D ultrasound imaging. Attendees are invited to stay for the parish’s Life Teen Mass at 5:30 p.m. To sign up, call St. Thomas More’s youth office at 303-220-3388.
For questions about these events, contact Respect Life Resources at 303-742-0828 or visit www.ccdenver.org/RespectLife.
