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| Fr. Jorge Miramontes, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Marshall and Waterloo, performs a Rite of Minor Exorcism outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madison’s east side. Father Miramontes performed the rite during a January 27 prayer vigil to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across the country. The vigil took place near the Women’s Care Center, located across the street from the clinic, that provides free, confidential counseling, support, and education to women facing unplanned pregnancies. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — Whether it’s the March for Life in Washington, D.C., a meeting of pro-life leaders from across the state, or a gathering of two dozen prayer warriors on a frigid winter morning, the message is always the same before, during, and after these events — “there’s more work to be done.”
If the optimistically self-proclaimed “pro-life generation” is to meet its goal of ending abortion, there’s no time to pause while celebrating the baby-saving victories and no pause to be content when an abortion clinic closes — there’s more work to be done.
The previous night’s snow stopped with enough time to make the roads good for winter travel en route to a prayer vigil outside the Planned Parenthood clinic on Madison’s east side on January 27.
It was hosted by Vigil for Life Madison — a volunteer organization whose members pray, fast, and peacefully witness for an end to abortion in the Madison area.
It marked the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion across the United States.
The vigil was held five days after the actual anniversary when hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers — some from the Madison area — participated in the March for Life in our nation’s capital as well as the Walk for Life in California.
Vigil crowd gathers
As people began to gather on the sidewalk outside the busy clinic, the first prayer of choice was an obvious one — the Divine Mercy Chaplet — imploring both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary to intercede on behalf of the unborn, family members who have lost a child due to abortion, and the clinic owner and workers that their hearts may be changed.
Fr. Jorge Miramontes, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Marshall and Waterloo, led the prayer vigil.
He said it was a “pleasant surprise” to see the more than two dozen people brave the cold to come pray for life, and it was a chance to “offer it up” for the salvation of souls and an end to abortion and contraception.
Father Miramontes said the Lord “has a plan for this place [the Planned Parenthood clinic]” and he “already has a prayer he wants us to say . . . What is it he wants us to pray for? . . . We’ve been praying so long for this place to close, but it hasn’t closed yet . . . maybe there’s something else that the Lord would like us to pray for.”
After a moment of silence, Father Miramontes led a Rosary, praying the Luminous Mysteries, asking for the conversion in the hearts and minds of the owner of the clinic, and those who work there that eventually the clinic will close.
Father Miramontes then prayed a Rite of Minor Exorcism over the clinic, saying the evil one “goes for those who are most defenseless” in the unborn and asked God to “make his presence felt this day here.”
During the whole vigil, as people walked into the clinic, sidewalk counselors broke off from the vigil crowd to inform those going inside that there were free services for women across the street at the Women’s Care Center.
More work to do
In attendance at the vigil was Steve Karlen, director of North American outreach for 40 Days for Life — a worldwide coordinated campaign that aims to peacefully and prayerfully end abortion.
Karlen told of his experiences at the recent Walk for Life in San Francisco, held January 24, two days after the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
He described “hundreds of thousands of people standing with us in solidarity” from all over the country as encouragement to those who come out to pray, sometimes alone, during 40 Days for Life and 365 for Life held all year round.
“I thank you for making the sacrifice to come out here,” Karlen said, “because the unborn, their mothers, and the souls of the people that work here, they’re worth our sacrifice being cold, they’re worth our sacrifice of our time when we could be doing other things.”
Earlier in the month, Karlen led a workshop of 40 Days for Life leaders in Wisconsin, as well as some from Illinois and Iowa.
The goal of the workshop, held in Madison, was to “see what we can do to take our pro-life efforts to the next level, strengthen our campaigns, even go beyond the scope of the campaign,” said Karlen.
The day was spent with the leaders sharing the “lay of the land” in their communities and the progress of the pro-life efforts, including success stories of abortion clinics closing and hundreds of lives saved.
This was followed by setting goals — what can the campaigns do to get closer to the goal of ending abortion. The workshop was concluded by coming up with work plans to help achieve those goals.
Karlen said there was “such a benefit from the synergy” and getting the leaders together.
“We’re kind of insolated,” said 40 Days for Life coordinator Bob LeMay from Downer’s Grove, Ill. “This gives us really an [opportunity] to bounce ideas off other people, to hear that issues other people are having are the same ones I’m having, or how they’ve overcome them.”
Deacon Jim Trzinski from St. Paul Parish in Plainfield, Wis., called the workshop “a real affirmation as to how we can make our coordinated efforts the best that we can” and “to know and to gain the knowledge from what people from other states have done to really make it effective.”
The leaders at the workshop plan to continue to communicate with each other over the next few months to follow up on progress.
For more information on Vigil for Life and its 365 for Life campaign to end abortion, visit vigilforlife.org