ANNAPOLIS — Standing in a light drizzle as occasional cars passed by Oct. 12, Archbishop William E. Lori lifted a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament in front a Planned Parenthood facility in Annapolis, the city’s only legal abortion provider.
For several minutes, more than 100 people prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet, keeping in mind all those who are considering abortion.
“Holy God, holy mighty one, holy immortal one,” they prayed, “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
The Baltimore archbishop had earlier celebrated a special Mass at St. John Neumann in Annapolis as part of the 40 Days for Life prayer campaign. He then led a eucharistic procession from St. Mary’s Cemetery on West Street to the Planned Parenthood clinic. Joining him was Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Coffey of the Archdiocese for U.S. Military Services.
“I’m convinced that whenever we’re in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, blessings flow,” Archbishop Lori said later. “As I stood there in front of the clinic, that was my prayer — that all the goodness and truth and beauty that radiated from the Blessed Sacrament would reach into Planned Parenthood and bring about the conversion of minds and hearts.”
It’s unclear if their presence prevented an abortion from happening in Annapolis that day, but 40 Days for Life reports on its website that the lives of 277 children have already been saved worldwide since Sept. 22, the start of its annual prayer effort.
Since its inception in 2007, 40 Days For Life campaigns have reached 1,000 cities in 63 countries. The movement says it has prevented 19,322 children from being aborted, convinced 222 abortion workers to quit and closed 114 abortion clinics.
In his homily at Mass, Archbishop Lori touched on Jesus’ childhood and the Holy Family’s escape from Herod.
“Jesus, God’s eternal son, who became one of us in Mary’s womb, was subject to the same callous disregard for human life that you and I see around us,” he told approximately 350 people in attendance.
The archbishop implored God for a fresh outpouring of wisdom and love from the Holy Spirit “so that you and I might be effective witnesses to human dignity.” He asked all to pray for the mothers of the unborn as they would a neighbor. He urged participants to go to the clinic not in anger, but in love, with a prayerful spirit.
Matthew Sitzwoho a student from Chesterton Academy of Annapolis said there’s no better way to stop abortion than with prayer.
“Just that there are people who will stand up against that gives hope,” he said.
His classmates, brothers William and Matthew Cleary, were united with him in their opposition to abortion.
“I think it’s a very good thing that people came to 40 Days For Life, because abortion is a really big problem,” William Cleary said.
Matthew Cleary called abortion “possibly the greatest evil of our time.”
“Saving the lives of children is just really, really important,” he said. “It’s just essential to be out here and to pray for them and to show people that we care for life.”
Closing prayers were held upon the return to the cemetery and then participants dispersed. Organizers said they were pleased with the turnout.
Erin Younkins, director of the Office of Life, Justice and Peace in the archdiocese’s Institute for Evangelization, brainstormed the idea for a Mass and eucharistic procession. She is a parishioner of St. Peter in Libertytown and is expecting her seventh child.
“I think it went really, really well,” Younkins said. “It’s a good mix of people. We have families. We have multiple generations here.”
Organizers indicated they want to keep the momentum going for this season’s 40 Days For Life Campaign.
“We still have almost three weeks to pray,” said Rebecca Simpson, 40 Days for Life Annapolis director.
For more information about 40 Days for Life, click here.
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