ATLANTA--The pro-life faithful gathered in downtown Atlanta on Jan. 22 for the ninth annual Mass for the Unborn at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue.

On this the 25th anniversary of the legalization of abortion they mourned the loss of 30 million unborn babies killed since the 1973 Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the U.S. and prayed that abortion someday would become illegal.

Following the Mass Catholics joined thousands of other mourners in the cold winter rain at the steps of the Capitol for the annual memorial walk of remembrance sponsored by Georgia Right to Life, a non-profit, non-sectarian organization.

The annual Mass for the Unborn was sponsored by the archdiocesan Pro-Life Office and attracted approximately 2,000 supporters, the highest turn-out in the event's history. Mass attendees filled all pews of the sanctuary and mourners spilled into the aisles. The Mass was concelebrated by over 20 priests.

Father Paul Williams of Holy Family Church, Marietta, led the recitation of the rosary prior to the Mass. Standing by a sign which read, "Life, Abortion? The Natural Choice Is Life." Beverly Stone, a parishioner of Mary Our Queen Mission, Doraville, announced the first and second readings. The Gospel was proclaimed by Deacon Jerry Lett.

After citing a variety a reasons for which worshippers may have come to the service, Archbishop Donoghue, in his homily said the basic reason they came was to find comfort and safety through prayer and worship and to escape the evil of abortion. "When we come together like this, then for a minute, for an hour, for a timeless moment of prayer and worship, we can flee within the confines of this holy space and shut and bar the door to what is outside---to the evil and insanity and violence which dwells and haunts every city and town of this nation," he said. "Perhaps we should make ourselves familiar once again with the notion that the devil does lurk outside, and that indeed, he leads many to follow in the path of his destruction, the path of his violence, the path of his hatred for the human race, and for all the kindness and the love which God has made possible for the human race," he continued.

The archbishop described how sin influences persons to choose the unholy and destructive act of abortion. "It (sin) wears the face of the irresponsible mother or father who will not accept the consequence of his choice--who condemn the child they have made to the status of a momentary inconvenience, and who rid themselves of it, as they would swat away a fly or frown momentarily and then banish an unpleasant thought," he said.

"This sin outside the door wears the face of the crusading fanatic who has made the absolute control of one's own body the litmus test for all other freedoms---proclaiming that it is the individual's right to do whatever he wants to do to his own body--to abuse it, to kill that which might be growing in it, or to end the life of the body when and where the individual sees fit."

"Doctors, nurses and health counselors---people who are sworn to protect life, to strive for healing and to never bring harm to anyone often cooperate in the most insidious and secretive of murders," he said.

The archbishop also touched upon the evil in the proposition that embryos be cloned and harvested for some kind of health benefit or to purchase an extension of life at the price of the death of an innocent child.

He prayed that through pro-life activities greater numbers of people throughout the would might come to realize that the divine law, "Thou shalt not kill" is above any Supreme Court law legalizing abortion. Concluding the homily he affirmed to believers that "the Church will, sooner or later, know that day when Christ will come back and drive from her portals the devil and all evil which lurks at the threshold."

Youth from Pinecrest Academy, St. Pius X and Marist High Schools and home-schooled students then led a procession of mourning towards the altar. They carried 25 white roses representing the years of legalized abortion in the United States and wooden crosses made by St. Pius students listing the number of unborn babies killed each year. Peggy Sinanian, director of the archdiocesan Pro-Life Office, announced the number of abortions in the United States for each year since 1973.

"I think through the procession---the symbolism of the 25 years of abortion and the crosses---I think it drove home the enormity of the problem we're dealing with. It pin-pointed the callous disregard for life," Sinanian said following the Mass.

The somber mood of the congregation following the death announcements began to lift as Sinanian reported a gradual but definite reduction in abortions in the years since 1990. According to the Pro-Life Office there was a three percent decrease in the number of abortions in 1997 with 1,300,000 being performed.

She encouraged parishioners to continue their resolve by attending the monthly prayer vigil at the Midtown Abortion Clinic. She also asked them to join with their parish pro-life leaders in the archdiocesan post-card campaign to write senators in opposition to partial-birth abortions.

"I'd like to see people understand that they can participate in the post-card campaign," Sinanian later said. "We have that opportunity, and we should use it."

Alan Brown, music director at St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn, coordinated the music which included the choral ensemble of the St. John Neumann Choir and Greg Holland on trumpet. Cantors were Sam Hagan and Mary Welch Rogers, who wrote and sang a tribute to Mother Teresa entitled, "In Jesus' Name."

David Slezak, a parishioner of St. Ann, Marietta, said the reason he attended the Mass was "to pray---because that's the way for abortion to be stopped. It has to be stopped."

"I'm also here to mourn my 25-year-old child who was aborted, " he continued. " Down the years you always wonder... It just doesn't go away. At some point and time it hits you, and it will never go away."

He said his greatest struggle is with knowing he made a mistake in choosing abortion. "I've been forgiven...God's forgiven me. It's hard to forgive myself."

John Devlin, a parishioner at St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro, and president of Mother and Unborn Baby Care, Inc. in Hapeville, hopes the yearly Mass will inform more believers, especially Catholics-for-choice, of the reality of abortion. He believes the passage of the congressional ban on partial-birth abortion, vetoed by President Clinton, has increased opposition to the procedure. "I can see momentum picking up now, especially on the national level. Our politicians are becoming more and more attuned to the pro-life campaign," he said.

Kelly Asip, a eucharistic minister and St. Pius senior, carried a cross during the Mass. "I'm very strongly opposed to the killing of innocent lives," she said. "I've always felt very strongly about it. I thought this Mass was really moving. I now feel even more strongly about it."

Rain fell steadily as mourners under colorful umbrellas traveled slick streets through deep pools of water to the Capitol grounds for the memorial service, "Together For Life '98" at noon. Signs and posters protesting abortion including some comparing abortion to the Jewish Holocaust were quietly displayed.

Archbishop Donoghue, in his address to the crowd at the Capitol, compared the fight against abortion to our country's Revolutionary War of independence against England's king and parliament and our Civil War against the oppression of slavery. This, however, will be a peaceful fight for life before our legislators, judges and president.

He promised that protests like this will continue until abortion is ended. "For as long as our children continue to be murdered, in our hospitals and clinics, and as long as this murder continues to be protected by our courts and our law officers, then we will not be quiet---we will not be compromised---we will not go away, and we will not stop demanding an end to this insanity which has seized our nation."

He concluded the talk with a prayer for an end to abortion. "I pray today, on this 25th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and ask you to pray with me that Almighty God will strengthen us for the remainder of this just battle, and that its end may come soon," he said.

Ralph Reed, author and former executive director of the Christian Coalition, who holds a doctorate in American History from Emory University, was the keynote speaker at the memorial. Comparing abortion to slavery he noted that the procedure, in addition to dehumanizing life, also cheapens the lives of its survivors and all others. "Despite contrary expectations by pro-choice individuals," he said "child abuse has sharply risen since 1973."

Reed reported from a recent CNN Gallup poll that 76 percent of Americans oppose abortion, and said that, with the pro-life Congress elected in 1994 the movement is gaining momentum and has an advantage through the partial-birth abortion ban.

Taps were played following the rally to begin the silent and reverent march.

Rich Dittus, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta, came downtown with his wife and six children. He hopes the Mass will give people "the courage to be able to stand up for the right of the unborn---to be witnesses, to be with families to make the decision. We just need to be there to help support life. We need to help those...to come to a decision."

Dianne Quinlan, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta, who moved to Atlanta seven months ago, felt that there is a lack of pro-life activity in this area, and that she would like to see more pro-life involvement at her parish. After attending the Mass she said the report on "the decline in the number of abortions being done made me feel good."

Sinanian hopes that pro-life supporters like Quinlan will share their views and information with others. "They (Catholics) can take the message that we should be evangelizing for life out into the everyday world. I think it should be a one-on-one situation where Catholics talk to people about what is happening in our country. I don't think that people realize that abortions can be performed through all nine months," she said.