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By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer

ATLANTA-After a Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, an estimated 600 Catholics joined thousands of others at the Capitol for Georgia Right to Life's annual memorial service to remember lives lost to abortion and to make a peaceful appeal to lawmakers to pass protective pro-life legislation. GRTL president Caryl Swift welcomed the estimated 4,500 supporters, including pro-life Georgia legislators in attendance, to the event held on Jan. 22, the 29th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision to legalize abortion. Then to rally the pro-life crowd before its silent walk, Archbishop John F. Donoghue opened with a description of a commercial by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, which left him "disgusted, nauseated." The commercial, he said, started with the words, "abortion is a constitutional right, always part of American life," while pictures of happy and safe men, women and children flashed on the screen. It concluded by depicting abortion foes as "unpatriotic fanatics, traitors to our country, enemies of freedom." "Though it breaks my heart to admit it, after seeing that NARRAL commercial . . . this once great nation is deformed in its soul, deformed by its own decision, and will remain deformed as long as abortion and abortionists ply their trade under the protection of law." While abortion rights groups cry out against sometimes violent anti-abortion demonstrations, "who exactly is guilty of the greater violence in this struggle between life and death?" He quoted Mother Teresa who said, "If we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants." He encouraged the crowd to "stay united, whatever their faith, to the cause of life, taking public stands and contacting their legislators any time significant legislation is considered." In a personal testimony, Victoria Caliendo of Women 4 Women in Atlanta spoke of how she had changed her mind about having an abortion herself at the last minute when it was too late as the abortion providers continued on with the surgical procedure. She said she denied her pain and suffering following her abortion for 10 years before she asked Jesus for help. "When I called out to Jesus in brokenness, he heard my cry and I thanked him for his healing and holiness in my life," she confided. "Make the commitment now to get involved, to sacrifice and give of yourselves so that hearts will be changed and lives saved." The next speakers were author Sybil Lash and Sandra Cano, the woman identified as Mary Doe in the Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion through the ninth month of pregnancy. Lash just completed the book "Supreme Deception" about Cano, who never had an abortion herself, and about post-abortive women. Cano spoke of how she grew up poor, dropped out of school in ninth grade, and married and had children with a man who was a child molester. In 1970 she went to Atlanta Legal Aid to obtain free legal services for a divorce and to find help in getting two children out of foster care. It was at Atlanta Legal Aid where she believes a radical feminist lawyer used her to accomplish her own agenda. The attorney stated in the affidavit that Cano had applied for an abortion and been denied one, but actually the lawyer and Cano's mother and doctor arranged for the abortion, which Cano avoided after learning about it by running away the night before to Oklahoma. She was never permitted to testify in court on her own behalf, and was never directly questioned by any court official regarding the facts in the matter. "The only evidence submitted to the Supreme Court was the affidavit. She never saw it. No one ever went over the contents of the affidavit (with her). She never applied for an abortion," Lash said. Cano added, "They used my name to kill children in the United States when it's against" her beliefs. Lash said that "Roe v. Wade is going back to court," referring to a legal challenge of the case by the Texas Justice Foundation, a nonprofit, public interest law firm, in cooperation with the National Foundation for Life Litigation Project and the Protectors of Women's Rights Movement. She said both Norma McCorvey, the woman identified as Jane Roe in Roe v. Wade, and Cano want their cases overturned, and new scientific evidence supports the humanity of the fetus. "The lie can be defeated with the truth. We need you to stand with these women," Lash said. The service closed with "Taps" and the sound of a beating fetal heart, which was followed by the silent walk. Catholic churches, including St. Andrew's, Roswell, and All Saints, Dunwoody, carried banners during the walk, and a row of students from St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, carried crosses stating the number of lives lost each year to abortion. One sign many carried looked like a stop sign that read "Thank You President Bush" on one side and "Stop Abortion Now" on the other. Sidewalk sweepers, police officers, businessmen and other onlookers curiously watched as the large crowd quietly began walking a mile. Walking with a baby on her back, three other children, and with her husband while pushing a child in a stroller, Nan Bullard of Centerville said she is involved with the Gwinnett Crisis Pregnancy Center. A member of an Assembly of God church, she said she has counseled women considering abortion. "A lot of what we do is just counseling ladies about to make that choice and help them realize it is a life and all involved in that. It's a baby they're carrying," she said. Bullard added, "I had a miscarriage myself at eight weeks and I think that probably solidified more than anything (my conviction)--to see that unborn embryo and to see that's a life." Mark Moeller came to the event with three generations of his family and over 75 people from All Saints Church, where he is chairman of the parish pro-life committee. The event "is a large group of decent people that have the opportunity to influence change in a peaceful, prayerful way," he said. "I think it's something our country has that works well, for it doesn't take a revolution to influence change, just a bunch of people standing up for what they think is right. It's a very positive, peaceful way to change people's hearts about that issue," he said. Moeller said the committee, which has about 20 active members, sponsors a parish Mass for the unborn and participates in Life Chain in October and a National Night of Prayer for Life in December. Families hand out prayer cards affirming life after the parish Mass for the feast of the Annunciation March 25, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she was pregnant and would bear the Son of God. Parish pro-life work is supported by Mary Boyert, director of the archdiocesan Pro-Life Office, whom he feels "does a terrific job." "I felt like it's an issue our generation has been indifferent about. I wanted to help encourage people of all generations to learn about pro-life issues and do something about that in a positive way," said Moeller, 40. "Once people start talking and learning about pro-life issues, it's very easy for them to become supportive of the church's teaching on pro-life issues. If people aren't talking about it, that's where indifference comes in . . . I think that's what ultimately will bring about change." Following the march, Boyert expressed gratitude for the large turnout from parishes. She said about three-fourths of all archdiocesan churches now have pro-life committees and that they seem to be becoming more active, adding that representatives of different churches have been meeting several times a year for helpful exchanges of information and ideas. "They're realizing what their mission is and they're responding to that call. The bishop is encouraging them." Boyert said that the most important thing committees must do is pray, after which they may choose their special emphasis, such as education or supporting a crisis pregnancy center. Among her upcoming plans, Boyert will work on implementing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' new pastoral plan for pro-life activities, which has been updated for the first time since 1985.