Print Issue: January 16, 2003

'A Day Of Penance . . . And Of Prayer', Jan. 22, 2003 Marks 30th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Young people make up the front line of the national Marhc for Life Jan. 22, 2002 in Washington. The annual march this year will mark the 30th anniversary of the Row v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in America. (CNS photo by Martin Lueders) Mary Boyert, Pro-Life Director

By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer

ATLANTA-The 30th anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court rulings legalizing abortion in America will be marked with a penitential spirit in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and throughout the Catholic Church in the United States.

At the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta, Mass for the Unborn will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue and concelebrated by priests of the archdiocese. For the first time, reflecting a new church instruction, violet vestments, symbolizing penance, will be worn.

Since the General Instruction of the Roman Missal was approved last February by the Holy See, all U.S. dioceses now observe Jan. 22 as "a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life."

Mary Boyert, director of the Pro-Life Office, said it is a sign of the U.S. bishops' recognition of the seriousness of the problem of abortion. According to Georgia Right to Life, 42 million fetuses have been aborted in the United States since 1973.

"It's very serious," Boyert said. "I think people are becoming more aware and more concerned. I think some of the things that are happening legislatively and people looking more carefully at who they're voting for is another sign of it."

The Mass, sponsored by the Pro-Life Office, will be preceded by a rosary at 9:30 a.m. at the Shrine, located at 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW, adjacent to the state Capitol. The Mass will include a commissioning of all parish pro-life leaders. High school students will bring up the gifts at the offertory. Music will be provided by Alan Brown, music director at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta.

Afterward at 11:30 a.m. a rally and memorial service sponsored by Georgia Right to Life begins at the Capitol, followed by a silent march.

Archbishop Donoghue will speak at the Capitol.

There will be a light lunch served in the Shrine basement after Mass for a small fee, after which people are encouraged to attend the service at the Capitol.

"I certainly hope people will come out because they need to . . . It's very important to join with people throughout the diocese. It makes people more aware and concerned to work to help the situation," Boyert said.

The bishops' adopting Jan. 22 as a penitential day calls attention to the seriousness of the matter, she said. Those who cannot come to the Mass for the Unborn are asked to adopt this spirit in other ways.

"This is a day that all Catholics should (use) as a day of penance. It will probably help to make people more aware whether they can come to Mass or not," Boyert said.

"Together for Life," the largest gathering of pro-life citizens in Georgia, will be held at the Capitol steps.

The featured speaker at "Together for Life" will be Dr. Laurence White, senior pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, a nationally known speaker for pro-life, pro-family organizations. The archbishop will give an opening prayer and also a reflection.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions of Jan. 22, 1973 that legalized abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy.

After the speakers, the memorial service will begin at noon and a silent walk through downtown Atlanta at 1 p.m.

Permits are obtained for all the events, which are peaceful and legal expressions of the pro-life message. There will be no cancellation of the outdoor events regardless of inclement weather. To ease parking problems, people can come by MARTA, exiting at the Five Points station, or park at the "Underground" parking garage on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

For information on the Mass call the Pro-Life Office at (404) 888-7821. For the march call (770) 339-6880.