The first initiative of Rosaries for Life is going to be the Inauguration Day Rosary Novena. This Novena is going to last for 72 days – it consists of 4 sets of mysteries 9 times for the intentions, followed by 4 sets of mysteries 9 times in thanksgiving = 72 days of praying 5 decades). The novena will begin on November 10th, the feast of St. Leo the Great (as well as the first day of the USCCB meeting) and end on January 20th, Inauguration Day. If you missed the beginning of the novena, please join us anyway, and pledge either “a partial novena” until January 20th or a full 72-day novena to end sometime after Inauguration Day.

Yes, I said I try to avoid politics on this blog; this transcends mere politics and jets straight to morality and the natural law.  If anyone of any party were to attempt passage of this act they would and should be properly pointed out because, quite simply, lives are at stake.  This must not be allowed to come to pass.  The time is now to act, and act powerfully.  Pray, always, but do not neglect the means God has given us in this country to affect real change.

Leaders comprising the panel will include representatives of various facets of the movement:

• Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life
• Janet Morana, Co-Founder of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign
• David Bereit, National Campaign Director of 40 Days for Life
• Joe Scheidler National Director of the Pro-Life Action League
• Brad Mattes, Executive Director of Life Issues Institute
• Peggy Hartshorn, President of Heartbeat International
• Dan McConchie Vice-President and Executive Director of Americans United for Life
• Bryan Kemper, President of Stand True
• Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students For Life Of America
• Michael Schwartz, Chief of Staff, Senator Tom Coburn
• Matt Lockett, Bound4Life

For more information see their page at http://www.priestsforlife.org/conferencecall/index.aspx.

H/T to Mulier Fortis.

All told, I’d estimate around 60-70 people showed up – maybe more by the time things really got going. Before they rally started some people were handing out St. Michael the Archangel prayer cards (and how appropriate the line, “Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil”, he who is ultimately behind this menace) and the Prayer for the Conversion of Abortionists by Fr. Frank Pavone. Things started shortly after with prayer and then witness from three different individuals, each with a different story. (Click on the picture for a larger version.)

The woman speaking in the above picture is the one who came to our parish this past weekend. She told of how she waited and prayed day after day for God to send someone to bring 40 Days for Life to New Hampshire (boy, that sounded familiar…) until finally one day she realized that just maybe God had put her in that place at that time for that very purpose. What a powerful reminder that each of us has an irreplaceable role to play in this world – one God has laid out for us that no one else can do.

The woman in the back whom you can just see holding flowers is a sidewalk counselor who came to speak to us from Massachusetts. Her message was simple – pray, and be a witness, because you never know who is watching or what will happen if you put yourself out there. And above all, trust in God even if you don’t know how He is going to provide for you. She shared with us a few stories of times on the sidewalk when she had to step out in faith before she knew how things would work out and when she did God responded in a big and unforeseeable way.

The young man in the front of the truck spoke last, and his story was short but powerful. He is the father of a child aborted against his will. He told us of how when he called Planned Parenthood to ask them not to go through with the abortion he was told flatly that he had no rights in the matter and that’s all there was to it. The dimming sunlight reflected off no small number of tears as he spoke.

One side of the crowd

The other side of the crowd

After the witnesses were given we, again, prayed some more. We then made a candle light procession in front of the abortuary, singing Amazing Grace, turned around at the Elm Street intersection and processed back to where we started again. We had time to briefly chat with some friends and acquaintances as sign up sheets were handed around for anyone who could commit to at least an hour’s quiet, prayerful witness.

Yes, if you’re curious, we did have one heckler yell out “choice!” as he drove by but, well, it took a minute to even figure out what he (yes, “he”) said as he didn’t make much of an attempt at either enunciating his opinion or even yelling in our direction. There were also a couple of girls in nurse outfits standing by the back of the abortuary using their cell phone cameras to record the procession as they laughed and giggled. I can only guess that they work there and have simply no idea what they are doing or the pain and harm they are causing. They were, in a way, among the first people to see the power of 40 Days for Life, even if they don’t yet realize it. Those two young girls have never left my prayers from that moment on.

How can you help? First, come to the kickoff meeting if you can. At least as important as that, however, is to sign up for a slot to spend an hour in prayerful witness in front of the Planned Parenthood abortuary. (If I’m not mistaken, this is another PP building where they lied on their zoning application and the local government eventually decided to let them get away with it. Evil has no shame.) If you can’t manage any time in that schedule, and that happens, then I only ask you to do whatever you can to help out the cause of the most innocent of lives – pray, fast, do pennance, any or all of the above. Parishes in the area will have signup sheets available this weekend so we can sign up for both time slots for witness and to offer any other thing we can offer. There is also a signup form on the 40 Days for Life site here – how this will be coordinated with those forms collected at parishes I don’t yet know but I’m sure that’s been planned out.

More information is available at the 40 Days for Life site, at New Hampshire Right to Life and in this PDF that has been circulated in bulletins recently. Whatever you do, however you can help, please do it. This could be the beginning of the end for Planned Parenthood in New Hampshire and the beginning of a beautiful new era of life in this state.