“Bringing Healing to Our City and Nation”
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October 31, 2021Below are some recent highlights:
October Torchbearers Event: We are grateful to say that each month has continued to bring a new participant to our First Tuesday Torchbearers event! This month, we had one person change their mind and oppose abortion in all circumstances. Another woman told us how her pro-choice views changed after she gave birth to her child who was conceived in rape. The beauty of her baby led her to value life at all stages despite the most horrendous circumstances. Another woman, named Brandy, shared with us many tragedies from her life including a miscarriage, the deaths of siblings, and struggles with addiction. She took a rosary and information on joining the Church. She started crying as we prayed over her! Please keep her in your own prayers! I was also able to give her information for the local ministry Back In His Arms Again (www.BackInHisArmsAgain.com) which has helped hundreds of families heal after early child loss! Some members of our team recently attended this ministry’s Celebration of Life. It was a beautiful event! Our October Torchbearers event ended with us touring the Bethesda Healing Ministry for post-abortive parents (www.BethesdaHealing.org). Both are beautiful ministries to support as they receive much less funding than they deserve. If you were considering giving a special one-time gift this month, please give it to one of them!
New Initiative: October was the first month we have held our new Third Friday initiative. We begin with Mass, counseling at Planned Parenthood, and then a street evangelization. This was also the first time we led outreach at a college campus! We were at the Ohio State University. We had one person change their mind on early abortions. We passed out lots of pro-life literature, holy cards, and rosaries. We also had the opportunity to talk to Mormons, a Hindu, a gnostic, a non-practicing Catholic, and even an abortion provider! One person initially ran past and yelled at us; but then he came back, apologized, and had a conversation! I had the incredible opportunity to talk to a man that I sidewalk counseled four years ago when his girlfriend was getting an abortion he did not want. We talked a lot about our faith, and I really ended by explaining that he needed to enter Christ’s Church so that by God’s mercy he can one day meet his daughter in heaven.
Updates from Planned Parenthood: We had two women turn-away from the abortion facility and go to the Women’s Care Center this month! It was such a blessing to have many people out on the sidewalks with 40 Days for Life as well, especially clergy like Fr. Stephen Alcott from St. Patrick in Columbus. There is a new abortionist coming on Fridays now that we have yet to identify. We have tried to talk to and offer Christ’s mercy to the woman we think is the new Friday doctor. Please pray for her conversion.
Rosary Procession: Catholics for Life held a small Rosary Coast to Coast event, as part of the larger public rosaries being organized all over the world on the same day. We prayed a rosary while processing from the St. Joseph Cathedral to and around the Ohio Statehouse asking for God to bless our diocese, state, and nation through Mary! We especially prayed for an end to abortion and the selection of our new bishop in Columbus.
