Spring Opening Mass

About 30 people participated in the 40 Days for Life kick-off Mass hosted by St. Monica parish. Fr. Jeremy Gries and Fr. Todd Goodson concelebrated the Mass. At the end of the Mass Fr. Jeremy gave a special blessing to all those present. He used the Church's blessing for missionaries telling our 40 Days people they were missionaries for the gospel of life.

After the Mass everyone was invited to have coffee and bagels and fellowship for a while before taking off to the 86th St. abortion facility to pray with Shield of Roses and to learn more about the upcoming 40 Days for Life prayer campaign.

Shield of Roses is a group started over 4 years ago by Fr. Shaun Whittington to pray at the 86th St. facility. Parishioners from St. Monica and other parishes surrounding the facility pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Saturday morning at 9:30 am. Shield of Roses would love to have you join them any Saturday of the year. (During Lent they will begin at 9:00 rather than 9:30.) On the 13th, after the 40 Days Mass, about 15 people braved the snow and the cold to pray for an hour.

Steve Martin
St. Monica

PRO LIFE MASS

Join Shield of Roses from St. Monica Church and 40 Days for Life for a pro-life Mass Saturday, February 13 at 8:00 am at St. Monica Catholic Church. The purpose of Shield of Roses and 40 Days for Life is to witness to the truth about abortion.

Following Mass coffee and bagels will be served, after which all are invited to join us from 9:30 to 10:30 am in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility at 8590 Georgetown Road. You can join Shield of Roses every Saturday at this time.

THANK YOU

The 40 Days for Life Indianapolis team would like to thank you for joining us for the prayer vigil at Planned Parenthood. Thank you for fasting and offering up prayers at church, at home or while driving in your car. Nationwide 534 babies were saved, 11 right here in Indianapolis. We may not know how many more lives and souls have been saved by God through your efforts until our appointed time, but we celebrate these lives today. Although the fall 40 Days has ended we ask you to continue to fast and pray for the unborn and their parents.

“People notice the work you are doing.”

Day 27

As clouds, wind and the threat of rain seemed to be the norm of the day praying at Planned Parenthood, today was just a “normal day.” Intent on praying our rosaries, Don, my prayer partner, and I didn’t pay attention to the noisy car rolling past until it suddenly made a U-turn and parked on the shoulder of the road across Georgetown Road. The flashers came on and the female driver jumped out hurriedly and ran to the opposite side of the car.

Don asked, “wonder what this is?” Not wanting to read too much into it, I replied that maybe she had car trouble. She busied herself in the backseat and then it became apparent that she was removing a child from his car seat. As they sprinted across the road, one could notice she was dressed rather oddly. Don stated that if she was coming to pray, she was underdressed for the type of day it was. I replied that I would have to give her my coat. I’m not sure how to describe the way she was dressed. It reminded me of how a damsel or a “lady in waiting” would be dressed a long time ago.

Standing in front of me, she didn’t say anything for a long time. I couldn’t help but wonder why she had a tiara on her head. I felt very tall and at 5’7”, I towered over her. Don and I casted glances at each other wondering what to make of this when I figured I’d better make the first move. But before I had the chance, she, while panting and out of breath, proceeded to introduce herself and her nine year old son, Shawn whom she introduced as “the light of my life.”

She was very, very excited and it was somewhat difficult to keep up with her. She talked very urgently and I don’t recall what she was rattling on about. I must confess and I am a bit ashamed to admit that I didn’t have an initial favorable impression of her and I even thought that maybe she was high on something. As it turns out, she was “high” on life. Did I mention that she was dressed very oddly and wore a tiara on her head and that she talked very, very fast?

There was a bit of a lull in the conversation when she suddenly blurted out, “he was supposed to be aborted.” She was referring to her son Shawn who wasn’t listening. He was busy being rambunctious and munching on a caramel apple. She went on to say she stopped by to “tell everyone here that you’re making a difference.” I was caught completely off guard by her initial statement, so it took just a while for her words to sink in. She must have read the “deer caught in the headlights” look on my face because she said, “yeah, I was going to have an abortion but someone, I don’t even know who it was, called me before the appointed time and told me they knew what I was planning and told me all these reasons why I shouldn’t go through with it.” She further explained, “I figured that was the voice of God! Who would call me like that, someone I didn’t even know? So there was no way I was going through with the abortion.” My only comment was a very sincere “Praise God!” and as she continued to talk, I kept repeating it. I felt the urge to give her a hug too.

She told us another story that she had an older son, the result of rape, and that she had him adopted and is now with a “nice, Christian family.” She continued to praise everyone for our efforts and told us that we should know “people notice the work you are doing.” She also wanted information on crisis pregnancy to give to a friend who is interested in starting that mission in the town where she is from, near Illinois. Giving her all the pamphlets and links that might be of use to that end, we thanked her for taking the time to tell us her very heart warming story, her words of encouragement, and brightening what was until then, a very gloomy afternoon….she left as she came, running with Shawn in tow and Don and I saying, Wow!

So take heart fellow prayer angels; people do notice us out there!

Oh, as for the odd way she was dressed… she was returning home from the Renaissance Fair…that explained a lot!

Jerry Mattingly
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary

Keep Praying

Day 24

It’s Friday at 11am. I found myself running a little late. I was still trying to get my 16 month old of the car seat; with his new winter coat this was a little harder. Once I had my son out of the car, I carefully walked across the street. I stopped and talked with the sidewalk counselors. They told me the great news that yesterday three women chose life. This lifted my spirits on this bitterly cold day.

As a greeter and member of the core team, I greeted the prayer partners that were with me for this hour. Once I got settled in I started my rosary. Since I was carrying my son, who is heavier with his new winter jacket, I couldn’t carry my rosary. I found myself getting extremely distracted. The coldness and the extra weight were weighing me down. I decided that it might be too cold for my son to stay the full hour and since my hour usually has more than two people I knew it was okay. So, I decided I would leave after the half hour prayer time.

Since I couldn’t pray my rosary, I decided to just try talking to God and asking him to protect the women that went in for an abortion, their unborn babies and for the conversion of all those who worked inside those treacherous walls.

After praying at this abortion facility for almost four years, I know what usually happens. Today the police officer who was here because it was a killing day left before his usual time. This is not normal because they usually stay until the last woman has come for her abortion appointment.

Then a sheriff car pulled into the parking lot. I thought all of this was strange. After about five minutes the police officer pulled forward like he was going to leave, but he didn’t. He got out of his car and started walking towards me. I was shocked. In my head I was wondering how he knew I was the greeter.

He came to me not because I was the greeter but because he had received a complaint about a woman with a small child who had been outside of the abortion facility for the last 2 to 3 hours. I told the officer I had only been there since 11am. He smiled warmly and asked if I was okay, I replied yes. Then he asked if my son was okay, and I replied yes. He said he had to come out because of the complaint. He smiled again and told me to have a good day. Then he walked to his car and left.

A few minutes later, the first police officer came back.

This incident is perplexing to me. I am thankful that someone is worried enough about the health of my son to call the police. I only wish this same person, or persons, had the same compassion about the hundreds of babies that are being KILLED inside those treacherous walls. What a contradiction!

I also find it interesting that they would resort to lying by telling the police officer I was out there for several hours. I wonder why they feel the need to lie.

However, this situation did not distract me from what I was supposed to do. After I told my prayer partners what the officer talked to me about, I led them in the 40 Days for Life Prayer that we wrote for our prayer campaign.

Please don’t let any distractions keep you from what you are called to do from the Lord. Keep praying! Keep coming out!

Dear Lord, help me to open my heart to you during these 40 days of prayer and fasting for the end of abortion in our world. Help me to inspire those in my community to stand against this evil we are facing. Be in the hearts, minds, and words of all those who are participating in the 40 Days for Life Campaign. We ask you to protect the unborn, heal those affected by abortion, and convert the hearts of those supporting abortion. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Elaine Alvarez
St. Luke Catholic Church

St. Teresa of Avila Pray for us!

Day 23

Feast of St Teresa of Avila, Oct 15th

At times it is hard for Pro Life people not to become discouraged. The news reports often are less than edifying, and many aspects of society seem to be immersed in the culture of death. We can become despondent.

We can take solace in the words of St. Teresa of Avila, 16th Century Carmelite mystic who (along with her friend St. John of the Cross) brought along much-needed reform in the Church. Teresa became the first female doctor of the Church.

Often when we become despondent about abortion in our society, we focus on the human element- and how little we can do. The truth is, there is little we can do, but we can all do something, and through prayer, God can bring about change. In the mean time, we are called to trust in Him and be at peace.

St. Teresa wrote:

Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
Everything passes
God never changes
Patience attains everything
He who has God wants for nothing
God alone is enough.

Joseph Lehner
Our Lady of The Most Holy Rosary

Special Alert

Thursday, October 15th three women turned away from the abortion facility and chose life for their babies. Please keep these women and their unborn babies in your prayers.