Prayers seek Our Lady of Charity’s aid in ending abortion
Published May 5, 2008
Jesus said, “Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of you.”
There were a lot more than two people gathered for a living prayer service April 27 at the St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in Romeoville. About 50 people prayed the rosary with members of the Joliet Chapter of the Knights of Columbus and retired Auxiliary Bishop Roger Kaffer to ask Our Lady of Charity to intercede and help the many victims of abortion.
“On behalf of Bishop (J. Peter) Sartain and myself, I would like to thank the Knights of Columbus for sponsoring this event,” Bishop Kaffer said. “It may be a small turnout, but there were 50 people praying for the intentions of the Blessed Mother and I am sure she was praying with us.”
According to Frank Stock, recording secretary for the Knights chapter, the event was once held every year.
“It used to be quite a big event,” Stock explained to the Catholic Explorer during a phone interview prior to the event. “They stopped doing it some years ago but the knights of the diocese decided to try it again to see if there is an interest. We sent notices to all the councils and asked them to educate their parishes.”
The opening procession included a Knights of Columbus Honor Guard, Bishop Kaffer and a picture of Our Lady of Charity.
“Jesus spoke of charity and love and the greatest example of this is his mother, Mary, whose intercession we seek today,” Bishop Kaffer explained during the homily. He also spoke briefly before each decade of the Glorious Mysteries.
Bishop Kaffer said there is a legend that claims when Jesus was ascending into heaven the angels asked him “Who will carry on your work?” and Jesus replied, “The apostles.” The angels then asked if he had a backup team.
“We are that backup team,” the bishop explained. “We need to carry on Jesus’ work, both here and now.”
He briefly mentioned how the apostles, along with the Blessed Mother, waited in a locked room for the descent of the Holy Spirit, as described in the third glorious mystery. The apostles were given the gift to be able to spread the word of Jesus in every man’s native tongue. Because of their work so many years ago, a group of Catholics was gathered in Romeoville to ask for intercessions.
The fourth and fifth mysteries focus on the Blessed Mother and how she was assumed into heaven and crowned Queen of Heaven.
“We would do well to congratulate her,” the bishop said about Mary’s assumption. “It is the greatest dignity to be seated next to Christ her son. The glory is (finally) Mary’s after the terrible sorrows that she endured.”
As the rosary wrapped up with the fifth mystery, Bishop Kaffer suggested those praying the rosary concentrate on all the Blessed Mother achieved by being named Queen of the angels and the saints.
“Imagine a human being like you and me is the holiest one in heaven next to Jesus, her son, although no one suffered as much on earth as she had, except Jesus,” Bishop explained. “Let us congratulate her, since she is queen of all the angels.
“Let us also beg of her to move the hearts of those who are aborting babies and who are running the clinics (where children are being aborted) so that they change their minds.”
Father David Lawrence, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Bolingbrook, attended the service and assisted Bishop Kaffer by reading the Gospel. Father Lawrence commented, “I like to support life in any way I can and prayer is one of the finest ways to support life.”
Chuck and Mary Bruce are parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle in Joliet. They are strong supporters of the pro-life movement having attended a pro-life rally in Washington D.C. several years ago.
“It is always important to pray for unborn babies,” Chuck explained. “How can you not support our children?”
Mary said people need to realize the horrible impact of abortion. She pointed out that an entire generation of people has been murdered through the procedure.
“Why are people supporting the death of babies?” she asked. “We would like every parish to insert (during the prayers of the faithful at Sunday Mass) for the babies that died that week.”
“There is such a large misunderstanding of what is going on because people don’t understand and there is a lack of knowledge,” Chuck said about abortion. “I don’t understand how you can’t pray every day for the unborn babies, for the mothers and for the fathers. The more people who are involved the better.”
A nationwide event is scheduled to be held May 2. People from across the country are being asked to pray the rosary so that one million rosaries will be said for unborn babies, according to Larry and Marge Theriault, chair couple for the Illinois State Council of the Right to Life. Larry also is a member of the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard.
People in the Midwest are asked to pray between 8-9 a.m. for an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. Further information is available at www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org.
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