Dear St. Catherine Parish Family,
Tomorrow marks the 48th anniversary of infamous supreme court decision, Roe v. Wade, which essentially mandated legal abortion in every state throughout the entirety of a pregnancy. Since that day, there have been tens of millions of innocent babies who have been slaughtered in their mother's womb. This reality is a horrific tragedy that leaves a deep blemish on our national identity. Yesterday, Archbishop Gomez, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, reminded us in his letter marking the presidential inauguration that abortion remains our "preeminent priority," and as Pope Francis teaches, "we cannot stay silent when nearly a million unborn lives are being cast aside in our country year after year through abortion." In that light, I invite you to join me in praying the Nine Days for Life novena which begins today, and also to consider participating in a prayer vigil at a local abortion clinic through 40 Days for Life. If you have never done this, I encourage you to consider participating in one of these vigils by gathering a group together and signing up for an hour. It is quite a life-changing experience. I also invite you to join me in supporting the