SAUK CITY — St. Aloysius Church and School in Sauk City, part of Divine Mercy Parish, are joining in with volunteer efforts in Madison and around the world by involving students and parishioners in various pro-life opportunities during 40 Days for Life this fall and also publicizing and praying for efforts to assist new mothers and their babies.
From Wednesday, Sept. 28, to Sunday, Nov. 6, Madison and surrounding communities are uniting with the largest pro-life mobilization in history — the international 40 Days for Life happening in a record number of 9,207 campaigns in 49 states and 64 countries.
Although abortion is now illegal in Wisconsin, the goal of Vigil for Life, Madison, has always been the permanent closure of the Planned Parenthood facility in Madison. It is not permanently closed yet.
Although they are not currently performing surgical abortions, they are referring out for abortions during their “pregnancy counseling” sessions.
However, they are giving no support to mothers who choose life for their babies as do the Women’s Care Center and other pro-life resources who are available with their kind, compassionate, generous assistance.
Helpful resources
Prayers, promotion, and support of the following organizations that assist new mothers and their babies is a key component of 40 Days for Life:
• Women’s Care Center (womenscarecenter.org/madison-wisconsin) is present in Madison and in another 12 states and offers help to pregnant mothers and their babies.
• Care Net Pregnancy Center (care-net.org) is present in Madison and all across North America and offers help to mothers and their babies, including housing.
• 40 Days for Life (40daysforlife.com/en/pregnancyhelp) references free help for new mothers.
• Walking with Moms in Need (madisondiocese.org/wwmin) is a nationwide effort for Catholic parishes and communities to help pregnant mothers and their families and is an ongoing effort of training, prayer, and support.
Pro-life campaign
40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign that has generated measurable lifesaving results.
A documented 22,013 lives have been spared from abortion and these are just the ones that we know about.
In addition, 120 abortion facilities have closed, 242 abortion workers have quit their jobs, and more than one million people have joined to fast and pray for an end to abortion.
The 40 Days for Life campaign is made up of three key components:
- Prayer and fasting: Inviting people of faith throughout the diocese to join together for 40 days of fervent prayer and fasting for an end to abortion throughout the world and for assistance for new mothers and their babies.
- Peaceful vigil: Join in the visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life in a focused, 40-day prayer vigil outside Planned Parenthood, 3706 Orin Rd., Madison. It is a peaceful and educational presence. For more information contact Gwen at 608-393-8545 or info@ vigilfor life.org
- Community outreach: Taking a positive, upbeat pro-life message to every corner of our world through media efforts, church presentations, and public visibility. This makes it possible to get the pro-life message out to many people who would never see the inside of a local church.
Lives are being saved. Across the nation, grandparents and parents are traveling to thank the prayer warriors for their past and continuing presence and for their babies who are now alive because of their prayers, and Madison is no exception to these stories.
Local activities
St. Aloysius Church and School are promoting the vigil in Madison and have also scheduled several additional local pro-life activities.
- There will be a pro-life Rosary before all 4:30 p.m., 8 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. weekend Masses at St. Aloysius Church, 115 Madison St., during 40 Days for Life.
- On Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m., there will be a pro-life Rosary recited around a bonfire at St. Aloysius School with all elementary, middle school, and high school religious education students; teachers; and parents. The rain date is Wednesday, Oct. 19.
- On Friday, Oct. 14, at 8:15 a.m., Mass will be celebrated at St. Aloysius Church with special intention for the unborn and all of those affected by abortion. Third through fifth grade students and their teachers will pray the pro-life Rosary following Mass. The school children are also planning special prayers and activities during the campaign.
- On Saturday, Oct. 15, at 11 a.m., a Spanish-English Rosary will be prayed for the intention for the unborn outside at the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Memorial to the Unborn, led by Pastor Fr. Miguel Galvez.
- The Rosary is prayed every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at Durward’s Glen with the added intention for the unborn during 40 Days for Life. Mass follows at 8 a.m.
In addition to these scheduled dates, parishioners are being encouraged to privately pray the pro-life Rosary in the Adoration Chapel or in church as well as praying for mothers and their babies.
All are invited to join in these special prayer opportunities and be rewarded in multiple ways, some even visible.
A young couple headed into Planned Parenthood saw a prayer warrior point out the Women’s Care Center (WCC) across the street to them.
The young couple left Planned Parenthood and headed over to the Women’s Care Center, leaving their car in the Planned Parenthood parking lot.
They stayed in the WCC for a time and then came out with big smiles and got into their car and drove away.
St. Teresa of Calcutta shared, “Abortion is profoundly anti-women. Three-quarters of its victims are women: half the babies and all the mothers”.
More information on this power of prayer can be found at www.40daysforlife.com