Catholics gather to form a life chain for the unborn

Intermountain Catholic

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Pro-life Catholics of all ages stand with signs and form a life chain to bring awareness to motorists passing by on State Street and 10600 South in Draper on Respect Life Sunday Oct. 2. IC photo/Christine Young

DRAPER — Catholics from the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered to form a life chain to pray for an end to abortion on Respect Life Sunday Oct. 2 on the corners of State Street and 10600 South in Draper.

Tim and Rachel Moore introduced the Life Chain event to the Diocese of Salt Lake City seven years ago to bring awareness for pro-life. They now head the Respect Life committee at Saint John the Baptist Parish.

"We come out to pray for people to have a change of heart and to be inspired to do something about the holocaust of abortion in our world," said Tim Moore. "There are so many great things that can be done if we all work together. People across the nation say they are pro-life and yet abortions still happen. There is a lot of healing that needs to be done. So today we are praying for all the motorists we see – most give us a positive response, but some give us a thumb down."

"If we help just one person in this hour of prayer, our time has been worth it," said Rachel Moore.

Arlene Helfand, a member of the Respect Life committee in the diocese, joined the chain to be a voice for the voiceless. "Today is the beginning of Respect Life Month and we want to honor the words of Pope John Paul II, who asked us to be a public witness for life," she said.

Helfand is also part of the Gabriel Project in Park City that helped six pregnant women in need this year.

"These women are often alone or abandoned and without a support system," said Helfand. "We offer them friendship and try to be a source of hope and healing for them."

Abortion was suggested to Tilly and Adon Garcia by their doctor when it was determined their daughter, Ariel, had tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder. "They said Ariel wouldn’t live six years and she just turned 18," said Adon Garcia, a member of Saint John the Baptist Parish.

"The doctor knew we would have problems because of an asthma drug he gave me that put me into pre-term labor," said Tilly Garcia. "Ariel has autism and epilepsy."

Bertha Cervantes from Saint Jude Maronite Parish joined the chain in honor of her brother who was pro-life and passed away a week ago.

The Burrus children came to support their mother, Anna, who could not attend and is the 40 Days for Life coordinator at Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City.

"This is something we could do to help," said Jacob Burrus, 15.

"Babies are special and so many are killed every day," said Anika Burrus, 11. "It would be amazing if abortion could end."

Erica and Kevin O’Malley know how special babies are; they are seven months pregnant with their fourth child. "We also want women to know if they have had an abortion, that Jesus loves them and will forgive them. All they have to do is ask," said Kevin O’Malley.

Lisa Todaro is proud that her daughters Jennifer and Angelena wanted to participate.

"If we kill an innocent life we will have to live with regret," said Angelena Todaro, a sixth-grade student at St. John the Baptist Elementary School.

Maria Moyniham is the sixth grade and religion teacher at St. John the Baptist and teaches the students about the dignity of life. "We talk about respecting life and the controversial topics of abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment," she said, adding the students are receptive to the social teachings of the Catholic Church.

Christian Velasco, also a sixth-grader at St. John the Baptist, encouraged his grandfather, Richard Justice visiting from California, to join the group because members of their family have had abortions.