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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 15, 2015
Contact: Leslie Palma
347-286-7277
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Why is it important for Christians to come together in prayer at the National Memorial for the Pre-born and Their Mothers and Fathers on the morning of the March for Life?
Father Denis Wilde, Associate Director of Priests for Life, explains:
“Jesus prayed ‘May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you.’ He did this during the most intimate sharing of his Body and Blood, having begun with a sacred meal, and ending with his total pouring out of Himself on the Cross. The blood shed by the slaughter of the millions upon millions of pre-born babies is a tragic mockery of the Blood of the Lord poured out for our – and their – salvation. The Lord wants us to come together ‘as one,’ committed in the same faith and love for the unborn.”
The National Memorial will take place at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, 1776 D St., NW (18th and D St) from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 22. For the convenience of Catholics planning to attend, Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m. Tickets are not required and large groups are welcome.
Dove Award winner Matthew Ward, who helped define the sound of Christian Contemporary Music, will perform during the service. The National Pro-Life Recognition Award will be given to Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, Joel Brind, Ph.D., and Karen Malec for their tireless and successful efforts to make the public aware that abortion is indisputably linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, noted that the National Memorial takes place every year during the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
“All Christians, by definition, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of the world. That affirmation of Christ requires that we work to fight injustice,” Father Pavone said. “In his encyclical letter on Christian Unity, issued in 1995, St. John Paul II wrote, ‘Many Christians from all communities, by reason of their faith, are jointly involved in bold projects aimed at changing the world by inculcating respect for the rights and needs of everyone, especially the poor, the lowly, and the defenseless… Christians who once acted independently are now engaged together in the service of this cause, so that God’s mercy may triumph.’
Said Father Pavone: “The pro-life movement continues to be the arena where these efforts are most visible and valuable.”
The prayer service is organized by The National Pro-Life Religious Council, The National Pro-Life Center on Capitol Hill, Faith and Action and Priests for Life. Co-sponsoring organizations include: American Values; Jubilee Campaign Law of Life Project; Life Issues Institute; Americans United for Life; National Institute of Family and Life Advocates; Alliance Defending Freedom; Catholics Called to Witness, and Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
“The March for Life and the National Memorial for the Pre-born are great opportunities to join with people from across our great country and collectively say, ‘Life is sacred.’ “ said the Most Rev. Foley Beach, Anglican Church of North America. “Anglicans believe life is a gift from our Creator and I encourage parishioners and clergy to join their bishops in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 2015.”
For more information about the National Memorial, go to www.NationalPrayerService.com
Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.