Metro Area — Thousands of pro-life advocates throughout Michigan will take their message to the wider community over the next few weeks as they participate in National Life Chain Sunday, Oct. 3, or in 40 Days for Life vigils outside abortion clinics.
As October is known in the Catholic Church and other pro-life circles as being “Respect Life Month,” efforts to publicly promote the dignity of life are typically ramped up at this time of year.
“What we do, our witness for life, is part of a broader, deeper, more cosmic struggle — a struggle for God on our behalf,” said Archbishop Allen Vigneron in his homily at a Sept. 11 Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Livonia.
“God needs us, with the living body and blood of His Son, so that we, too, can be agents for the triumph of life,” the archbishop said at the Mass, which was followed by a Helpers of God’s Precious Infants prayer vigil outside a Westland abortion clinic.
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Life Chain participants, carrying signs with pro-life messages such as “Abortion Kills Children” and “Abortion Hurts Women,” will seek to witness to passing motorists at 90 different locations statewide, with nearly 50 of those within the Archdiocese of Detroit.
The Michigan participants will be joined by thousands more across the United States.
“Life Chain provides each of us an easy, affordable, yet very purposeful way to defend our essential values,” said Royce Dunn, Life Chain’s national director.
Richard and Marcia Kucharek, members of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Warren, have taken part in Life Chains for several years, and this year are taking an even more active role.
The Kuchareks are coordinating the Life Chain to take place from 2-3:30 p.m. on Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township.
“I feel abortion is murder, and it’s against Catholic teaching,” Richard Kucharek said of his motivation to get involved.
The 40 Days for Life vigils are taking place at four sites in the archdiocese, among the 283 sites nationwide. The vigils were officially to begin just after midnight Wednesday, Sept. 22, and continue through Oct. 31.
Besides Southfield (actually Lathrup Village) and Sterling Heights, new 40 Days for Life vigils are being mounted in Clarkston and Dearborn this year.
The vigils are a “peaceful, prayerful presence” outside the abortion clinics,” said Sue Kochanowicz, co-coordinator of the Sterling Heights vigil.
Perhaps as many as 150 people will make the Southfield 40 Days a round-the-clock vigil, with enough volunteers already lined up to cover the entire 960 hours, said coordinator Mike Stack.
Not only has the pro-life presence dissuaded some women from aborting their babies, but the office manager at the Lathrup Village site “defected” last year after talking to vigil participants, Stack said.
