Local Pro-Life Chain urges end to abortion

IC photo by Christine Young

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Sixth graders from Saint John the Baptist Middle School and Maria Moynihan’s class understand what it means to hold up the signs and do a peaceful, prayerful protest against abortion, and are excited to participate.

DRAPER — Pro-lifers received many positive honks and waves from motorists as they formed a prayer chain on each corner of the intersection of 10600 South and State Street with signs that read “Pray to End Abortion,” and “Abortion Kills Children.” The event marked Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 1.

Rachel and Tim Moore, members of Saint John the Baptist Parish, organized this Life Chain and the first Life Chain in 2004 just after they moved to Utah. They both grew up attending Life Chain events with their parents. After getting married, they lived in Texas, Michigan and Oregon and have always attended Life Chain rallies. “So when we moved to Utah in 2004 and found out there wasn’t one established, we decided it was up to us to get one started, and we have been doing it since then,” said Rachel Moore.

The local Life Chain is held in Draper because 10600 is a busy intersection. “Requests have been made to hold it in downtown Salt Lake City, but Respect Life Sunday falls on the same weekend as the Latter-day Saints’ Conference and it’s not convenient,” said Moore.

Attending the peaceful rally were men, women and children. “They are all here to speak of the beauty of life and to defend life from conception to natural death,” said Arlene Helfand, a member of the Respect Life Commission and a member of Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish.

Among them were about 30 students from Saint John the Baptist Middle School. “It is through the efforts of Maria Moynihan, the sixth-grade teacher from St. John,” said Tim Moore. “She is really helping to make the school pro-life.”

“I’ve been teaching the students about respecting life and that abortion is the innocent killing of children and they were excited to come out and hold up the signs and do a peaceful, prayerful protest against abortion,” said Moynihan. “They understand that through Roe v. Wade, 53 million babies have been killed and they wanted to do something about it. We’ve been talking about what they can do to help change our national law that legalized abortion.”

“God created us and everybody should have a chance to live,” said Alison Stroud, a 6th grader at St. John the Baptist Middle School.

“Adoption is a better option,” said 6th-grader Sammy Mora, also from St. John the Baptist.

“I’ve learned that every child is a real human before it’s born and if you kill it by abortion, it’s killing a human life,” said Makayla Malloy, 13, a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish. “This is just a little part in a huge effort to help stop abortion.”

“Our society is telling us it’s OK to have an abortion and it’s OK to murder babies,” said Rachel Moore. “I think it’s important to instill in children while they are young the importance of respecting life. It’s powerful for them to be in this life chain and be a public witness for one hour.”

The Moores recently resigned as the Knights of Columbus Pro-life couple for the State of Utah and were replaced by Don and Kim Franklin from Saints Peter and Paul Parish.

“We took over in July and we have three initiatives we are seeking,” said Don Franklin. “The first is to organize a pro-life couple in each parish. That way we can get more involved in the cause. Also, we know that when a mother sees an ultrasound of her baby, she is more likely to choose life. The Salt Lake Pregnancy Center has an ultrasound, so the Knights of Columbus want to do some fundraising to add an ultrasound machine to another crisis center. Finally, we would like to get more of a contingency to attend the West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco in January, so we are hoping to sponsor one or two college students to attend to get college students involved in the pro-life cause.”