Praying for life in Draper

Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

DRAPER – On Sunday, Oct. 5, Utahns joined the 27th Annual National Life Chain by praying at the intersection of State Street and 10600 South in Draper.

 Dozens gathered to pray not only for the unborn “but for all the lives,” said Callie Oppedisano, Saint John the Baptist Parish’s Pro-Life Ministry coordinator, who with her husband organized the Life Chain for the first time this year; for the past eight years, Tim and Rachel Moore organized the local life chain as members of the Utah Knights of Columbus pro-life committee.

 “I think it was the time in their life that they were ready to move on and it was time for us to take on this ministry,” said Oppedisano. “We always felt that it was important for us to work for this cause, so when the Moores were stepping down, we were asked if we would take it over and we felt that it was worthy to devote our time.”

As they have in past years, people gathered at each  corner of the intersection, holding signs promoting pro-life values as they prayed the rosary in silence.

“The importance of this type of prayer service is because we are all God’s creations. … We as Christians, as God’s people, need to defend even the weakest of the people,” said Oppedisano. “When we meet here to pray we are not just praying for the unborn, we are praying for the all the individuals that are affected by this. There are so many people grieving for this in our country and in our world. … Women that had an abortion, fathers of aborted babies, grandparents that had abortions in their families – their grief also needs to be healed.”

October has been designated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as Respect Life Month; the National Life Chain was just one of many pro-life events that will take place throughout the diocese. 

For information about these events, see p. 14.