Rosary is prayed for the unborn and their families

SALT LAKE CITY — The sun came out just long enough for the annual prayer vigil at the Monument for the Unborn at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery Jan. 20.

The vigil was held on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, a United States Supreme Court case that resulted in a 1973 landmark decision to legalize abortion.

"I was reading this week that they estimate 50 million children have been aborted since 1973," said Veola Burchett, of the Diocesan Family Life Office. "Abortions not only affect the unborn children, they also affect the mothers, who in many cases have multiple abortions, the father, and grandparents who will never know these children.

"The reality is, we think abortion has not touched our lives if we do not know someone personally who has had an abortion. But there are many out there who have been effected by abortion," said Burchett. "We might even sit by them at Mass, work with them, or we may grocery shop with them, and they are all carrying around the brokenness that is a result of the abortion inside of them. So while we pray for the lives of the unborn today, and pray for a change of heart, let us also pray for those who are hurting as a result of the effects of abortion on many lives.

The Pro-Life Vigil was held in conjunction with the Pro-Life March in Washington, D. C. and the Pro-Life Walk in San Francisco. The rosary that was prayed at Mount Calvary Cemetery was taken from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Respect Life 2007-2008 Liturgy Guide.

Within the decades of the rosary, the group prayed for newly pregnant mothers, parents, and grandparents. They prayed for Mary to intercede and share her courage with all women who fear the coming birth of their child, to inspire those who perform abortions with the truth of Jesus, to deliver the abusive adult from the evil of their actions, and to teach young parents to treasure their child as Mary loved Jesus Christ.