By Mary Stadnyk | News Editor

The 40th anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion was prayerfully commemorated during a Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., Jan. 22 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

Before a congregation of several hundred Catholic men, women and young people from around the diocese and state, Bishop O’Connell reminded all that by their presence, they were demonstrating their “love for life at all its stages from conception until natural death.”

Click HERE to view Respect Life Mass photo gallery 

Click HERE to view Rally for Life at New Jersey State House photo gallery

Acknowledging the terrible toll taken on life in the past four decades, the bishop said that “this anniversary can only be remembered as one of the darkest days in our history.”

“It not only calls to mind the destruction of human life at its earliest and most vulnerable point in the womb, but it underscores a pervasive disregard for the sacredness of human life at all stages that, sadly has come to characterize what Blessed Pope John Paul II has called the ‘culture of death’ in contemporary society,” he said.

Glimmers of Hope

The bishop decried a list of astonishing statistics, including the more than 54,559,615 abortions that have been “committed” since 1973 and that in the United States, a baby is aborted every 26 seconds. However, he offered encouraging words when he said that even though more than 1.2 million abortions are committed in the United States annually, “the number is slowly declining.”

Citing that the 2011 Marist poll indicated that 79 percent of Americans do not support abortion on demand, the bishop said that “the attitudes of citizens seems to be changing.” 

Still, said Bishop O’Connell, “we cannot relax our efforts to step up and strengthen the pro-life cause, advocating for human life in the womb and at all stages until natural death.”

 Bishop O’Connell maintained that while the Catholic Church, especially in the United States, has been constant in its proclamation of the sacredness of human life from “womb to tomb,” abortion is not simply a religious issue or “the Catholic Church’s thing.”

“No Catholic can consider himself or herself truly Catholic if he or she supports or, worse, advocates for abortion,” Bishop O’Connell said emphatically. “And that goes for politicians or people in the pews or for folks who have never darkened the doorway of a church after their Confirmation.”

Abortion is an issue that is “fundamentally a human issue, not merely a religious one, negatively affecting everyone in a culture that accepts, allows, legalizes, seeks and promotes it,” he said.

As Roe v. Wade marks its 40th anniversary, Bishop O’Connell said that “we pray and we march and we raise our voices in the unfailing hope that abortion will end, that respect for life from its beginning to natural death will become the law of the land and the legacy of our people.”

Supporters of Life

Students from Delbarton School and Villa Walsh Academy, both Morristown, attended the Mass and the rally that followed with their spiritual advisors, David Hajduk and Filippini Sister Laura Bezilla, respectively.

Hajduk said the schools decided to come to Trenton for Mass with Bishop O’Connell and the rally outside the State House when they learned the date of the March for Life in Washington would be changed to Jan. 25 because of the presidential inauguration events taking place earlier in the week.

“We had a scheduling conflict and we knew that there was a statewide Mass and a rally here,” Hajduk said. “We didn’t want the students to miss out on the observance.”

Coming to Trenton was a good choice, said Hajduk. “The bishop’s homily delved into the beauty and truth of the Church’s teaching on life. It was good to hear him speaking with such confidence in calling us to life.”

The only downside, said a number of those walking to the rally, were the biting winds and below freezing temperatures.

But by the time everyone gathered outside the State House, the weather seemed to have little impact as they signaled their unwavering support for life.

The two-hour rally drew a panel of speakers including pro-life legislators from around the state, leaders of pro-life groups and ministries and clergy from various faith traditions.

The Rally for Life is organized by the New Jersey Right to Life and held each year in recognition of the anniversary of the Jan. 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, provides a local opportunity for those who wish to voice their support for human life but are unable to make the trip to Washington for the National March for Life.

Reflecting on why it is important for her to attend both the State House Rally for Life as well as the March for Life in Washington, D.C., which this year will be held Jan. 25, Peg Campbell, respect life coordinator in St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, said that the events are about bringing people together to “acknowledge the humanity of the unborn as well as to mourn the passing of the millions of children who have been aborted since 1973.”

The New Jersey State House rally opened with prayer led by Father Stanley Krzyston, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Yardville.

At the conclusion of the rally, John Scott, a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, who traveled to Trenton on a bus with several fellow parishioners, said everyone was happy they had braved the weather to go.

“It was very important.  Was it cold, yes,” Scott said, “but it didn’t matter. The (public) witness moved me. People spoke from their hearts about how abortion has affected their lives,” he said of the speakers.

It was good, he said, to hear their message in the public square.

Lois Rogers, features editor, contributed to this story