January 29, 2013 // Local

Bremen parishioners mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Todays Catholic

Trying to take in the warmth inside the parish hall before they walked in frigid cold outside as participants in the annual St. Dominic pro-life march (left to right) Anahi Torres and Diana Diaz posed with their signs before taking off with the group.

BREMEN — Wind, light snow and frigid temperatures could not keep St. Dominic Parish students, some teachers and adults from marching nearly a mile to and from the downtown intersection of Plymouth and Center Streets in Bremen to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

“Nobody should want to kill babies. That is why I do this,” said young marcher Kiersten Meyers, 9, who carried a bilingual pro-life sign.

At least 70 children and adults participated in what has become an annual tradition in Bremen for at least 20 years.

This year’s guest speaker, Cindy Casper, of the Women’s Care Center of Plymouth-Bremen, spoke to a packed hall including those who couldn’t participate in the march due to the weather.

Hot chocolate and cookies helped to warm participants up after their chilly pilgrimage. Many local drivers, who saw those marching, honked their car horns in support of the cause.

Casper first read the book “Angel in the Waters” with student Belinda Valerrama, 7, who held a microphone while Casper read slowly and purposely. The book, which is written from the perspective of an unborn child and then a new baby, has the baby listening to his or her guardian angel. The book concludes on a happy note with a mom and dad holding the baby and the baby knowing the angel will always be there until he or she goes to heaven.

After reading the book, Casper invited all to pray the Guardian Angel prayer, asking everyone to pray for the unborn children and their mothers — praying that they would choose life.

Casper invited high school students and adults to meet separately from the children in a meeting room. She then addressed an abortion questionnaire with eight questions.

Question 7, stated “Women who believe in God: with answers a) would never have an abortion; b) believe that God will forgive them for the abortion; and c) experience more guilt than those who do not believe in God.

Casper noted that of the answers that: a) abortion rates among women of faith are the same as abortion rates for nonbelievers; b) a profound feeling of being “unforgivable” can be a great suffering for post-abortive women who believe in God.

“The need for post-abortion healing is very real, and it is very hard work,” Casper said.

She finished her discussion with a challenge to the youth present and inspired them to change the culture by being examples to their peers — by actively choosing chastity.

Casper encouraged them to begin by rejecting popular images of beauty and dating and embracing modesty and true friendships as the foundation of a healthy self-esteem. She encouraged them to become the kind of friends that young women facing unplanned pregnancies know they can turn to for real help.