July 8, 2025 // Diocese

‘I Always Hoped this Day Would Come’

Clare Hildebrandt

Reporter

Right to Life of Northeast Indiana Holds Celebration to Mark Third Anniversary of Reversal of Roe v. Wade

“Growing up, I always hoped this day would come,” said Dr. Stephanie Grosvenor on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson, the momentous case that denied abortion as a constitutional right. “I would attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., every year hoping for this, and now it has come. Let’s celebrate!”

On Saturday, June 21, officials with Right to Life of Northeast Indiana hosted a party celebrating the three-year anniversary of Dobbs, which officially overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case that effectively enshrined a national right to elective abortion.

At their office on Lake Avenue in Fort Wayne, festivities for people of all ages took place, including face painting, pony rides, and party games.

“I like seeing all the younger kids and young people helping to volunteer and put on this event,” shared Grosvenor, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Fertility and Midwifery Case Center in Fort Wayne. “People of all ages are here, which is just so important.”

The party was planned with families in mind, making most activities “accessible to the little ones,” according to Abigail Lorenzen, education coordinator for the Right to Life of Northeast Indiana. 

“We have so much that is family-oriented here today. We have pony rides and face painting. We have an ice cream truck that is also a fire truck, which is cool. We do this because we love the littles. We try to make all our events family-friendly so that the littles feel welcomed,” Lorenzen explained. 

She added: “This is missing within our culture at large – we don’t welcome little people into our social settings. They are expected to stay at home with a babysitter or with family, but no, we want them here with us.”

“We wanted to just rally the people and say, ‘Hey, Dobbs was a big win, and we plan on having more big wins,’” she said. “Do we have work to do? Yes, for sure. But it is important to stop and thank God that the Dobbs decision was made.”

When asked how the organization continues to support pregnant mothers, Lorenzen responded, “We ask our pregnancy resource centers what they need. … People love to buy [pregnancy resource centers] newborn size diapers. They are cute and tiny, so of course people want to buy them. The resource centers don’t need newborn diapers though. They need sizes four and five,” she told Today’s Catholic.

Right to Life of Northeast Indiana provides for the needs of the resource centers.

“Gifts specifically for moms are also helpful. … Things like fuzzy socks are encouraging to moms. It really says someone cares about me as a person,” Lorenzen said.

Joseph Renner, a board member of Right to Life of Northeast Indiana, echoed the desire to let moms know they are cared for.

“To all the mothers considering abortions or struggling to support their children, you are not alone. We are here to help you and your baby,” he told Today’s Catholic.

“It is an incredible day to celebrate Dobbs v. Jackson and continue to fight for life,” Renner said. “There is still a lot of work to do, but we have to celebrate the victories as they come. … We can win this fight if we keep pushing it. We have made incredible progress and should celebrate it.”

Clare Hildebrandt is a staff writer for Today’s Catholic.