January 25, 2012 // Local

South Bend right-to-life marchers encouraged

Todays Catholic

March participants are shown at Friday’s march in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND — The struggle to overturn Roe v. Wade and convert the hearts of enough Americans to do it is now entering its 40th year. Total deaths by abortion in the United States alone are estimated at 53 million and for St. Joseph County, between 35,000 and 41,000, based on available statistics and trends.

Undaunted, St. Joseph County Right to Life held its annual march around the South Bend Federal Court House Jan. 20.

Tom Gill, the St. Joseph County Right to Life president, said, “I think we are making progress not only here but all across the country.”

He cited that more pro-life bills are being passed in state legislatures.

“That indicates that people are starting to turn our direction,”  Gill said.

Another good sign, Gill added, is that “We are finding more people that are interested in volunteering, and contributing and doing something and coming forward and saying, ‘What can I do to help?’”

Gill credits the 40 Days for Life prayer movement has having an impact in reducing abortions. “It points out to so many more people that there’s something wrong with abortion and any time you have that many people standing in front of a place and praying it’s just going to have an impact,”  he said.

St. Joseph County Right to Life is “kind of switching from the protesting kind of approach to a more ‘let’s be more prayerful’ and try to open our hearts and minds to the women and men who have experienced abortion … and that’s really getting through to people too when they realize we’re not out here to condemn … we’re here to convert them and change their hearts and minds and improve their lives by doing that.”

During the march Holy Family parishioner George Brenner donned a large wooden rosary to call attention to the need to ask Our Lady’s intercession. Brenner lamented the 53 million children “that are now not part of our world,” and said he would be willing to adopt a child to save it from abortion.