Pro-life lobby set for Jan. 19

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
January 13, 2005

Prayer for Life Legislative Day will be held at the Iowa State Capitol on Jan. 19.

Terri Prenger of Carroll, a member of Iowans for Life, pointed out that there will be prayers on the west steps of the state capital building at 2 p.m. Iowa Right to Life teamed up with members of Iowans for Life and Silent No More to host this event.

"By our strong presence, we will memorialize the millions of lives affected by abortion," said Prenger. "We will give names and faces to the women wounded by abortion. We will be showing the whole world that we will continue to support life - that we believe it is wrong to take the life of an innocent child."

Members of the three sponsoring groups will make statements. Some of the more emotional moments are expected to come from testimonials of men and women who have suffered from decisions to have abortions.

Those gathered are hoping to Reverse Roe - the Roe vs. Wade court decision of Jan. 22, 1973 that legalized abortion.

At 2:30 p.m. plans are to lobby the state legislators and ask them to support life at all stages.

According to Wynn Touney, legislative commissioner for the Council of Catholic Women, members of CCW are encouraged to pray the Prayer for Life. They wanted to present it as a day of prayer and presence at the capitol with prayers for the concerns of Iowa legislators as well as a special focus on life issues.

An invitation has been extended to all women of the four dioceses of Iowa through CCW to gather in the capitol at 10 a.m. The women will use it as a time to review the day, note committee meetings and have the chance to visit with legislators regarding important issues and personal concerns.

CCW members participating in the day of prayer and presence may opt to attend the 12:10 p.m. liturgy at St. Ambrose Cathedral, 6th Ave. and High.

All pro-lifers are invited to attend this Prayer for Life at the capitol.

A group of students from St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge plan to attend the event.

Paula Templemeyer, moderator of the new Right to Life student group at St. Edmond's, pointed out that she will be taking about seven students to Des Moines.

"By our attendance with all the others from around the state, we hope to memorialize the millions of innocent victims of abortion. We believe that abortion is wrong because it kills a baby and we want our state legislators to realize this and pass laws to help protect the right to life of all human beings," she said.

Templemeyer mentioned that the school chapter was just formed after some St. Edmond students attended a conference last November that dealt with forming a pro-life student group.

The St. Edmond health teacher mentioned that in Fort Dodge the school will also mark the anniversary on Jan. 19 with a Mass. Posters have been made and are displayed at the school that promote abstinence and a call to respect all life.

"Our courts have decided that some lives are disposable and that women have the 'right' to kill their own children. We are prayerfully asking that they return to the basic issue of right to life and grant this basic right to all human beings, in all stages of development," said Prenger.

All people with a desire to make abortion illegal are encouraged to attend the gathering in Des Moines. The legislative day will close with a 3 p.m. ice cream social.