November 5, 2021

Local Respect Life Month ends with prayers, memorial dedication

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

Pictured (left to right) are Danny Sears, Julia Rubin and Taylor Lopes at Sacred Heart Church in Feeding Hills. (iObserve photo/courtesy of Deb Briancesco)

AGAWAM – As Respect Life Month drew to a close at the end of October, prayer vigils and a pro-life memorial dedication drew attention to the need to protect the sanctity of life.

Sacred Heart Parish in Feeding Hills held a Holy Hour for Life, Saturday, Oct. 30. Three teenagers, Danny Sears and Julia Rubin, representing Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield, and Taylor Lopes from Agawam High School, led the scriptural rosary.

“It was really, really beautiful,” said Deb Briancesco, pastoral minister and pro-life liaison at Sacred Heart Parish. The teens led the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary.

“The sanctity of life should be paramount to all of us. When we don’t respect life, we don’t respect God,” said Briancesco. “As a nurse I was faced with respecting life many times over the years, from the littlest of the little to the oldest of old and everything in the middle, respecting and protecting.”

Briancesco said she was encouraged to have the teenagers participate. Sears and Rubin are part of the Pope Francis Preparatory School Respect Life Club. Lopes is active in the Faith Formation program at Sacred Heart both as a student and volunteer.

“It should be encouraging to anybody. How important for our young folk to be present to do this. To me that’s such a powerful thing,” said Briancesco.

At nearby St. John the Evangelist Parish, in Agawam, a pro-life monument for born and unborn children was dedicated following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The Agawam Knights of Columbus Council 5585 purchased the monument.

“We give thanks to God that He gives us life and gives us the strength to defend and protect life everywhere,” said St. John’s pastor, Father Michael Pierz. “In a special way as we give thanks to God for our mothers and fathers, we also give thanks to the great Knights of Columbus here in Agawam who are steadfast in the protection of life and the care of all peoples everywhere, and their care especially here on the streets of Agawam.”

St. Rose de Lima Parish in Chicopee also held a pro-life vigil to coincide with the last weekend of the 40 Days for Life campaign on Saturday, Oct. 30. The day began with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 1 p.m. Participants prayed the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The day concluded with the 4 p.m. Mass.

More information about upcoming pro-life events and resources can be found at diospringfield.org.