January 27, 2021

Parishes hold Adoration for Life, participate in ‘9 Days for Life’ novena

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

 

 

WESTFIELD – Despite the forecast, people ventured out in the snow Wednesday evening, Jan. 26 for Adoration for Life at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Westfield, from 6 to 8 p.m. The parish is one of several throughout the Diocese of Springfield that scheduled a special prayer service to pray for the unborn and all who are vulnerable. 

The adorations coincide with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “9 Days for Life” novena.

With the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. now virtual due to the pandemic and concerns about security, Catholics across the country have been praying and witnessing in their local communities.

“I think now is very much the time to pull out all the stops in our prayer and action, regarding pro-life and anti-abortion issues. We celebrated the feast day of the Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25,” said Father Pacholec, who explained how Paul, whose birth name was Saul, persecuted the early church. Father Pacholec said Catholics need to pray for hearts to change on abortion. and for conversions like St. Paul’s.

“Saul was one of the greatest persecutors. One day, he is riding along on his horse and he hears this voice from heaven that says ‘Saul, Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?’ Saul says ‘Who is this?’ And the voice says, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting’ and he kind of gets knocked off his horse by this experience.

“It’s very symbolic of what we need. We need to have these ‘aha’ experiences like the Saul to Paul conversion to change our life,” Father Pacholec said.

At the beginning of January, a new abortion law took effect in Massachusetts, allowing abortion past 24 weeks in certain circumstances, including a lethal fetal anomaly, and to “preserve a woman’s physical or mental health”; and lowering the age of consent from 18 to 16.

“I just think that as you expand laws that are immoral, the church needs to take a stand and parishes need to understand what’s happening,” said Rosemary Thrasher, a member of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish who attended the adoration.

She said especially with Catholics divided on church teaching about life, eucharistic adoration is a powerful way to pray for conversion. She added abortion is not health care and said she knows other women who have had abortions who were left shattered.

“The scars don’t go away. There’s still trauma,” Thrasher said.

Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Easthampton held a Holy Hour for Life, Friday, Jan. 22, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion.

“To come together in prayer, especially on a major topic like abortion and life issues and in front of the Eucharist is a great thing to do because it reminds us we’re not alone and the Eucharist amplifies our prayers,” said Father Doug McGonagle, pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish.

A Respect Life Mass and March was held in Springfield, Jan. 22. In his homily, Springfield Bishop William Byrne encouraged people to attend adoration and to pray the rosary. He said that needs to be the foundation of pro-life efforts.

“As we stand up for life, let us also stand for the revolution of love that transforms all things. It’s a revolution that begins in my own heart, with the Eucharist, confession, the rosary,” the bishop said.

St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham will hold adoration Thursday, Jan. 28 beginning after the 9 a.m. Mass until noon.

“Central to our Catholic faith is the respect for the dignity of life from the moment of conception to natural death,” said Father John Connors, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish. “In January, we spend some special time to pray that one day for born and unborn.”

A nationwide prayer vigil for life will be held Jan. 28-29, broadcast live from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and also will be available via livestream on the Basilica’s website.

Livestreaming information for the overnight bishop-led holy hours from various dioceses will be provided on the USCCB’s website.

A complete listing of local pro-life liturgies and adorations can be found at diospringfield.org.