Fifty-two years after the national legalization of abortion, hundreds of Catholics in the diocese continue to demonstrate support for life.
The faithful showed their support at the diocese’s annual Respect Life Mass celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes on Monday, Jan. 27 at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral.
Bishop Fernandes was joined by several priests, deacons and servers for Mass. Students were also present from diocesan schools including Columbus Immaculate Conception School, St. Charles Preparatory School and Bishop Ready High School.
After Mass, many continued by making the short trip west to the Ohio Statehouse for the Roe Remembrance at noon. The event was hosted by Greater Columbus Right to Life, a pro-life advocacy organization, and featured several speakers who addressed setbacks and ongoing efforts to protect life.
This year’s Respect Life Mass and Roe Remembrance came days after the 52nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. The court ruled on Jan. 22, 1973 that a constitutional right to privacy included abortion.
While Roe v. Wade was since overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) decision, returning the power to regulate abortion to each state, voters in several states, including Ohio, responded by enshrining abortion in their state constitution.
The bishop reminded the faithful that their task is to build a culture of life and civilization of love.
In his homily, Bishop Fernandes acknowledged that the devil, who the Bible refers to as the “father of lies,” seeks to create division, which is evident today.
“The issue of abortion – these human life issues – divide our country,” he said. “They divide neighbors. There’s division even within families – spouses are divided; children and parents are divided – and this is how the devil works. He wants to divide. The word ‘diabolos’ in Greek actually means ‘to split.’ He is the one who divides, whereas God wants a whole human family to be united.”
Each human person bears the image of their Creator, Bishop Fernandes explained, and, therefore, is worthy of care and respect. He said the devil seeks to distort truth and does so through division.
He encouraged the faithful to be “good stewards” of the gifts of life and faith. While defending such gifts can be difficult, it is not an individual task.
“We must recognize that we don’t have to fight the evil one alone, that we have Christ and His mother and the angels and saints on our side, and we have a Church praying with us and for us,” the bishop said. “We must also recognize that there are forces, both visible and invisible, that are bent on dominating us and robbing us of the great gift of life.”
At the Roe Remembrance later that afternoon, speakers recognized various setbacks that Ohio has faced in achieving an end to abortion.
Beth Vanderkooi, president at Greater Columbus Right to Life, shared updates since the state constitution was amended after the November 2023 election to entrench abortion.
“Already we have seen gestational limits wiped out for both surgical and chemical abortions, and Ohio can no longer enforce its requirements that medication abortion requires an in-person visit or that only physicians provide them,” she said.
Vanderkooi shared that Ohio has become an abortion-destination state. She said data from Ohio’s abortion providers, which will be officially released later this year, indicates that the number reported by Ohio’s regulated clinics for 2024 will have nearly doubled from 2022 to more than 30,000 abortions.
State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), who represents Ohio’s 19th senate district that includes Delaware, Knox, Coshocton and Holmes counties, offered words of encouragement.
He asked those gathered to work to change hearts on abortion, although they cannot change Ohio law that safeguards abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.
“We’ve had some setbacks obviously about a year ago with the passage of the constitutional amendment, but I think setbacks sometimes open up opportunities, as well, that I think God opens up,” Brenner said. “It means that we have to – ourselves individually, everybody out here, everybody that’s listening – we need to go change hearts and minds.
“Every one of us needs to go out. We need to work with those who disagree with us, sit down and have conversations that are heartfelt and that are supportive. And if we do that, I think we will change minds, and eventually, abortion will go away permanently. Until then, though, I think each and every one of us has a duty to stand up for life.”
Brenner said how an individual chooses to vote, the candidates they support for office – including at the local level – and engaging in activities are ways to support life.
Father Robert Penhallurick, director of the diocesan Office of Respect Life, spoke on behalf of the bishop.
He recognized the work of Jerry Freewalt, the former director for the diocesan Office for Social Concerns, and Erin Cordle, the office’s associate director, who served in their respective roles for decades. Cordle died in January, and Freewalt died last year.
Father Penhallurick referred to the two as “warriors for life” and thanked God for their witness.
He said all men and women, Catholic or not, must be pro-life missionaries. The role includes spreading awareness of services available to those facing unplanned pregnancies, helping those who are tempted to have an abortion and showing mercy to those who have had abortions by reassuring them of God’s love.
The past 18 months, he said, were “one(s) of real sadness here in the state of Ohio.” Individuals working in the respect life movement relied on laws for their ministry, he explained, that have been stripped away.
“Even though there are times when we feel like giving up, even though there are times when we feel like society is – as it is – truly, completely against us, we continue to work for life because life, from conception until natural death, is the gift of a gracious and loving God, and we have been called to be pro-life missionaries who work with Him to bring about the conversion of hearts and souls so that they, too, can know the mercy and love of God,” Father Penhallurick said.
Cindy Violet, the Abortion Recovery coordinator at Pregnancy Decision Health Centers (PDHC), shared her own story of experiencing God’s mercy after undergoing two abortions.
“My procedures were surgical, and everything you’ve heard about the process being cold and impersonal is true,” she said. “I was just a number that helped meet their financial quota for the day.”
Violet said she developed a “whatever” attitude about life, which masked feelings of guilt and shame and a growing depression.
She chose life for her third baby, a son, after her previous abortions. After years of resisting it, Violet participated in a healing group and asked for God’s forgiveness.
“I was stubborn about maintaining my secret and scared because I thought God couldn’t forgive me because that’s what the enemy had been whispering in my ear for years,” she said.
In her work now, Violet facilitates healing groups at PDHC for women who have had abortions. She said her work has led to more breakthroughs and a desire to help women find freedom.