SAINT PAUL, Minnesota, April 10, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A lone life-size cross was the only sign carried by a massive crowd of pro-lifers who gathered on Good Friday as a powerful statement against the brand new mega-Planned Parenthood in St. Paul.
Just two weeks after having one of the largest crowds for the Rallies for Religious Freedom in the nation, organizers say the crowd came out in record numbers to attend Pro-Life Action Ministries annual Good Friday Prayer Vigil, which coincides with the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s suffering and death on the cross.
Throughout the nearly eight-hour prayer vigil, which has taken place annually for 27 years, about 3,200 people filled the street next to the new Mega-Planned Parenthood in St. Paul, Minn. This year’s event is the first at the new 46,000 sq. ft. abortion facility.
Witnesses report that at least one child was saved from abortion through the intervention of sidewalk counselors during the event.
Fifteen area pastors of various Christian denominations led prayer, each taking a different half-hour time. Included among the clergy were Catholic Archbishop John Niensted and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Pichè, Baptist Minister Leo Reck, African American Pentecostal Minister Larry Trawick, and Lutheran Minister Fred Thoni.
Between prayer times, the crowd intoned hymns and songs of worship. The only sign brought to this event was a life-size cross.
“The logistical challenges of bringing in this many people were a bit daunting,” said Brian Gibson, Executive Director of Pro-Life Action Ministries, in statements to the press Friday. “We had to use a remote parking lot and bus in the participants.”
Gibson said his group’s efforts “worked better than our expectations” in getting people to the event, but that wasn’t the most rewarding part.
“The most exciting thing for me is a baby was saved,” he said.