News

By Meg Jalsevac

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, October 2, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Respect Life Sunday on October 1, 2006 in Pittsburgh, PA dawned as a bright and warm day – beautiful weather for the one hour Life Chain scheduled for that afternoon.

At 1:30 pm, our group of 30 or so pro-lifers assembled at the corner in front of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Greentree. Signs were passed out with a pro-life message printed on one side and the ‘Life Chain guidelines’ printed on the other reminding participants to spend their hour in prayer, to avoid confrontations and to always act in a spirit of Christian charity. Our group was made up of a wide array of different age groups, all there to be a peaceful witness for life. Vehicle traffic was heavy both because of our location near the highway and because of the nice weather. Several times throughout our one hour vigil, passing vehicles honked in support of our message. We received only two vocal insults and both were met with a simple smile by the Life Chain participants.Â

Walking the sidewalk with my little daughter gave me the opportunity to walk amongst all the Life Chain participants and hear the quiet but constant rosaries, hymns and other prayers. The power of the Life Chain struck me. Not only were we making a public stance for life but we were bombarding heaven with our prayers for babies, women, mothers, fathers, doctors, nurses and so many more. At each Life Chain across the country and across the world we were united in our public pro-life stance but, more importantly, we were united in our prayers for all life.Â

Our small group yesterday on Greentree Road in Pittsburgh affected some passers-by with our message, like the elderly lady out for a Sunday afternoon stroll who, with tears in her eyes, individually thanked each one of us as she walked by. But the true affects of that hour of prayer and witness by those who attended a Life Chain across the country cannot be adequately measured or described. Only God can see the profound impact that Life Chain has, each year, on hearts and minds.