Praying outside abortion clinic on 8 Mile Road, Archbishop Vigneron says the sacrifice in the fight for life will be great, but worth it in the end

EASTPOINTE — On a beautiful sunny Saturday, July 31, dozens of Catholics and others walked from St. Veronica Church in Eastpointe past residential homes to stand outside two abortion clinics on east 8 Mile Road as part of a peaceful prayer vigil for life. 

The semi-annual prayer vigil was sponsored by Helpers of God’s Precious Infants of Michigan. 

The group was joined by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, who in past years has made it a point to show his support of the group by celebrating a Mass for life before the vigil at nearby St. Basil the Great Parish in Eastpointe. 

Doing so every year gives him an opportunity to offer his words of admiration for the group’s witness to the “Gospel of Life,” the archbishop said during the morning Mass. 

“This is not just us getting together because conveniently we can have the Eucharist before we go down to 8 Mile,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “This is really the heart of what we do because in the Holy Eucharist we celebrate the victory that is already ours, the victory of the Gospel of Life.”

Archbishop Vigneron likened the efforts to end abortion to the Gospel story of the day, that of John the Baptist being beheaded by King Herod. John made the way for his cousin, Jesus, on Christ’s path to death, resurrection and ascension in heaven, the archbishop said. Although John died for his proclamation of the gospel, it was not in vain. 

“This event was important to the working out of God’s plan to save us,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “In preparing the way of the Lord for the coming of the new creation in fullness, there (needed) to be this confrontation between holiness and sin. So what is happening in the Gospel story is a kind of paradigm, a template, we might say, for what must happen in every age in the spread of the kingdom of God.”

Those who participated in the vigil for life are continuing the prophetic ministry of speaking for God’s will against sin, namely that of abortion, the archbishop said. 

“What we are about is a witness; to speak on behalf of the will of God and his plan, and we do this as a call to conversion,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Ours is not about a political, partisan reality. This is for us a religious act, as it has been done for the ages, one we undertake with love, with charity ––  not with rancor –– also with confidence.”

Archbishop Vigneron reminded the congregation that while there might be suffering along the way, the victory has already been won. 

“God has established the history of salvation in such a way that even when we seem to be defeated, if we accept the suffering, if we accept the defeat with trust in God’s providence, abandoning ourselves to God’s plan, confident in the lordship of Jesus, we have already won,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Yes, it costs to be part of this victory of Jesus Christ. It cost John the Baptist. It will cost us, but it will be a cost worth paying because it is part of the very cost that Jesus paid in order to destroy death and establish the new creation.”

Those gathered to pray for the unborn were a mix of young and old, but many have been participating in sidewalk ministry for years. Many have not only given their time abundantly to praying for the unborn and ministering to the mothers, but also have sacrificed physically. 

Kathleen Geralds has been a helper for 12 years and currently serves as “Girl Friday” for the group. Geralds told Detroit Catholic it was a privilege to stand on the sidewalk and witness for life, something she hasn’t been able to do recently because her previous years of sidewalk ministry have damaged her back.

Because the group witnesses six days a week, 52 weeks a year in all sorts of conditions — from sleet, snow, to the burning sun — members have sacrificed their own health for the sake of the ministry, Geralds said. 

“The purpose is to save souls,” Geralds said. “We come out here to bring the light of Christ into the darkness because you can’t save babies if you don’t convert hearts. I did it for 10 years but because of my back I can’t do it anymore.”

“I would trade my right arm to be able to do it still,” Geralds said tearfully. “It is a privilege, but we need help and we need more people to come out and join us on the sidewalk because the harvest is great but we are short on workers. What we pray for is that people will join us.”

In addition to the physical difficulties, it has become harder to reach women as they enter the clinics over the years, said Richard Hass, a longtime member and a sidewalk counselor. Although the helpers only utilize gentle methods of counseling, the clinics now have escorts waiting outside to walk women into the building, he said. 

“We are called; we are on a mission, and so this is one of our missions as part of the body of Christ,” Hass said. “This is how God called me many years ago to minister in this way.”

The archbishop said this witness on behalf of the will of God is part of the mission of the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

“Here in the archdiocese, I am very grateful for God that we can speak of this as part of our effort to unleash the Gospel,” Archbishop Vigneron said.