There have been over 56 million abortions in our country since the January 22, 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion. One of the core beliefs of the Catholic Church is that human life is sacred and must be preserved from the moment of conception to natural death. In the anniversary month of the Roe v. Wade decision, the Catholic Church in the U.S. prays in a special way for the protection of unborn children. This coming Wednesday, January 22 is a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms. Trusting that our prayers are powerful and are heard by God, Holy Family parish will offer a special period of Eucharistic Adoration in Our Lady's Chapel this Wednesday, January 22 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. I encourage you to join with other parishioners in the chapel that day to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for these intentions. Our Blessed Mother, Mary, who bore the child Jesus in her womb is a powerful advocate for the preservation of life in the womb. And so, I share with you the following prayer to invoke Mary's intercession for this important intention.