Posted 01/17/16
by Anthony Mazur

DALLAS  (AM News Net)  – The Catholic Pro-Life Committee (CPLC), an organization set up “to educate, unite, and mobilize Catholics and all people of goodwill in the Diocese of Dallas to end abortion and restore respect and legal protection for every human life,” held its annual March-For-Life in Dallas yesterday after opening with a concert and a mass before its march to the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse, where Roe v. Wade was filed in 1971. 

While the Pro-Life advocates wish for the landmark Supreme Court ruling, which stated that an abortion is a woman’s right protected under the 14th amendment, to be overturned, Bishop Kevin Farrell, a guest speaker at the rally and during the mass, said that this wish may not be possible, so Christians should focus on changing the hearts of others, not the law of the land.

“We have to change one person at a time,” Farrell said after the march. “So, let us commit ourselves to multiplying our numbers by each of us, committing ourselves to change and convince one other person at least  in this year, to change from being a pro-culture-of-death, to a pro-culture-of-life, and let God come down and bless each one of us.”

Karen Garnett, another speaker and also the Public Affairs Liaison of the CPLC also believes in changing hearts. At the rally, she described how 200 people at Southwestern abortion facility prayed this morning, and reportedly convinced two mothers to not go through with an abortion.

“There were 200 [people] out praying at Southwestern at Royal and Greenville and two mothers chose life today,” Garnett said.
Before the rally though, the mass, held in the Kay Bailey Hutchison convention center, seemed to lay the theme of changing hearts for the rest of the day. There, Father Edwin Leonard gave his homily. 

“We must preach,” Father Edwin said. “We must tell the good news we have received, the healing message Christ has given each and every one of us, so others may receive that same message. He [Jesus] came not for the righteous but the sinner, to give give them life and life to the fullest.”

Father Edwin urged the listeners to spread this word, and to not be afraid of opposition.

“We must be unashamed of the Gospel, for it has the power to save,” he said. “We must beg the Lord in this Eucharist today, that the fight He calls us all to may have an end: and that is life and love may reign supreme.”

The Pro-Life activists’ fight against abortion in Texas though, will face an ultimatum. CPLC Public Affairs Liaison Karen Garnett, praised a Texas law known as HB-2, a controversial abortion law which has led to shutdowns of abortion facilities.

“Since HB-2, we are down to 19 abortion facilities in the entire state of Texas,” Garnett said. “We’re down to two in Dallas.”

HB-2 has been challenged though, as opponents claim it places a burden on women who are seeking abortions. The claim comes from regulations in the law, which requires abortion facilities to be up to Ambulatory Surgical Center standards, expensive for an abortion facility. Some of the regulations include making hallways wider, adding parking lots, and other changes that do not relate to abortions or health. These expensive changes, which might be hard for most abortion clinics to afford, would result in them being shut down. 

The Supreme Court has decided to hear this case, however. The Supreme Court will review the case on Wednesday, March 2nd, which happens to be Texas Independence Day. Texas Pro-Life advocates will be praying. A final verdict is expected in June.

All photos from the events can be found here.

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