K of C St. Teresa Council 2282 led a march and prayer service to be a voice for the unborn
Despite a week of record low temperatures across the nation for much of the week, with snowstorms hitting beachfronts across the Gulf Coast, the Knights of Columbus St. Teresa Council 2282 in Brandenburg kept the needle of their compass focused on true north as they walked in solidarity among community members to be a voice for the unborn. Upon the 52nd anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision, the Knights realized there is still work to be done for the legal protection of the unborn. Although the temperature on the morning of Wednesday, Jan 22nd hovered right around 2 to 3 degrees, fortune smiled on the convoy as afternoon temperatures peaked right around 26 degrees for the walkers.
The pro-life group gathered at St. John’s Catholic Church in Brandenburg at 4 pm, and after a quick welcome, route brief, and blessing by St. John’s pastor and Worthy Council Chaplain, Father Michael Martin, the group headed out the church doors, crossed the street at Broadway, and headed due south on the sidewalk towards the Safe Haven Baby Box (SHBB) located at the Gerald A. Lynn EMS Building. With gloves, hats, and winter coats donned to protect against the breezy weather conditions, the true warmth came from the compassion and love shared by those on the walk as they prayed together, carried pro-life signs and American flags, and gratefully waved back to passersby who offered a supportive honk from their car horns.
Once they arrived at their destination in front of the EMS Building after a one-mile trek, the group gathered with those who drove in vehicles due to the cold conditions. After a quick briefing on the history of the SHHB program and a discussion on some of the legal options given to a mother and the child upon surrender, the group offered a prayer for the continual safety of human beings still within their mother’s womb. Before closing out their brief time in front of the building, great news came from one of the employees inside the EMS Building who informed the group that the SHHB had passed all of its required testing, and following an official blessing to occur on Monday, Feb 24th at 1 pm in front of the EMS Building, the box will be ready for use for a mother who may need to surrender a newborn baby of up to 30 days old. The public is encouraged to come out for the ceremony.
Heading back up Old Ekron Road, the group continued their prayers and conversations as they made their way back into the warmth of St. John’s. Those who participated were asked for a donation of diapers and pull-ups to support Clarity Solutions Pregnancy Support Center in Elizabethtown. Following the walk, a prayer service for the unborn and the protection of all human life, from conception to natural death, which included a Rosary Prayer and Adoration was offered by Father Martin inside the church. This event is one that the St. Teresa Knights of Columbus hope to support annually to bring awareness to the gift of human life, especially for those who cannot speak for themselves.
