NEWS STORY: Religious Supporters of Women’s Rights Pray Before Marching

c. 2004 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Standing at a worship service shortly before the official start of the March for Women’s Lives, pastry cook Theresa Helfrey held two signs stapled together, one declaring the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s call for justice and another supporting NARAL, a prominent abortion rights organization. She said the juxtaposition of […]

c. 2004 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ Standing at a worship service shortly before the official start of the March for Women’s Lives, pastry cook Theresa Helfrey held two signs stapled together, one declaring the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s call for justice and another supporting NARAL, a prominent abortion rights organization.

She said the juxtaposition of the two signs was completely appropriate for her participation in the massive rally for reproductive rights that brought throngs of supporters to the nation’s capital Sunday (April 25).


“We believe in our God,” said Helfrey, 22, of Hollywood, Fla. “And we also know that that being gave us the power to choose and for the government to take that away from us is just ridiculous.”

Helfrey joined hundreds of others next to the U.S. Capitol’s reflecting pool for the “Prayerfully Pro-Choice Interfaith Worship Service” that the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice hosted hours before tens of thousands of people marched and rallied through downtown Washington.

The service was one of several that combined prayer with protest as others prepared to march in Washington’s first large-scale abortion rights event in 12 years.

“I believe God stands with women as they end pregnancies, just as God stands with women who deliver babies and with women who give their babies to adoptive parents,” declared the Rev. Mark Pawlowski, a member of the Clergy Advisory Board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, reading from a “pro-choice credo” at the service.

“God does not choose God’s allegiances. God stands with all of us, regardless of where we stand.”

He was joined by clergy and lay people of Jewish, Unitarian, Buddhist and Sikh traditions and the crowd sang “Dona Nobis Pacem” in Latin, English and Hebrew.

Prior to the prayer service, people from a range of faiths took part in a 24-hour vigil the coalition organized.


Close to the end of the vigil, seven people representing four different denominations joined an American Baptist minister on a bright blue tarp who led them in the reading of a prayer and the passing of the peace, a Christian ritual of shaking hands with fellow congregants.

Debbie Harris, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from Palmyra, N.J., said her daughter encouraged her to attend the vigil and the march in a first-time demonstration of her views about reproductive rights.

“Justice and fairness, I think, are all part of faith,” said Harris, a construction company bookkeeper, standing in the shadow of Capitol.

Barbara Kavadias, director of field services for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said people gathered morning, noon and night at the 24-hour vigil that began on Saturday. Some of the prayers moved participants to tears, said the Conservative Jewish laywoman.

Prayer topics ranged from “the pain people have from the suffering that existed prior to the Roe vs. Wade decision” to concerns about lack of adequate resources for women to access abortion, child care and medical assistance for their children.

About 10 blocks away from the services in favor of the march, worshippers gathered at Freedom Plaza as they prepared to stand in opposition to abortion.


Archbishop Randolph W. Sly, leader of the Eastern Province of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, opened a Eucharistic service for more than 200 people who took part in Operation Witness, an effort opposing the March for Women’s Lives.

“Psalm 23 says that he even will prepare a table in the presence of our enemies and here is the table and we’re in the presence of the enemies of life,” declared Sly, opening the service beside a small table holding a gold chalice and gold crucifix.

“But we’re here to celebrate life and to celebrate Jesus.”

Lauren Martin, a Woodbridge, Va., nurse who carried a sign saying “My baby was a casualty of my choice. I’m sorry, baby,” said she hoped for changes of heart among the march participants more than changes in laws.

“I’m praying for the people that they can feel God’s love like I felt it because I was them,” said Martin, a member of an Assemblies of God church who regrets her abortion. “They could be where I am and I pray that they will have the experience of God’s love and forgiveness.”

At a morning rally kicking off the rights march, speakers included those with political and religious causes.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., the former first lady, urged event participants to do more than march for one day by working to register voters who share their views.


“This march must be the beginning, not the end, of making sure that we register every American who agrees with us that this is a question of conscience and faith and personal choice,” she said.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, encouraged action opposing conservative religious views on abortion.

“The religious right is out there trying to collapse the wall of separation between church and state,” he said. “They are not smart enough or moral enough to tell any of us what to do.”

DEA END BANKS

Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!