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Archbishop leads prayer at rally against abortion

About 250 join gathering outside clinic in Kettering.

Photos: Archbishop leads prayer

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By Jeremy P. Kelley, Staff Writer Updated 7:52 AM Monday, March 8, 2010

KETTERING — About 250 people prayed a rosary with Archbishop of Cincinnati Dennis Schnurr and listened to anti-abortion speakers outside the Dayton Women’s Health Center on Sunday, March 7, as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign.

Organizers described the campaign as “40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of peaceful vigils at abortion facilities, and 40 days of grass-roots educational outreach” in an ongoing effort to end abortion.

“There would be those who would be inclined to say it’s impossible,” Schnurr said outside the Health Center.

“But look at the size of the group that’s here, and the regularity with which they’re here, and there are three or four generations here. ... Christ in the Gospels said there are certain evils that can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. Lent is 40 days of prayer and fasting, so it’s natural for them to come together.”

According to U.S. Census data, there were 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States in 2005, or two for every 100 women between ages 15 and 44. Ohio’s total was 35,000, with 1.5 abortions per 100 women. Much of that Census data comes from the Guttmacher Institute, which says abortion has been on a gradual decline in America since 1980; most recent figures show that 22 percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion.

Tom Fehringer of Kettering, who attended Sunday’s rally with his wife and seven children, said he thought it was important to be there to show a positive family example to his kids and others.

“In our hearts, we feel if we come out here and show a positive experience, especially with the kids, we can hopefully change some people’s minds and eventually change the law as well,” Fehringer said.

This was the second of three 40 Days for Life rallies at the Women’s Health Center, 1401 E. Stroop Road, with the final one scheduled for March 28. There was no visible opposition to the rally, which spilled onto Vineyard Avenue. Organizers talked about strategies clinic protesters can use, including a new effort to give patients a coupon for a free ultrasound on their way into the clinic.

The Rev. Ryan Ruiz, a priest at the Church of the Incarnation in Centerville, spoke to the group about being strong in their beliefs about abortion and bearing witness about those beliefs to others, but not being confrontational.

“We must be humble when we come here to pray outside an abortion clinic — we need to make sure we’re not judgmental, we’re not critical,” Ruiz said. “We need to make sure that we’re simply being humble people and showing that humility to others because that’s the only way I think people are attracted to the pro-life message.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2278.

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