Dubuque Walk for Life 2008

On the Saturday before the annual March for Life in DC DBQ Co Right to Life has its Walk for Life. It begins with a program at 10:30 AM at the gazebo in Washington Park across from the Post Office in DBQ. Then there is a walk to the DBQ County Courthouse. It ends up at the KC 510 Hall for a chili luncheon put on by the Loras College Right to Life group to raise funds for their trip to DC for the March for Life. It is also the send off for those from the DBQ area who will be going to DC

Given the cold weather (below 0 F, wind chills of -25 to -30 F) things were done differently. Everyone still met at the gazebo at 10:30 AM. The turnout was about 80-85 people. After a prayer everyone headed towards the courthouse. Then to the KC Hall to hold the program indoors.

1 of the speakers this year was Fr. Gabriel Anderson, pastor of St. Columbkille Catholic Church in DBQ. Fr. Anderson shared the story of his involvement in Operation Rescue while a seminarian at St. Mary's in Baltimore in the 80s. At that involvement included the risk of arrest from their blockading of abortion clinics. A group of seminarians were planning on going to a Rescue in DC. When the rector found out he said anyone arrested would be expelled. (Instead he should have gone along. I wonder what ever happenned to him & if he turned out to be a "I'm personally opposed but. . ." cafeteria Catholic?) Fr. Anderson ended up being the only seminarian to go. He told of the anger & hatred they faced from the clinic staff & pro-abort counter demonstrators. (This is something I have experienced myself.) He told of the successful shutting down of 5 clinics for the day & of the lives of several unborn children that were rescued. He was not 1 of those arrested, but many of those who were arrested were manhandled & mistreated by the Police.

I am not doing justice to the moving story he told. Moving but sad, given how many thousands a day are still being murdered in the name of choice.

The other speaker was a local Lutheran pastor who's name I currently forget. He also shared some stories of Pro-Life victories. & some of the battles we still face. We ended the program singing "I will never forget you my people, etc"