Intercessory Prayer Committee for the Closing of the DBQ PP Clinic

Several times on Sunday Night Live on EWTN I have heard Fr. Benedict Groeschel CFR talk about forming a committee of saints to intercede for a need. As I was praying about the PP Clinic here in DBQ the idea came to me to do the same. I thought & prayed about who to put on the Heavenly Committee assigned with the task of interceding for the close of the DBQ Planned Parenthood Clinic. Here are my choices with a short explanation for the reasons why I chose each 1.

1. Mary under the title of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (chair) - Mary is depicted as pregnant in the image. Because of this she has become the protectoress of the unborn under this title.

2. San Giuesppe (co-chair) - This should be obvious given how he protected Jesus, esp from Herod's attempt to murder Him.

3. St. Gianna Beretta Molla - When diagnosed with an ovarian cyst she chose to risk her life rather than abort the child. She died a week after giving birth. She has become an unofficial patron of the Pro-Life movement.

4. Blessed Margaret of Castello - Little Margaret was born a blind, lame, deformed, hunchback midget. Her parents hid her away until she was 14. Then they abandoned her. Many Right to Life groups have adopted her as patron. Esp since it is obvious that had she lived in the later part of the 20th Century her parents would have aborted her because of her birth defects.

5. St. Gerard Majella - Patron saint of expectant mothers as well as my confirmation namesake.

6. St. Don Giovanni Bosco - Because of his work with youth.

7. Holy Innocents - Because of their martyrdom they have become a symbol of those children murdered by abortion as well as a group of Pro-Life patron saints.

8. Moses - In the Latin Church we don't usually celebrate the OT saints, but the Eastern Church does. Moses is included because of the fact he was spared from the decree of Pharaoh to kill all the newborn Hebrew boys.

9. St. Michael the Archangel - Because of his role leading the angelic hosts in battling Satan. Human Life International has a prayer campaign under his patronage.

10. St. Gabriel the Archangel - Because of his role as God's messenger to St. Mary & St. Zachary.

11. St. Raphael the Archangel - Patron of the DBQ Archdiocese & because of his role in bringing God's healing.

The next 2 are not saints or blessed yet, but they are on the way to being declared saints.

12. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Servant of God - From just over the river in the Peoria diocese. Wrote the Prayer of Spiritual Adoption of an Unborn Child in danger of abortion.

13. Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli OP - DBQ's local saint in the making. 18th Century missionary who worked in the Tri-state area preaching the gospel.

With this powerful group of Heavenly intercessors joining in with all of us in the area who are already praying, PPs days in DBQ are definitely numbered. Praise God!!!!!