This past weekend, abortion supporters targeted the 40 Days for Life vigil in Manassas, Virginia — not far from Washington, D.C.

On Saturday — the morning my home church was signed up to cover the vigil — the abortion advocates got a permit to conduct a demonstration against 40 Days for Life at the place the vigil usually takes place.

But when the day came, there were 197 pro-life people praying at the clinic — and only THREE abortion demonstrators. Demoralized, they didn’t stay long.

Here are just a few of the people who came to stand up for life:

And here’s “the rest of the story”…

While all those people were out there praying, a woman walked towards the clinic for an abortion appointment. After people on the sidewalk spoke to her, she entered the nearby pro-life pregnancy center instead.

“The lady who was about to have the abortion told the counselor she started to shiver when she saw so many people praying,” said Ken Groves of the Manassas
40 Days for Life campaign. “At that moment she said she felt God wanted her to have her baby. A precious baby was saved! It was an amazing Saturday in Manassas.”

The really good news is that Tim Rohlfs has volunteered to assume duties of Chief Technology Officer and has already established a new website:

http://sites.google.com/site/staffordkofc/home

We received the catfish, cabbage, fries and hush puppies today.

Diana and Deb are fixing the cole slaw this afternoon.

Set up commences around 8am Saturday – until complete.

And we will be a MAJOR presence at the festival itself: Parking, Fish Fry, Beer, Dunking Booth will be run by the council while Frank, Paul and others work as IFF staff or with the Scouts, the Filipino and Hispanic communities, the CYO, etc.

If you can possibly spare the time from your family, please do come out and help us support the parish.

I guarantee you will have a good time.

            George Brent Council #5332, Father Widmer Council #7877, Father Vincent Capodanno Council #11958, Potomac Council #9259, Father Veger Council #7771, Holy Trinity Assembly #2520, and Bishop J. Louis Flaherty Assembly #1678 Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Woman’s Club of Richmond jointly sponsor the Aquia Mass.  All fourth degree knights with regalia are encouraged to assemble at the Crucifix Memorial by 10:15 AM to form the honor guard and rehearse.

            Brother Knights and their families are encouraged to participate and to spread the word to interested community members as well.  As in years past, the Fourth Degree Color Corps and Honor Guard, Ladies Auxiliaries, Columbian Squires and Squire Roses, and the Catholic Woman’s Club will play key roles in making this day special.  It promises to be a Saturday morning well spent.

            DIRECTIONS:  Follow Interstate 95 to Exit 143-A.  Take U.S. Route 1 north and proceed about one mile, passing St. William of York Church and over Aquia Creek, to the Crucifix Memorial on the right.  After the 10:30 wreath laying, we will drive to the cemetery, which is located off Telegraph Road about a quarter mile east of the Crucifix.

            WORK PARTY:  On Saturday, September 26^th from 8:00 AM until Noon there will be a work party to get the cemetery and Crucifix grounds ready for the ceremonies.  If you can help please notify one of the contacts listed below.  Work party rain date will be October 3^rd.

            LUNCHEON:  Mary O’Neill is preparing the luncheon this year with the assistance of the Squire Roses and their counselor Mary Lewandowski and the generous support of the Catholic Woman’s Club and parishioners of St. William of York Church.  Please contact Mary at (703) 369-4305 or email: fjoneill@comcast.net if you can help.

            POINTS OF CONTACT:

Brother Jim Reynolds, Brent Council, Manassas at (703) 368-4326, e-mail: Reynolds-tribe@msn.com

Or Brother Bill Emond, DGK Widmer Council, Stafford at (540) 903-0245, e-mail: AMM1802@comcast.net

Mission:
That faithful to the sacrament of matrimony every Christian family may cultivate the values of love and communion in order to be a small evangelizing community, sensitive and open to the material and spiritual needs of others

We are looking for 2 Knights per shift to provide appropriate coverage of the parking lot and church entrances. We are stationed outdoors and our duties including guarding the main entrance, making periodic tours of the property, and escorting parishioners to and from their vehicles if they request it. Participating Knights should dress for the weather, bring their Knights name badge so that our parishioners can identify us, and bring a flashlight and/or cell phone if you have one.

If you are available to volunteer, please contact our coordinator Andy Walker at (540) 288-2059 or by email jawalkeriii@mac.com. The shift schedule is as follows: 7-8 pm; 8-9 pm; 9-10 pm; 10-11 pm; and 11 pm – midnight.

The Battlefield Council is sponsoring a golf tourney to benefit local charities.   7:30 am start, 14 Sept 09, at Meadows Farms G.C.  To register and for more info, download the flyer here

That those Christians who are discriminated against and persecuted in many countries because of the name of Christ may have their human rights, equality and religious freedom recognized, in order to be able to live and profess their own faith freely.

The viewing will be  monday at 6 pm at the Mullins and Thompson Funeral home near north Stafford HS and the mass will be at 11:00 on Tuesday at SWOY.

Resolution also calls for protecting religious conscience rights of medical professionals.

Delegates to the 127th annual convention of the Knights of Columbus Aug.6 adopted a resolution declaring opposition to “any health care reform legislation that does not explicitly exclude abortion coverage for any health insurance plan, public or private.”

On Tuesday in his annual report to the convention, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson had sounded a similar note, saying, “Health care reform must be abortion free.”

The resolution on Defending the Right to Life also called on “legislators everywhere to adopt legislation protecting the religious conscience rights of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, guaranteeing their right to refuse to participate in abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide or any other practice that is destructive of innocent human life or that conflicts with their sincerely-held religious beliefs.”

The resolution reaffirmed the commitment of the 1.78 million member Knights of Columbus “to unconditional support for the right to life and full protection in law for every human being from conception to natural death.”

Finally, the resolution restates the organization’s “long-standing policy of not inviting to any Knights of Columbus event, persons, especially public officials or candidates for public office, who do not support the protection of unborn children against abortion or who advocate the legalization of assisted suicide, euthanasia and other violations of the right to life.”