Good Friday Rosary witnesses and prays for the protection of souls
Bishop Michael Olson leads prayer at the 40th Annual Good Friday Rosary Vigil for Life on April 18, 2025, on the sidewalks of Planned Parenthood in Fort Worth. (NTC/Susan Moses)
FORT WORTH — The Diocese of Fort Worth and about two hundred of its parishioners gathered to address one of the most polarizing and contentious societal issues on Good Friday in a manner befitting the occasion — with compassion, understanding, and humility.
People stood along John Ryan Drive next to Planned Parenthood on a breezy, overcast day in southwest Fort Worth to support the 40th Annual Good Friday Rosary Vigil for Life.
Bishop Michael Olson, Deacon Issac McCracken, and Deacon Blake Thompson led the attendees in praying all four mysteries of the Rosary, alternating between English and Spanish.
Terri Schauf, the Respect Life Coordinator for the diocese, said she and her family first attended the vigil in 2006 and have returned every year since.
“For us, it has always been an important opportunity to gather as a family, pray together for an end to abortion, pray for the conversion of those who are involved in abortion, and thank our Lord for His sacrifice on the cross,” Schauf said. “It provides the Catholic community a chance to come together on such a holy day and pray the entire Rosary together, asking our Lord for His mercy.”
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, attendance at the vigil dropped a bit. Pat Pelletier, a member at St. Patrick Cathedral, co-founder of Mother and Unborn Baby Care pregnancy resource center, and one of the original organizers of the event back in 1985 along with her late husband Chuck, said it is important to remain diligent about this issue.
“The year before COVID, we had over 1,000 people attend the vigil,” Pat Pelletier said. “The pandemic hit us hard. The other thing that has made it go down is that abortion is now illegal in Texas. But one thing I want people to understand is that the number of abortions in the United States has actually increased since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The abortion pills are mailed into Texas all the time to the tune of 2,800 a month, so this is not over in Texas.”
Jim Pelletier, executive director at Mother and Unborn Baby Care and St. Patrick parishioner, said, “Our focus is the comfort and solace of the Rosary, here on the traditional celebration of the crucifixion of Christ — the brutal and tortuous sacrifice that justifies and redeems the world,” Jim Pelletier said.
He continued, “And that is in opposition to abortion, which is the counter-sacrifice to that...what we are doing is standing with Christ on the anniversary of his sacrifice to unite our suffering with His for the innocent who are sacrificed through abortion and for those mothers and workers in the clinics who were involved. It's not just about babies; it's about souls."
Among the numerous “Choose Life” t-shirts present in the crowds of people that day, Rosemary Ochoa, a member at St. Andrew Parish in Fort Worth, held a sign that read, “I am the pro-life generation.”
Ochoa has been coming to the vigil for the last three years and said she is doing what she believes is best to try to help change hearts.
"I'm absolutely pro-life," Ochoa said. "I just wanted to come here to pray for the mothers who are thinking about aborting their children just to have a change of heart. I hope that hearts are touched and moved toward conversion."
For Schauf, a member at St. Thomas Becket Parish in Fort Worth, the best way people can help communicate the idea of the sanctity of human life from the time of conception until the time of natural death is exactly as Ochoa said.
“So many in our culture have been raised in what St. John Paul II deemed the 'Culture of Death,'” Schauf said. “This mentality is what the culture knows, and we, those who dissent, are falsely considered unloving, unsympathetic and rigid. In my experience, continuing to be present to those in need is key to changing hearts. Showing love, compassion, and empathy toward others puts our faith into action.
“As many of us know, it’s through the faith we observe in others that we are moved to action. We can best communicate the sanctity of life by putting our beliefs into action through our presence to the vulnerable, generosity to those in need, and prayers for the conversion of all people.”
Bishop Michael Olson led approximately 200 faithful in prayer at the 40th Annual Good Friday Rosary Vigil for Life on April 18, 2025, on the sidewalks of Planned Parenthood in Fort Worth. (NTC/Susan Moses)