My dear friends,

As some of you know, most Thursday mornings after the 6:45am daily IHM Mass, I head up to Stamford, (Connecticut) to celebrate Mass for the Sisters of Life Religious at Villa Guadalupe Retreat Center. Their community, founded by our late Archbishop, Cardinal O'Connor, offers outreach for Crisis Pregnancy Help (877.777.1277), Hope & Healing After Abortion (866.575.0075), retreats and formation on the human person. Some of the Sisters of Life joined our parishioners in the Life Chain last Sunday!

We are in the midst of a National biannual ecumenical Campaign in 612 cities called 40 Days for Life. Its purpose is to offer peaceful vigils where abortions are taking place, prayer and fasting for conversion of hearts and lives, and outreach. We go to pray for an end to a great injustice in our day, that of unborn babies being legally killed and the resulting deep harm done to mothers, families, the medical community and our society.

In 2018 in the 10 counties of our own Archdiocese of New York, approximately 27,700 abortions were reported. 

Currently, over 2,000 medical and surgical abortions take place every day in the United States of America (over 62 million from 1973).  

When Jesus will ask us after our lives on earth what we have done for the least among us, the unborn will certainly be included in this radical identification by our Lord (Matthew 25:31-46). 

It is my hope that on a monthly basis at IHM, a 7:00 Saturday morning Mass will be offered for Life - for mercy, reparation, conversion, protection, for those in crisis, for healing - followed by a prayerful witness at Planned Parenthood in White Plains (175 Tarrytown Road - but park on Prospect Ave). National reports indicate that such a courageous presence makes a significant impact on the number of abortions taking place that same day at the location. 

Please join us tomorrow, Saturday, October 9th at 7:00am for Mass followed by our prayerful witness at Planned Parenthood. 

A blessed Columbus Day Weekend - enjoy the Eastchester Carnival at Lake Isle! - and regards to all the Knights of Columbus who do so much for the promotion, formation and protection of human life!

In Christ,

Msgr. Luke Sweeney