SW News: On the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions which legalized abortions up until birth, the bishops of US are exhorting all Catholics in the country to participate in the nationwide Prayer Vigil for Life from Thursday, January 28, to Friday, January 29, 2021.

The National Prayer Vigil for Life is hosted annually in January by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and the Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry, with the intention of praying for an “end to abortion and greater respect for all human life,” stated the bishops in a statement on the USCCB official website.

In light of the current pandemic and the COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings in churches, this year, the National Prayer Vigil for Life will be virtual, with live streamed Holy Mass and holy hours led by bishops across the dioceses of the country, throughout the whole night.

The live broadcast will commence at 8 pm on Thursday, January 28, 2021, from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., with a rosary, followed by the opening Mass for the National Prayer Vigil for Life. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, will be the main celebrant and homilist for the opening Mass.

“Now, more than ever, our nation is in need of prayer for the protection of the unborn and the dignity of all human life,” said Archbishop Naumann, who is also the chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Ever since the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, over 60 million abortions have been performed legally in the country.

The night vigil will conclude with a Holy Mass celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, at 8 am on January 29.