Thursday, January 22nd marks the anniversary of 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision, and is a national day of prayer for Catholics. Despite Roe’s overturning in 2022, abortion numbers continue to rise in the U.S., thanks largely to telehealth and drugs like mifepristone. In 2024, nearly 90,000 abortions were performed in Illinois, an 11% increase since 2020. Roughly 39% of these were provided to women traveling from another state. Illinois is the #1 provider of abortions for out-of-state patients, even over California and New York.
 
Illinois also quietly legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in December 2025; the law will go into effect this fall. Prayer matters now, as does staying aware. We encourage parishioners to pray for the protection of all human life on January 22nd. To keep up-to-date on pro-life news and activities, consider subscribing to St. Peter’s Pro-Life Committee emails at stpeterprolife@att.net, or visit www.stpetervolo.org/life.