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Photo courtesy of Pro-Life Standouts. On June 7th, a group of young adult Catholics from the Boston Area who are against abortion, Pro-Life Standouts, demonstrated in Islington.
6-16-2024 6:38pm
Young Adult Catholics Hold Pro-Life Demonstration in Westwood
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Thanks to Pro-Life Standouts for contributing this article to Westwood Minute.
On Friday, June 7th, a group of seven local Catholics stood on the street corner in Islington Center to demonstrate for the protection of human life in the womb. The event was led by “Pro-Life Standouts” a group of Young Adult Catholics from the Boston area.
Leader Gabriel D., a 21-year-old resident of Westwood, says he is inspired to organize these events because of the “sad reality” of abortion in the United States. “We know that thousands of lives have been lost in the past year to violence in places like Ukraine and Gaza, and I support efforts to stop the bloodshed abroad,” said Gabriel. “But we also have to remember that thousands of innocent lives are being lost in our own country due to abortion. How can we have a just society and uphold human rights when we deny protection to the smallest and most vulnerable human beings?”
The Pro-Life Standouts group aims to raise awareness of the abortion issue, particularly in this area where many people do not follow it closely or consider the pro-life stance a lost cause. Gabriel stated that “there are a lot of people in Massachusetts who support the right to life, but many are afraid or feel they can do nothing. We want to encourage those people, especially my fellow Catholics, to pray and take action so that we can start to change the culture.”
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During the Standout, which went from 4:00-5:30 PM, the participants held pro-life signs, played Christian music, and prayed the Rosary (a popular Catholic prayer). Traffic in Islington was busy and the protest was seen by many drivers. Some people were happy to see the pro-life protest, giving honks, waves, and cheers. Others were less enthused, and several gave a thumbs down or middle finger. Still, Gabriel reported that (at least personally) he saw more positive responses than negative. Those who were demonstrating seemed to be in good spirits, and the event ended with dinner at Islington Pizza.
This isn’t the first event that Pro-Life Standouts has done in our area. The group has held many events in Westwood and Dedham, and has also visited towns like Needham, Natick, and Norwood. The size of the demonstrations can be quite variable, with some events having as many as 30 people. Their most recent Standout prior to this was in Bridgewater, where several students from Bridgewater State University joined and the leader of BSU’s Students for Life club gave a guest speech.
Gabriel hopes that those who attended the standout, and those who passed by, will be inspired to keep learning about the pro-life cause. “There are a lot of important parts of the pro-life movements,” said Gabriel. “Not everyone wants to hold signs on a street corner, but everyone can do something to build a culture that respects human life and supports mothers and children.”
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