"This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine":

Chapter Holds Prayer Vigil to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

By Holly Miller, Field Coordinator

The tens of thousands of pro-lifers who assembled on the National Mall for the 30th annual March for Life were accompanied by the prayers of millions of Americans who share a respect for life but were unable to make the trip or who chose to demonstrate their commitment locally. Hundreds of those prayers came from Columbus, in northeast Mississippi, where pro-lifers bundled up and gathered in the cold on the afternoon of Sunday, January 19 for a candlelight vigil to commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

The 45-minute vigil, organized by Lowndes County Right to Life (LCRTL), was held at the county courthouse and incorporated music, prayers, candle lighting, and a speech by "Silent No More" co-founder and Columbus resident Susan Mosley. The gathering received very favorable coverage from the local newspaper.

After more than 10 years of planning annual vigils, LCRTL knows what to plan for, and what to entrust to God. Since many in the community attend Sunday morning and evening church services, LCRTL plans the vigil for late in the afternoon to accommodate evening churchgoers.

"Consider it an extension of their service. We encourage pastors to announce it in church and encourage people to go as part of their church services for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday," explained Becky Deignan, LCRTL board member.

A core group of about 150 people are there each year, but there are always plenty of new faces. This steady growth is the result of careful planning.

For example, Mrs. Deignan sends two different letters, one to the chapter's mailing list and one to local churches, encouraging pro-lifers to attend the vigil. Another way that LCRTL draws pro-lifers is by inviting different pastors to lead the opening prayer each year and by having choirs or vocalists from different churches perform each year.

Church members are more likely to try something new if they do not have to go alone, so if other members or their pastor are participating in the vigil, they will too. The community now anticipates the vigil each year because it has become an annual event for many families.

Over the years, the vigil has evolved. "It's a quiet, prayerful gathering," Deignan noted after commenting on anxiety over media coverage in the early years of the event.

LCRTL leaders welcome media attendance, but note that it is not a media event where they will alter their schedule or sacrifice the solemnity of the vigil to accommodate the media. The media seems to respect that, as evidenced by the favorable frontpage coverage the vigil received in Columbus's newspaper.

Mrs. Deignan also knows they cannot plan for every variable. "What we've learned is you may end up with a totally different vigil than you originally planned, God may re-plan it and it sounds like this year's was the best one ever."

According to another LCRTL board member, Cathy Van Asselt, that is exactly what happened. Two days before the event, planned singers were suddenly unavailable, but others, including LCRTL board member Terri Gillis, were able to step in and do a wonderful job. "It's amazing how hard this stuff is to do, but it always comes together in the end," explained Van Asselt.

Both Van Asselt and Deignan were quick to credit each other and Gillis for the success of this year's vigil. Deignan is battling a rare blood disease called amyloidosis that left her unable to do much of the physical preparation for the vigil, but it did not prevent her from making phone calls and writing letters. While her illness kept her from attending the vigil, her presence and leadership were there, as they have been since she moved to Columbus in 1991.

Van Asselt is stepping into Deignan's large shoes admirably. Carrying the chapter's cell phone is symbolic of the torch being passed to her, while Deignan pledges to stay involved in the pro-life movement as long as there is life in her. She explained, "It hurts not to be there, and it hurts not to carry the cell phone. I want it to go on when I don't, and now I know it will."

Rather than bask in the candlelight of another successful vigil, the chapter's trio of dedicated board members is busily preparing a signature ad to go to print for Valentine's Day. Congressmen Chip Pickering and Roger Wicker have already sent in their donation cards for inclusion in the register of local pro-lifers listed on the ad. Proving that they will not rest as long as unborn children are dying, the Lowndes County Right to Life chapter continues to shine as a beacon to the truth about abortion for its entire community.