SWANNANOA — More than 50 Catholics from around the Asheville and western North Carolina region gathered March 13 at St. Margaret Mary Church for a vicariate-wide pro-life Mass offered by Father Brian Becker, pastor.
After Mass, Father Becker blessed and anointed the participants, who then traveled to pray and witness outside the Planned Parenthood facility in Asheville.
There, he and the group prayed the rosary and other prayers offered for an end to abortion. Organized by the Carolina Pro-Life Action Network (C-PLAN) of Western NC, parishes represented included St. Barnabas Church in Arden, St. Lawrence Basilica and St. Eugene Church in Asheville, Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville, St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon and Sacred Heart Church in Brevard, as well as St. Margaret Mary Church. C-PLAN of Western NC was formed in 2018 by parish Respect Life leaders to help coordinate pro-life across the region and holds meetings every other month.
C-PLAN also has chapters in Charlotte and in the Triad. The group’s next event is a regional Respect Life meeting at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, April 25, at St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon.
To learn more or join their e-mail list, contact Joanne Gregory or Elizabeth Harris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— Jessica Grabowski and Mike FitzGerald, correspondent