CHARLOTTE — Women from local churches held another prayer vigil outside the new Charlotte location of Planned Parenthood Aug. 3, part of a community-wide effort by pro-life advocates from Catholic and Protestant churches and ministries to combat the evil of abortion in the city.
More abortions are performed in Charlotte each year than anywhere else in North Carolina, and Planned Parenthood’s expanded facility will be the city’s fourth abortion mill.
Mothers, grandmothers, daughters and sisters prayed and held witness outside the site, declaring, “We want Planned Parenthood and its allies to know: you are not welcome in this city.
You are not welcome to destroy our families.” Motherhood is sacred, they said, and all women should be valued and respected for who they are as children of God, not exploited and butchered by the abortion industry.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald
Read more about Planned Parenthood’s expansion in Charlotte:
Pro-life vigil held outside Planned Parenthood facility in Charlotte
Protests continue against new Charlotte Planned Parenthood facility
CHARLOTTE — Young people from St. Peter Church’s faith formation program recently took part in the parish’s annual summer service effort, “Teen Serve Week.” The teenagers served at Moore Place Urban Ministry, Boys and Girls Club, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s food pantry. They also built a ramp for a homeowner to access the house and cleaned a creek in Charlotte.
Kathy Izard, founder of Moore Place and author of “The Hundred Story Home,” spoke to the group about her inspiration to create housing for people experiencing homelessness, after they spent the day at Moore Place doing gardening and a craft project, serving beverages, and playing ping-pong and other games with residents.
Izard told the young people, “Just being with our neighbors in visiting makes them feel respected and heard.”
Teen Serve Week also featured parishioner Mike Warner who spoke about the “Art of Immigration,” a journey through art, music and film into the hearts of migrants and immigrants and how society accepts the “stranger” among us.
The teens also had a chance to spend time with the parish’s senior citizens group, the St. Peter Sages.
“My favorite service experience was playing corn hole and ping-pong at Moore Place,” said Teen Serve Week participant William Kernodle. “It seemed like the residents really had a great time and we did too.”
“I found God at Urban Ministries doing art with the homeless. Being creative opened them up to discuss their hardships and allowed for very interesting and valuable discussions,” said Teen Serve Week participant Chloe Wilson.
See more photos from summer faith-filled activities: