Two Prayer Vigils Planned in the
Diocese of Palm Beach

Join Your Faith Community  to Pray for the Unborn and for the End to the Use of the Death Penalty  

Join Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito and other faithful at 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 22 as we gather in prayer for the protection of the unborn child on the 42nd Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Bishop Barbarito will lead us in the rosary at the old courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach (corner of 3rd and N. Dixie).  

Since the Supreme Court's decision in 1973,  more than  56 million unborn victims have been aborted. In a joint statement, the Florida bishops state though they find  encouragement by the decline in the number of abortions in Florida each year, pro-life advocates still face great opposition. The bishops also state that abortion contributes to a "throwaway culture."  

"By its legal acceptance, abortion dehumanizes the unborn child and contributes to what Pope Francis has called a 'throwaway culture' that does not view life as a gift but as a dispensable object only of value when useful to us. As a result, those populations who are most vulnerable outside the womb are also most vulnerable inside the womb. However, all human life, whether in- or outside the womb, is sacred. One's worth cannot be determined by gender, race, health, age or financial status."    

Read the statement from the Florida Catholic Conference about the Roe v. Wade anniversary    

The Prayer Vigil on January 22 is sponsored by Catholic Charities Respect Life Office and the Diocese of Palm Beach. More details, map and parking instructions are available on the Calendar of Events page on the websites of Catholic Charities    and the Diocese of Palm Beach or by calling the Respect Life Office at 561-360-3330.   

A reminder about tonight's Prayer Vigil to abolish the death death penalty. This vigil will be held at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens and will begin a half hour before the scheduled 6 p.m. execution of death row inmate John Kormonday who sentenced to death for the killing of Gary McAdams of Pensacola 21 years ago.

Catholic faithful and members of the community are invited to gather in solidarity to pray for the victims of violent crimes and their families, for persons on death row awaiting execution, and for the end of the use of the death penalty.

Catholic Charities Respect Life Office in partnership with the Diocese of Palm Beach and Pax Christi will host a prayer service starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Chapel of the Cathedral. The service will be followed by a procession and silent vigil in front of the Cathedral from 5:45 - 6:15 p.m.

The Florida Catholic Conference urges Governor Scott to commute the sentence of Mr. Komonday. In a released statement, the bishops of Florida state:

Mr. Kormondy deserves severe punishment for the 1993 murder of Gary McAdams and the brutal crimes against his wife, Cecilia McAdams. However, imposing a sentence of death as a consequence of killing perpetuates a cycle of violence.

Each (arch)diocese in the state will hold a prayer vigil tonight, with some conducting prayer vigils at multiple locations. Please see the full statement from the Florida Bishops for more information on the vigils. 

The Florida Catholic Conference is an agency of the Catholic Bishops of Florida. The archbishop and bishops of the seven (arch)dioceses in Florida constitute its board of directors.

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Read What Our Florida Bishops Have Said About
the Death Penalty  click here