“You are here because you’ve been given the gift of life,” Bishop Edward Malesic told those attending and watching the livestreamed annual diocesan Mass for Life. “Thank you for helping to affirm human life at all stages.”
The liturgy was celebrated Jan. 23 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost was among the concelebrants.
The congregation included representatives of several schools from the diocese, parish ministries and organizations dedicated to social justice and protecting human life, including the Sovereign Order of Malta. Some of the knights and dames attended in their formal black robes.
(See photo gallery above.)
The bishop said he began life as two cells. “And look at me now,” he quipped.
“We’re on a journey … We’re immigrants who will find refuge in heaven,” he said, noting we are alive both as humans and in the Spirit, which sets Christians aside from the rest of the world. He said it’s important to be instruments of peace to protect life.
“To ignore the gift of life is to reject the giver of life (God),” he added, noting that Pope Leo recently reminded diplomats at the Vatican that life is a gift.
The bishop emphasized that respect for life is not just limited to one thing and it doesn’t end at birth. It encompasses all phases of life from pregnancy through birth, care for mothers, babies, immigrants and all people. He also urged that this be done with compassion. “Don’t catch the disease of bitterness … Speak with conviction but also patience, humility and hope … They will know we are Christians by our love.”
After Mass, the bishop greeted people and posed for photos, including with some of the school groups. The Chesterton Academy of Akron, Walsh Jesuit and Holy Name high schools were among the schools bringing students to the liturgy. Inclement weather canceled classes for most schools in the eight-county diocese the day of the Mass.
Tony Dipre, director of the diocesan Office for Human Life, coordinated the event and was pleased with the turnout, despite the frigid weather. He invited attendees, including both bishops, to a lunch in the diocesan offices after Mass.
Bishop Malesic offered a few thoughts and a prayer before the meal.
Locally, the Mass for Life is celebrated each year on or near the anniversary of the Jan. 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled abortion was constitutional. However, that decision was overturned on June 24, 2022 by the Supreme Court in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case.
Click here for more information about the Office for Human Life and the many resources it offers. Watch an archived recording of the livestreamed Mass here.