Ministry’s goal is saving babies’ lives and women’s souls

St. Joan of Arc parishioner Patty Yeadon of Indianapolis volunteers as a pro-life sidewalk counselor on Jan. 19 in front of the Clinic for Women on West 16th Street in Indianapolis. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

It was 8 degrees with a wind chill warning of minus 9 degrees at 10 a.m. on Jan. 19.

St. Joan of Arc parishioner Patty Yeadon of Indianapolis huddled inside her hooded winter coat as she walked back and forth in front of the Clinic for Women, an abortion facility on West 16th Street in Indianapolis, early that Saturday morning.

As a volunteer pro-life sidewalk counselor for Truth and Compassion Ministry in Indianapolis, Yeadon had arrived at the west side abortion clinic at 7 a.m. and—in spite of the frigid weather—planned to stay until 1:30 p.m. in the hope of saving babies’ lives and women’s souls.

Yeadon was happy when volunteers for the archdiocesan Helpers of God’s Precious Infants arrived at the abortion center to pray five decades of the rosary along the sidewalk in front of the building.

She joined in their prayers with gratitude—all the while watching for women to arrive at the facility—and said later that it gave her spiritual strength for her pro-life ministry on a very cold day.

“It helps immensely,” Yeadon said of the Helpers’ prayers. “It’s like a spiritual lift. The minute [the Helpers] show up, everything changes. There’s just a sense of warmth and a sense of strength and a sense of the presence of God.”

Asked how she was holding up after three hours of standing outside in the sub-zero wind, Yeadon said, “I’m just grateful that God keeps us obedient to the call that he has placed upon our lives. It’s nothing any of us do. It’s him making sure that we know where we’re supposed to be and making sure we’re out here.”

Truth and Compassion Ministry volunteer sidewalk counselor Catherine Thomas, who is a member of Freedom Temple Church of God in Indianapolis, also arrived at the clinic at 7 a.m. and planned to stay until another sidewalk counselor arrived later that morning.

“The freezing [weather] doesn’t bother me,” Thomas said. “It’s the lives that are important to me. Homeless people are in worse conditions than this so I just count it as a privilege to serve the Lord.”

Thomas said she is happy to do God’s work, and believes that God and the Holy Spirit will minister to the people inside the abortion clinic.

“We’re just instruments of the Lord,” she said, “and we believe that he’s doing the work.”

Servants of the Gospel of Life Sister Diane Carollo, the director of the archdiocesan Office for Pro-Life Ministry, coordinates the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants ministry.

The Helpers’ pro-life prayers begin at 8:30 a.m. with Mass and continue with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on the third Saturday of every month at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 3354 W. 30th St., in Indianapolis.

Following Mass and Benediction, some of the Helpers remain in prayer in front of the Eucharist while others drive to the abortion center to pray five decades of the rosary there then return to the church to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

“The two [pro-life] groups go to the abortion facility to bear witness,” Sister Diane said, “to pray and help save lives.”

Before beginning her pro-life ministry in the archdiocese in 2000, Sister Diane trained with Msgr. Philip Reilly, who founded the international pro-life ministry, in Brooklyn.

“I was a Helper of God’s Precious Infants in New York and New Jersey,” she said. “Thousands of lives are saved each year because of this ministry. [Helpers] come together once a month to pray and sacrifice and be a witness [for life] at the sites of death.”

Father Eric Johnson, archdiocesan vocations director, celebrated the Helpers’ Mass on Jan. 19.

“Jesus said, ‘I come to heal those who are broken,’ ” Father Johnson said after the Mass. “All of us have a call to proclaim the Good News, to respond to Jesus’ call to discipleship, and to celebrate and uphold life. … It’s through the recognition of how Christ has saved us that we’re able to become an instrument of his redemption and life for others.”

Sister Diane said she is grateful to the diocesan priests who celebrate the monthly Helpers’ Mass at St. Michael Church.

“We’re indebted to the priests who take time out of their busy schedules to come and celebrate Mass,” she said. “This is the most essential component to this ministry. We come together as people of faith and celebrate the Eucharist together.”

St. Anthony parishioner Debbie Miller of Indianapolis, who founded the Healing Hidden Hurts post-abortion reconciliation ministry, said she appreciated Father Johnson’s homily at the Helpers’ Mass.

“[His] homily was balanced with concern for those wounded by abortion as well as protecting the unborn and having respect for all life,” Miller said. “Since one in four women have abortions in their past, any time you speak about abortion it’s an opportunity to plant seeds of hope and healing for those who may be suffering in silence.”†