Grace College students involved with Turning Point USA, a national organization for conservative students, hold signs with pro-life messages outside the Kosciusko County Courthouse on Saturday, Jan. 22, following Right To Life of North Central Indiana’s memorial service in Warsaw on the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Local pro-life leaders are optimistic about the potential for overturning Roe v. Wade.

That hope was expressed at Right To Life of North Central Indiana’s memorial service on Saturday, Jan. 22. Saturday was the 49th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion.

More than 60 people attended the noontime event. The memorial service, held for the second time in Kosciusko County, was moved indoors to Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church from the original location of the Kosciusko County Courthouse due to cold temperatures.

Right To Life of NCI Board Member Marcia Anderson, who served as emcee for the service, credited former President Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative, pro-life judges to the Court in helping lead to a possible overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“We think right now we’ve got the greatest potential to overturn Roe v. Wade than we’ve had in the past,” she told InkFreeNews after the service.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Warsaw’s Father Jonathan Norton cited the Supreme Court’s recent consideration of a case involving abortion as grounds for optimism in his message to attendees.

“We’ve been in this for 49 years and what we’ve been praying for 49 years is about to happen that you know that this decision of Roe v. Wade is now once again an opportunity in the Supreme Court to be overturned with this case of Dobbs v. Jackson, so to think of how for 49 years we have been praying for this moment, praying for this to believe truly that this is the moment where this is going to happen, that this is finally going to be overturned,” he said.

Both he and Anderson mentioned that if Roe v. Wade is overturned decisions on whether to allow abortion will be put on the state level.

“And then also if we can get Roe v. Wade (overturned), it goes to the states,” said Anderson. “We’re a pretty conservative state, so I am hopeful that Indiana will see that (abortion) is a thing of the past.”

Serious tone

As people attended the service to memorialize lives lost to abortion, the event also bore a serious tone.

One woman shared her testimony related to her own abortion more than 30 years ago. She got pregnant following her college graduation and opted for an abortion, following encouragement from the father of the baby, her boyfriend at the time, to do so.

“That root of shame took over my heart and I did not turn to the Lord nor to my family nor to anyone else to help me with this difficult crisis pregnancy,” she said.

“Shame and secrets were my coping strategy and this led me to the darkest moment of my life. If I would have just found Psalms 50:15: ‘Call on Me when you are in trouble and I will rescue you and you will give Me glory.’ It gave me shame, but I could have given our Lord glory by making the right choice. I chose to pick convenience and denial and Satan’s lie that it wasn’t just a baby, it wasn’t yet a child, it was only tissue and as long as I did it before 12 weeks along it would not hurt the baby and no one would ever have to know.”

“But that act of denying my child … I not only denied my child, I denied God and I denied my true self,” she said.

She said she was able to finally heal from her experience following a retreat with Deeper Still, a Christian ministry for those who have been affected by an abortion.

“They helped me believe once again that Christ does love me and He will live in my heart.”

Following the service, some attendees held signs stating “Pray To End Abortion” and “Jesus Hears, Heals & Forgives” by the courthouse.

Anderson said that if anyone wants to learn more about RTL of NCI, they may visit the group’s website at nci4life.org.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Warsaw’s Father Jonathan Norton speaks during the memorial service at Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church. RTL of NCI Board Member Marcia Anderson is in the background.