KINGSTON — At Kingston, Esopus, and Ellenville, Catholics in Ulster County will have the opportunity to give prayerful witness to the cause of legal respect for preborn children on Thursday, January 22, which is the anniversary of the notorious Roe v. Wade ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 that imposed abortion-on-demand throughout the United States of America.

“Although this holding was blessedly overruled in 2022 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson, remanding the abortion issue to the states indicates that the preborn child does not enjoy the mantle of legal protection in every state, especially our state of New York,” explained Father Arthur Rojas, pastor of St. Mary-St. Peter–Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish in Kingston, Port Ewen, and Esopus, New York. Added Father Kenneth Riello, pastor of St. Mary-St. Andrew Parish in Ellenville, “Although the Dobbs holding was a major step forward, we have much work to do in New York to change hearts and minds, especially of policymakers and judges. Thus, we start with intense prayer and reparation to God, the Lord of life.”

Prayers along the Hudson River

Along the Hudson River, Father Rojas’ parish will have two Masses of reparation offered at 9 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church (160 Broadway, Kingston) and 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church (1055 Broadway, Esopus) with confessions available at Esopus from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. From 9:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., a consecrated Sacred Host of the Eucharist) will be exposed for adoration in a spirit of quiet reparation until Solemn Benediction is prayed at 6:45 p.m.

Following a years-long practice at Presentation Church at Port Ewen and Sacred Heart Church at Esopus, outdoor U.S. and Vatican flags at church sites will be flown at half-mast “as a sign of mourning and distress,” explained Father Rojas, “over the evil that must be expiated as part of bringing greater social justice to Americans, both unborn and born.” Finally, parishioners are encouraged to observe January 22 in a penitential spirit similar to a Lenten Friday.

At Father Riello’s parish, a Holy Hour of Reparation with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Solemn Benediction will be held on Thursday, January 22, from 7 to 8 p.m. at St. Mary-St. Andrew’s Church at 137 South Main Street (Route 209) in Ellenville. “What our Catholic brethren are doing along the Hudson River for the pro-life cause, we Catholics in the Shawangunk Mountains are happy to complement here,” stated Father Riello, noting the cooperation between Catholics and pro-lifers in Ellenville with their colleagues along the Hudson River in Ulster County going back some years.

St. Mary-St. Peter-Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary-Sacred Heart Parish serves Catholics along the Ulster side of the Hudson River from lower Kingston and throughout the town of Esopus, including Port Ewen. St. Mary-St. Andrew Parish serves Catholics throughout southwestern Ulster County from the main church in Ellenville and Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel at Kerhonkson.