‘Life Chain’ starts Right to Life Month

Over a hundred people lined U.S. 90 Sunday afternoon with signs for the annual pro-life Life Chain to kick off Right to Life Month.
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Patterson hosted its fourth annual Life Chain Sunday afternoon at U.S. 90 and Wise Street.
The Rev. Herb Bennerfield of St. Joseph Catholic Church said organizers sent fliers to all churches in the area welcoming anyone who wanted to attend the pro-life rally.
The Rev. J. Douglas Deshotel, bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, was among those at the Life Chain. Deshotel, a Basile native, became bishop of the diocese in April, and had previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.
October is Right to Life Month as declared by the U.S. bishops “as a time to raise awareness of the sacredness of all human life from conception in the womb until natural death,” Deshotel said.
The month also follows “Pope Francis’ message that we can’t treat human beings as throwaways, as useable commodities, like we do so many other things in our world today,” Deshotel said.
Each person “should be welcomed into the world because each human being is created in the image and the likeness of God and is a unique creation,” Deshotel said.
All people have the rights to make a decent living, being treated well and “to exercise one’s religion in the public sphere,” Deshotel said. Those rights come from God, which is “why we respect the human person,” he said.
“When we start discrediting the most fundamental right, the right to life, then all those other rights are in danger of falling by the wayside if we’re not careful,” Deshotel said.
Several local residents ex-pressed their reasons for attending the Life Chain as well.
Gerardo Segura said he attended because he believes everyone “should have a chance at life.”
Segura wonders about all the people who aren’t here, due to abortion, who could’ve been here and what “they could’ve added to this world,” he said.
Connie Gautreaux has been to the Life Chain each year to bring awareness of the alternatives women have to abortion, including adoption. Support for unwed mothers has greatly increased for unwed mothers in the past 40 years, and they have more options now, she said.
Organizers bring “no judgment” to women who have had an abortion, and, in-stead, offer a message of mercy, Gautreaux said.
Angela Harrington said Sunday was “Respect Life Sunday” and she has “always respected life from conception until natural death.”
“It’s just a way to come out here very peacefully, and let people know there’s another way,” Harrington said.
Irene Mouton said the cause is “very dear” to her as she is one of 10 children and is extremely thankful to her parents “for wanting us” and being there for her and her siblings in tough times.