HASTINGS (SNR) – More than 80 people attended an hour-long prayer vigil Nov. 30 at St. Michael Church in Hastings, sponsored by South Central Nebraska Right to Life.
Beginning with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament by Father Cyrus Rowan, those attending prayed the rosary, as well as a litany of prayers specifically composed for the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
The Supreme Court heard arguments Dec. 1 in the case, which directly challenges Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion throughout the United States.
The Dobbs case involves a Mississippi law restricting most abortions after 15 weeks and asks “Whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional,” or whether states can ban abortion before a fetus can survive outside the womb.
In Roe v. Wade, the court ruled that states could not ban abortion before viability, which the court determined to be 24 to 28 weeks into pregnancy. The court largely upheld Roe in Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. If Roe is now overturned as an outcome of the Dobbs case, abortion law would be left up to each individual state.
The Nov. 30 prayer service in Hastings concluded with Benediction and song, as attendees implored God’s intercession in the Supreme Court decision.
Peace Lutheran Church in Hastings also held a prayer vigil on the eve of the Supreme Court case.
In high-profile cases such as this one, the Supreme Court generally releases decisions at the end of its term in June.
