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CV NEWS FEED // Catholics across the nation are invited to join the annual “9 Days for Life” novena, which begins Jan. 16, for the protection of life and in observance of the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children held Jan. 22.
The novena, organized by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), consists of nine days of prayer, reflection, and penance, which conclude Jan. 24.
Each day of the novena highlights a specific prayer intention related to the issue of abortion, accompanied by reflections, educational resources, and suggested actions, according to a Jan. 10 press release from the USCCB. Participants can sign up to receive the daily prayers through email or text message in English or Spanish.
The annual 9 Days for Life novena began in 2013 to mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. According to the USCCB press release, since its beginning, the initiative has connected hundreds of thousands of individuals across more than 100 countries in a shared mission to end abortion.
The annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children is designated by the bishops as “a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.”
The effort comes at a particularly critical time, according to the bishops, as the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision has returned the issue of abortion to the states.
“While God, in His mercy, ended the nearly fifty-year nationwide regime of abortion on demand,” the USCCB said, “right now state and federal laws, in many instances, are still hostile to pre-born children. So, great prayer and advocacy is very needed.”
