Catholics across the country are invited to pray for an end to abortion on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January 2026 through the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced in a Nov. 19 press release.
“Together, we must pray to change hearts and build a culture of life as we advocate for the most vulnerable,” Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, stated in the release. He is chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-life Activities.
The annual event begins Jan. 22 with evening Mass principally celebrated by Bishop Thomas at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
“I look forward to opening our Vigil with Holy Mass together with many other bishops, hundreds of priests, consecrated religious, seminarians, and many thousands of pilgrims,” Bishop Thomas added in the release.
After the Mass, there will be a National Holy Hour for Life, including the rosary and Benediction, in the lower level of the basilica in the Crypt Church.
The National Prayer Vigil will end with a closing Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, archbishop emeritus of Boston, in the basilica in the morning of Jan. 23.
Those who cannot attend the D.C. Mass and adoration are encouraged to participate in the prayer vigil in their local dioceses, attending holy hours and Masses.
The USCCB is also inviting Catholics to participate in the nine-day novena, held Jan. 16-24, to pray for the protection of human life.
>> USCCB pro-life chair calls on Catholics to be ‘agents of hope’ during Respect Life Month <<
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