Wichita, Kan., Dec 19, 2008 / 11:56 am (CNA).- Catholic church bells will toll throughout the Diocese of Wichita next month to mark the 36th anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States.

Tama Dutton, director of the Respect Life and Social Justice Office in the Diocese of Wichita, is organizing "A Peal for Life," an effort to have the Catholic Churches in the diocese toll their bells 36 times at 3 p.m., the Hour of Mercy, the hour Jesus died on the cross, on Thursday, January 22.

Dutton said each parish is welcome to organize any additional effort to mark the Supreme Court decision that has had a part in the death of about 50 million unborn children since the 1973 decision.

"We hope that as the bells are ringing that the faithful will stop to pray for all the women, fathers, and families who have been affected by abortion," she said.

A service has been designed for parishes and schools who wish to pray at that time. It may be downloaded at cdowk.org/offices/rlsj.

Printed with permission from the Catholic Advance, newspaper from the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas.

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