On December 28, 2019 I attended the Mass being celebrated at the Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan which also included a Pro Life procession to an abortion facility. I had never attended this church and did not know what to expect. The day represents not only the Feast of the Holy Innocents but would have been my maternal grandmother’s birthday.
Due to a delay on the L train I arrived at the 8:00 AM Mass a few minutes late. Upon entering the church, I was surprised at the full house that was also attending the Mass. Upon sitting down in a pew, I admired the stained-glass windows in the church. However, I noted that on the left side the lighting on the windows was mostly blocked by the adjacent building, while the windows on the right were unobstructed and the sun was able to display their brilliance.
While I am a practicing Catholic, I was not familiar with the significance of this holy day. It is celebrated to remember the male children under two years of age slaughtered at the direction of Herod the Great in the vicinity of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus‘ birth due to Herod’s jealousy of the newborn king. The homily explained the significance of the holy day.
When it came time to receive Holy Communion, I received while kneeling at the railing which was still intact in the church (most churches have the railing and accompanying keepers removed). Receiving communion in this manner brought me back to my childhood. My childhood church, St. Margaret’s in Middle Village, had the railing removed during a renovation in the 1970’s.
After Mass I participated in the procession to an abortion facility, Park Med at 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue. During the procession members utilized handheld walkie- talkies dispersed throughout the crowd so that the background noise would not impede the Rosary being prayed. The procession to and from the abortion facility went off without any incidents (there were many tourists from out of town celebrating the Christmas holiday). At the facility the crowd prayed the Rosary in remembrance of the unborn babies which were slated to be slaughtered in the name of choice.
Upon the conclusion of the procession a luncheon was held at the church.
Thomas Murawski
Due to a delay on the L train I arrived at the 8:00 AM Mass a few minutes late. Upon entering the church, I was surprised at the full house that was also attending the Mass. Upon sitting down in a pew, I admired the stained-glass windows in the church. However, I noted that on the left side the lighting on the windows was mostly blocked by the adjacent building, while the windows on the right were unobstructed and the sun was able to display their brilliance.
While I am a practicing Catholic, I was not familiar with the significance of this holy day. It is celebrated to remember the male children under two years of age slaughtered at the direction of Herod the Great in the vicinity of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus‘ birth due to Herod’s jealousy of the newborn king. The homily explained the significance of the holy day.
When it came time to receive Holy Communion, I received while kneeling at the railing which was still intact in the church (most churches have the railing and accompanying keepers removed). Receiving communion in this manner brought me back to my childhood. My childhood church, St. Margaret’s in Middle Village, had the railing removed during a renovation in the 1970’s.
After Mass I participated in the procession to an abortion facility, Park Med at 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue. During the procession members utilized handheld walkie- talkies dispersed throughout the crowd so that the background noise would not impede the Rosary being prayed. The procession to and from the abortion facility went off without any incidents (there were many tourists from out of town celebrating the Christmas holiday). At the facility the crowd prayed the Rosary in remembrance of the unborn babies which were slated to be slaughtered in the name of choice.
Upon the conclusion of the procession a luncheon was held at the church.
Thomas Murawski
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