March for Life offers local residents a look at the larger Church

Travelling by bus across the nearly 1,500 miles, the pair brought with them the "Kansas Prayers for Life – Quilt of Prayer" that Wheaton and a team of helpers designed and constructed especially for the event. (See www.dcdiocese.org/swkregister for a link to the article on the quilt that ran in the Jan. 30 issue.)

"We travelled from Wichita to Indianapolis on the first day, and then on into Washington D.C. the next day," Wheaton said. "Although our travelling conditions were dangerous due to all the snow and ice, and our bus was having complications due to the ice, we prayed our Rosary and our Blessed Mother protected us and we arrived safely in Washington D.C. on Jan. 22."

Prior to the march, in which an estimated 100,000 people called on the U.S. government to respect all life, the pair took some time to do a little sight seeing and managed a chance meeting the Father Frank Pavone, Director of Priests for Life and an SKR columnist.

"…We walked to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, which was absolutely beautiful at night and with snow all around," Wheaton said. "Then back to Union Station and to the Hyatt. … It was here that we saw Father Frank Pavone. I got up the courage to ask him to Bless our Quilt, which he said he would. Father Pavone listened intently as I explained the significance of the Quilt of Prayer, then he blessed it for us. What a blessing, especially since it was the Anniversary of Roe-v-Wade, Jan. 22, 2005. Of course I asked him for a blessing for me, too. Then one for Adam."

Wheaton said that Father Pavone expressed a desire to one day visit the Diocese of Dodge City and meet with Bishop Ronald Gilmore.

"I believe there are many hurting women, men and families in our diocese that are suffering from abortions and need healing and help in dealing with the effects of this evil," she said. "What an awesome opportunity and blessing to have Father Pavone come and visit our diocese."

The group also had time to visit Arlington Cemetery, where they viewed the "many, many white crosses in honor of those who have served our country, who have died for our freedom. We also learned that more precious children have been lost through abortion than all those who have lost their lives in all the wars put together.

"We had a short but beautiful tour of the John Paul II Institute, it is certainly a must see," Wheaton said. "We were able to see the vestments our Holy Father has worn, his skis, and some of his personal hand-writing for his book, ‘Crossing the Threshold of Hope.’

"We were also able to visit our Lord in a small chapel and see a painting of St. Therese the Little Flower that was painted by her sister Celine. My family and I have a great love for St. Therese and we honored her in our Quilt of Prayer so this was a great blessing, too."

On Monday, Jan. 24, Wheaton and Adam and thousands of people from across the United States marched in front of the capital building.

"Adam was quite taken with all the people and the news media from as far away as Alaska," Wheaton said. "This was certainly an experience Adam and the rest of us will never forget. As we marched we prayed the Rosary. At the end of the March it started to snow. Again, another blessing from God: ‘Although your sins be as scarlet, they shall become white as snow.’ Rev 1:14.

"After the March for Life we had time to rest a little and freshen up for the rose dinner that evening," she added. "The entertainment, the dinner and the speakers were all wonderful, but my highlight was Laura Molla from Italy. Laura is the daughter of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, who was just declared a Saint in May of 2004. She was a medical doctor and the mother of three children. When she was pregnant with her fourth child, she was found to have cancer. They wanted her to have an abortion. She refused and carried her child to term, and within a very sort time she died. What a great witness for life."

Wheaton said that on the bus-ride home, Elmer Feldkamp, president of Right to Life of Kansas, "shared with us about the importance of the Human Life Amendment that they are trying to get through. This law basically states that a human being begins at the moment of conception and is human until natural death. Exactly what we as Catholics believe. We need the Human Life Amendment as Law.

"It all comes down to life and the end to abortion."