Ruby Nicdao often spends her Saturday mornings praying and sidewalk counseling outside the Falls Church abortion clinic. Less than two hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the parishioner of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly walked up to the Falls Church Healthcare Center grinning from ear to ear and holding a sign in each hand — one that read “Roe Dead” and another that read “Praise God.”
At noon June 24, the day the decision was announced, diocesan Catholics gathered at the clinic to offer prayers of thanksgiving. “We’ve suffered a lot here but all of it has turned to joy and today is just overwhelming,” she said. “If anything, we just need to keep fighting on, especially at the Virginia state level, because that’s where the battle’s going to continue. Speak for the unborn and God will be with you.”
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that legalized abortion across the country. The court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization stated that, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe (is) overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”
Maria Bosch brought her 7-year-old daughter, Paulina, to the rally to celebrate the moment, to thank God and “to show my daughter, finally, that evil doesn’t conquer,” she said.
Toni Smart, a parishioner of St. Veronica Church in Chantilly, was getting a pedicure when she received the text that Roe was overturned. She quickly left the appointment and headed to the rally. “This is a day when we know the Sacred Heart of Jesus has triumphed,” she said, noting that June 24 was the feast of the Sacred Heart. “It is so good for us to be here, not to do anything but to praise God for his mercy on our nation.”
Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion and was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Many expected the outcome, as an opinion draft in the case was leaked a month earlier. At least half of states plan to ban or restrict abortions with this decision in place, and 13 states have trigger laws in place to ban abortions upon Roe’s reversal.
In the Dobbs case, a Mississippi abortion clinic challenged the state’s Gestational Age Act, which banned abortion after 15 weeks of gestation except in cases of a medical emergency or a severe fetal abnormality. In its ruling, the court said, “Like the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, Roe was also egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided.
“We thank God for this welcome decision,” Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said in a statement. “At the same time, we also know that the work of protecting unborn children and their parents from the tragedy of abortion is far from finished. There is much work to do to create laws and policies in Virginia and beyond that recognize the sanctity of every human life and that provide women and their babies the protection, care and resources necessary to flourish.
“Through our diocesan and parish ministries and Catholic Charities, the Church of the Diocese of Arlington will continue to accompany mothers experiencing crisis pregnancies, and to provide pregnancy and adoption support, medical and emergency financial assistance, and care for those who have experienced abortion,” he said.
For decades, the Arlington diocese and other pro-lifers have offered prayerful, emotional and financial support to women facing unplanned pregnancies, including at the parish level through Project Gabriel ministries. There are more than a dozen pregnancy resource centers and several maternity homes within the boundaries of the Arlington diocese. The Project Rachel ministry supports healing for anyone affected by abortions, including women who have had abortions. In response to the ruling, the diocese launched a new web page June 24 highlighting services available to those facing crisis pregnancies.
Two days after the ruling, St. John Neumann Church in Reston was vandalized with pro-abortion messages. Oblate Father Joseph T. Brennan called the vandalism “sad.” Billy Atwell, chief communications officer for the diocese, said that early Sunday morning, “people reported they’d seen smoke coming from mulch outside the church, then later it was discovered there was graffiti vandalism on the church,” as well as on the sign in front of the church on Lawyers Road. The graffiti had been removed from the sign by Monday morning.
“The parish immediately contacted law enforcement, who they’ve been working with very closely to review camera footage and assess the totality of what happened here, and we’re very grateful for that support from law enforcement,” Atwell said. All the churches in the diocese have been on alert, he said, “but I’m not aware that there was any other vandalism to churches. All of our parishes have good security protocols in place to help report and work with law enforcement any time something like this happens.”
In the wake of the reversal, Virginia pro-life leaders rejoiced but urged Catholics to continue advocating for abortion restrictions at the state-level. “Abortion is legal through all nine months in our commonwealth in certain instances,” said Amy McInerny, director of the diocesan Respect Life Office. “The people of God must remain engaged with our elected representatives and vigilant at the time of every election.”
“In Virginia, pro-life protections developed over decades were dismantled almost completely during the 2020 and 2021 legislative sessions,” said Jeff Caruso, executive director of the Virginia Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the Virginia bishops. “We are resolutely committed to restoring these laws and enacting others like them.”
As pro-lifers exchanged goodbyes at the end of the Falls Church rosary rally, many a “see you tomorrow” was heard. Women still will arrive at the clinic on Saturday mornings to get an abortion. The pro-lifers will be there too, offering a witness for life.
Carol Zimmermann and Leslie Miller contributed to this story.
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED.
