by Marc and Julie Anderson
mjanderson@theleaven.org
TOPEKA — “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, but plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11).
Those words from the prophet Jeremiah served as the theme of the IGNITE for Life rally and Mass for Life held Jan. 28 at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. More than 1,600 people attended the annual event.
Sponsored by the archdiocese’s pro-life office, the day included a fair featuring pro-life organizations and ministries, Mass celebrated by the Kansas bishops and several speakers. According to Debra Niesen, the archdiocese’s pro-life consultant, each reflected the message found in the Book of Jeremiah.
The first speaker, Father Luke Doyle, pastor of the St. Lawrence Campus Center at the University of Kansas, shared a story from early in his priesthood, when he was asked to minister to a woman who had just learned she was unexpectedly pregnant.
“A couple of months into her pregnancy she remarked to me, as she patted her womb, ‘You know, little baby Bosco certainly kicks a little bit,’” Father Doyle said.
Puzzled, Father Doyle asked for clarification, only to discover she had been craving Bosco Sticks, a mozzarella-filled breadstick. The comment gave him an opening to share the story of St. John Bosco, the patron saint of fatherless boys.
“One of the reasons this woman was considering abortion was because she didn’t want to bring a child into the world without a father,” Father Doyle said. He encouraged her to pray and to get to know St. John Bosco.
Her son, Cooper Bosco, was born Jan. 31, 2024 — the feast day of St. John Bosco.
“It’s really beautiful to acknowledge that God knows us,” Father Doyle said, “and that even before our stories begin being written in this life, God loves us and fights for us.”
Like Father Doyle, Harper Schmelzle said he has come to understand that God has a plan for every person.
One of three children adopted by his parents, Schmelzle shared how grateful he is for the gift of life.
“The biggest blessing is that I am on this earth, able to love God who made me in his image and likeness,” he said. “I have the opportunity to fulfill God’s plan for my life.”
Dr. Angeligue Pritchett, a board-certified family medicine physician specializing in women’s health, obstetrics and prenatal care, gynecology and infertility, spoke about how she believes God’s plan for her life includes bringing hope and healing through the Abortion Pill Reversal Network.
She first encountered the organization while attending a medical conference in Boston.
“I had no idea it was going to lead me to the most meaningful healthcare I could provide for women in crisis,” Pritchett said.
When someone at the informational booth asked if she would be interested in serving as a network provider, she found herself writing down her contact information.
Although the work can be emotionally challenging, Pritchett said, she feels blessed to walk alongside women during moments of fear and uncertainty.
“It’s such a joy to share ultrasound images of a healthy baby growing inside the woman’s womb as she’s undergoing the reversal protocol,” she said. “It’s an even greater joy to receive birth announcements and newborn photos afterward.”
“The ultimate joy,” she added, “is knowing she doesn’t have to endure the shame of being partly responsible for her baby’s death.”
Serving as the keynote speaker via video due to winter weather, David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life, addressed the growing abortion numbers in Kansas.
Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, Bereit said Kansas averaged about 7,000 abortions annually. That number has nearly tripled, with close to 20,000 abortions performed in Kansas in 2024, making the state a destination for abortion.
“This doesn’t just affect Kansas,” Bereit said. “Decisions made here affect lives all across the region.”
He noted that most Kansans oppose late-term abortion, support parental involvement and want women to be supported rather than pressured toward abortion.
Bereit also shared the beginnings of 40 Days for Life, which grew from a single conversation with a friend who had been saved from abortion. Since its first campaign in Bryan, Texas, the movement has expanded to more than 1,000 cities in over 60 countries, saving more than 26,000 babies, helping close more than 180 abortion facilities and leading nearly 300 abortion workers to leave the industry.
“It’s not an accident that you are here today at IGNITE for Life,” Bereit told attendees. “Each and every one of you has a role to play.”
Following Bereit’s remarks, Archbishop Shawn McKnight celebrated Mass, assisted by Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann, Bishop Carl Kemme of Wichita, Bishop Gerald Vincke of Salina and Bishop John Brungardt of Dodge City. Bishop Vincke served as the homilist.
After Mass, participants marched to the Kansas State Capitol for a rally sponsored by Kansans for Life. Archbishop McKnight offered the closing prayer, asking God to “transform the hearts and minds of all elected leaders” and to strengthen those gathered.
“May we never tire of our mission to stand up for those who have no voice of their own,” he prayed, “and may we remain united in choosing life and rejecting death, so that we may enjoy the abundant blessing of life with you forever.”
