The Catholic University of America
CUA SIDEWALK

FAQs

 
  • Every Saturday, members of Students for Life go to the local abortion clinic to be a peaceful and prayerful presence at the clinic. We go to the Sidewalk in front of the clinic not only for the children whose lives are at risk every Saturday, but also for their mothers and fathers, who may feel like abortion is their only choice.
  • We go to the sidewalk to pray quietly, usually standing on the grass in front of the clinic in a circle facing in, so that we are not staring at the people going into the clinic.
  • We do not go to judge the women and the people that accompany them into the clinic, but we focus on prayer for the women entering the clinic, the unborn whose lives are at risk, the clinic staff, and the volunteer escorts who work at the clinic.
  • We are a peaceful presence. We go without signs, and we pray quietly next to the clinic.
  • Some of our students who are trained as sidewalk counselors stand on the sidewalk leading up to the clinic and they try to talk to the women going into the clinic and give them information about the other options that they have in a peaceful, calm and loving way.
  • We go to the sidewalk outside the abortion clinic because it is one of the many sites in the United States where the greatest human rights offense in history is occurring. About 3,500 innocent children are being killed each day in our country, and we go to the place where this happens in Washington, DC to be a prayerful presence in the midst of this tragedy.
  • We go to the abortion clinic every week to be present there for the women going into the clinic, and also to be present for the unborn child who is facing a tragic death if his or her mother goes through with her decision to abort.
  • The Students for Life Mission Statement states that we strive to be “at all times witnessing to the love and compassion of Christ.” Therefore, we are there to pray at the site where the unborn are being killed and to be there for the women to let them know that they do have a choice, and they don’t have to go through with the abortion.
  • Our sidewalk counselors are there to talk to the women if they would like to talk to them about other options such as adoption, pregnancy resources, healthcare needs, etc.  
  • At CUA, we strive to pray and counsel in a loving, compassionate, and non-judgmental way. Having an abortion is a very difficult decision for women, especially women who feel like they don’t have any other choice. Many women who go to the clinic have been pressured by their families, boyfriends or husbands to have an abortion and feel like they don’t have any other options.
  • We recognize that the decision to have an abortion is not an easy one, and we go to the clinic to be present to women to show them that abortion is not their only option, and to pray for them and their children in a quiet and peaceful manner.
  • While some may say that it is judgmental, or it is “not their place” to pray in front of a clinic, the reality is that abortion is the greatest human rights offense in history and one-third of a college student’s generation is not here because of legalized abortion.
  • If we do not stand up and make a peaceful, but strong statement for the voiceless, how can we hope to live in a culture of life one day? Going to sidewalk is an active, loving way to participate in the pro-life movement and at CUA, we are there to pray for and help the women, not to judge them, and many lives are saved as a result.  
  • Sometimes it is hard to go to sidewalk, and can be emotionally draining. You might feel like people are judging you for being there, or that you are not really making a difference sometimes.
  • But we are hopeful. We trust in God’s love and mercy and we are there because He is the one that is doing the work outside the clinic. We go to be His presence there, and we entrust our prayers to him along with any sorrows or struggles we might encounter at the clinic.
  • Ultimately, we are hopeful that we will see a day where abortion is no longer legal, and when a woman talks to a sidewalk counselor and decides to turn around and keep her child, we can see the difference that God is making, and the work He is using us to do, even if it seems very small sometimes.  
  • All of the women who enter the clinic are facing a very difficult decision and most of them have already talked themselves into getting the abortion and usually go through with their decision.
  • These are the women who need love and compassion the most. The abortion appointments at the clinic usually end between 12 and 1 pm and CUA has students there praying and counseling into the late afternoon each week for women to talk to after they have had an abortion.
  • Our students try to give these women information about Project Rachel, a post-abortive healing resource for women who experience post-abortive grief and pain. Most importantly, we are there to pray for the women and the children whose lives are lost each Saturday.
 
  • If you are interested in learning more about sidewalk ministry, or being on the sidewalk committee please contact the Students for Life Sidewalk Coordinator, John Henderson at: 70hendej@cardinalmail.cua.edu.
  • We also encourage you to go on the Students for Life Retreat in the fall (exact date to be determined).
  • The retreat is at the Precious Blood Monastery in Brooklyn, NY and is led by Msgr. Phillip Reilly, the founder of “Helpers of God’s Precious Infants,” an organization that promotes sidewalk counseling that is done in a loving and compassionate manner. Msgr. Reilly trains and educates our students and is very knowledgeable about the Pro-Life movement and effective methods of sidewalk prayer and counseling.  If you have further questions about the retreat, sidewalk prayer and counseling, or Students for Life, please contact: 71murphm@cardinalmail.cua.edu or 70hendej@cardinalmail.cua.edu