Macon's Kolbe Center resurrects March for Life on Jan. 22

The first time Ned Dominick marched Macon streets to protest abortion, he did it in memory of Teresa Causey.

The 17-year-old Macon mother of two bled to death when her uterus was perforated during a procedure at a local doctor's office in December 1988.

Causey's death spurred hundreds of people to march.

"Macon really turned out and it was neat," Dominick said recently. "We have not had an abortionist out in the open since."

Dominick and the late Ben Lambert, of the former Sav-a-Life ministry, marched year after year to condemn the Jan. 22 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

Lambert's organization, now Caring Solutions crisis pregnancy center, has not sponsored a march in at least three years, said Christina Middleton, executive director of the center.

"We are not an activist group. We're not a political organization, but one that offers compassionate services," Middleton said.

The Saint Maximilian Kolbe Center for Life, a Catholic ministry launched in Macon in June 2014, is taking up the mantle of the march.

"Nothing was being organized so we thought this was an opportunity for us to share a pro-life message," said Ann Beall, executive director of the Kolbe Center.

The group plans an ecumenical event Friday that will include a noon rally at Rosa Parks Square before the silent march to Central City Park at 12:30 p.m.

Macon optometrist and pastor of Greater Friendship Baptist Church, Dr. Stephen Summerow will speak at the rally.

A Mass also is scheduled at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church at the top of Poplar Street.

Beall expects students from Macon's three Catholic schools to march Friday, but she also mailed 150 postcards inviting people from other churches to join the effort.

"I absolutely think that as people have learned more about the abortion industry through the Planned Parenthood videos that came out, I am hearing from more and more people who want to speak out about abortion," Beall said.

Dominick agrees the undercover videos depicting Planned Parenthood workers allegedly discussing the harvesting of fetal body parts and compensation for the organization have rallied anti-abortion groups.

"I think everybody was stunned by that," Dominick said.

If Donald Trump was not dominating the presidential race, he believes more Republican candidates would be giving the issue more attention.

Abortion always is a fervent prayer request in the weekly men's prayer meeting Dominick attends.

"It never goes away. It's one of those foundational interests," Dominick said. "Until the United States moves away from the butchering of innocents, how can we expect much in the way of blessing?"

The Kolbe Center, which differs from Caring Solutions as it also protests the death penalty, assisted suicide and euthanasia, has posters available for marchers to carry as they silently process through downtown Macon.

A trolley at the park will shuttle marchers back to their cars parked near Rosa Square.

To contact writer Liz Fabian, call 744-4303 and follow her on Twitter@liz_lines.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Macon's Kolbe Center resurrects March for Life on Jan. 22 ."