A Virginia city was set to recognize March 10th as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day,” but the mayor gave up on his disgusting plan within 24 hours after it sparked criticism from the city’s Catholic community.
The mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, Justin Wilson, signed a declaration letter at the beginning of March to mark the day as a celebration of the “courage, compassion, and the high-quality care” of abortionists. The city council planned to vote on the proposal on Tuesday, March 8th, but the mayor withdrew the plan on Friday, March 4th, according to reporting by the Daily Wire.
Fr. Chris Christensen, pastor of St. Rita’s in Alexandria, said that he was appalled when his parishioners informed him of the mayor’s plans. He began to spread the word immediately, and the city scrapped the plan a day later after Catholic residents of the city flooded the mayor’s office with calls expressing their concerns.
“I was really, really impressed with our response,” Christensen told the Washington Free Beacon. “It’s the fact that our community is so family-oriented.”
In recent years, Democrat-run cities such as Minneapolis and St. Louis have celebrated the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers, which has become a national movement in remembrance of Dr. David Gunn—an abortionist who was murdered on March 10, 1993. In his signed declaration, Wilson said the city should observe the day because of the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which has the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow for more abortion restrictions around the country.
Christensen said that the pushback against the mayor was a grassroots effort. Elizabeth Fitton, a mother of four, encouraged fellow parishioners from St. Rita’s to call the mayor’s office on Thursday, March 3rd after hearing about his plan, which she called “stunning” and “alienating.”
“To be so vocal about it and take so much pride in it was just offensive,” Fitton told the Free Beacon.
Bishop Michael Burbidge, who presides over all the parishes in Alexandria and the nearby city of Arlington, released a statement in opposition to the declaration of the holiday, just hours before the mayor scrapped his plans.
Dori Rutherford, a mother of three who attends the Basilica of Saint Mary, said it was reassuring to have the support of their bishop on such short notice.
“It’s important that we stay on top of these issues in local government that come up,” Rutherford told the Free Beacon. “I think people need to understand that it’s important to call and push back.”
Source: The Washington Free Beacon
