Life Chain participants in Galesburg hold signs as they pray in this Catholic Post file photo. Life Chains are among the events planned in the diocese during October, Respect Life Month. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

People of faith will not only have opportunities to stand up for life as Respect Life Month begins on Sunday, Oct. 2, but they are invited to join Bishop Louis Tylka for Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria.

He will also be the homilist at the 10:30 a.m. Respect Life Mass.

Life Chains are also planned throughout central Illinois on Oct. 2. These prayerful, peaceful witnesses to the dignity of life generally take place at major intersections in participating communities, with people holding signs to remind passersby that “Abortion Hurts Women,” “Abortion Kills Children,” and “Jesus Hears, Heals and Forgives.” They also urge people to “Pray to End Abortion” and “Pray to Change Hearts.”

Life Chains will be held this Sunday at the following locations, unless otherwise noted:

• CHAMPAIGN: At the south side of Hessel Park, along Kirby Avenue, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Signs will be provided at Grandview Drive and Kirby Avenue. It will be held rain or shine.
• GALESBURG: Knox County Right to Life is sponsoring a Life Chain at Henderson and Fremont Streets from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. Signs will be provided and may be picked up at 1:30 p.m. The observance will close with prayer and announcements.
• MENDOTA: Intersection of Routes 34 and 251, from 1 to 2 p.m. Signs will be available.
• NORMAL: The Life Chain will extend in both directions from the front of Epiphany Church, 1000 E. College Ave., from 2 to 3 p.m. Signs will be provided and may be picked up in the church parking lot.
• PEORIA: The Heart of Illinois Life Chain, sponsored by Central Illinois Right to Life, will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. from the 1800 block of Knoxville Avenue to the 2800 block. Signs will be distributed at the intersection of Knoxville and Hanssler Place starting at about 2 p.m. Church groups that would like to sign up may call Dan Smith at (309) 691-3611.

This listing of Life Chains around the Diocese of Peoria will be updated as information is received.

DINNER, FESTIVAL OF LIFE

Knox County Right to Life is also planning a Pro-Life Pastors Dinner for Saturday, Oct. 15, and a Festival of Life for Sunday, Oct. 16. The speaker for both events will be Alison Centofante, a child advocacy innovator and founder of Centofante Strategies, a consulting firm based in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Pro-Life Pastors dinner will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Corpus Christi Parish Center, 273 S. Prairie St., in Galesburg. It is free to the clergy, but costs $10 for all others.

Reservations are requested by Oct. 8 and may be made by calling Pat at (309) 343-2852.

The Festival of Life will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 and be held at Bethel Baptist Church, 1196 N. Academy St., in Galesburg. In addition to Centofante’s talk, the student who took first place in the Knox County Right to Life Essay Contest will read their winning composition.

Refreshments will be served.

There is no charge to attend the Festival of Life, but a free-will offering will be accepted.