A Mass marking the observance of the 39th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 4:30 p.m. at St. Amelia Church, 2999 Eggert Road, Tonawanda.

The Mass is sponsored by the Office of Pro-Life Activities of the Diocese of Buffalo and St. Amelia Parish. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, will be the main celebrant at the Mass which will be signed for the hearing impaired.

As part of the Mass, the annual Pro-Vita Awards will be presented. These awards are intended to recognize people who have labored tirelessly for the pro-life cause and to give them strength, encouragement and support.

The anniversary of Roe v. Wade also will be marked by a group of Catholics joining the Office of Pro-Life Activities on a pilgrimage for life to Washington, D.C. The group will pray peacefully and publicly intercede on behalf of the unborn, their parents, families, communities, nation and its leaders.

A Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Kmiec at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, in the Washington Plaza Hotel followed by a breakfast featuring keynote speaker Christina King, a national Catholic speaker. 

Catholics throughout the diocese also are encouraged to participate in a solemn observance of the Roe v. Wade anniversary by placing a candle in their window at sundown on the evening of Sunday, Jan. 22. The candle (electric, battery-operated or wax) serves as a reminder of the 50 million unborn babies who have been aborted since the Supreme Court decision in 1973.

For more information on these events, contact the diocesan Office of Pro-Life Activities at 847-2205 or visit their website at www.buffalodiocese.org/prolife.