GRANITE CITY — Over 300 people attended the annual diocesan Respect Life Mass Sept. 28 in Granite City and the Rosary Walk that followed to pray outside Hope Clinic for Women where abortions are performed.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki was the principal celebrant for the Mass at Holy Family Church, and then led the crowd in praying the rosary as they made the one-mile walk.

"It is good for us to be here for our annual diocesan Respect Life Mass and Rosary Walk," Bishop Paprocki said at Mass. "Our recognition and condemnation of sin does not stop here. There are other activities and projects" to help people, he said, mentioning in particular Project Rachel and Natural Family Planning offered by the Office for Social Concerns and Respect Life and Office for Marriage and Family Life respectively.

Concelebrants were: Father Jeffry Holtman, pastor, Holy Family; Father Jeffrey Goeckner, pastor, St. Boniface, Edwardsville; Father Patrick Gibbons, pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Jerseyville; Father David Yankaus Kas, OMV, parochial vicar, St. Mary, Alton; Father Kennedy Nyumba, parochial vicar at parishes in Troy, Marine, St. Jacob and Grantfork.

Deacons were: David Erdmann, Blessed Sacrament, Springfield; Thomas Wilkinson, St. Ambrose, Godfrey; Ron Hesson, St. Paul, Highland; and John Bretz, Ss. Peter and Paul, Alton.

Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus from Councils in Alton, Edwardsville and Highland served as honor guards for the bishop at Mass.

The St. Boniface Choir led the singing during the liturgy.

Father Brian Alford, was master of ceremonies at Mass, and at the light luncheon, which was held back at Holy Family after the walk, he spoke about the importance of youth ministry, and what the Office for Vocations, which he heads, is doing to reach out to youth throughout the diocese.

"It gives them a better appreciation for the universality of the church and how many young people like themselves take the living out of their faith seriously," Father Alford said. "This can be encouraging to the young people who might wonder if there are other young people who are active in the Catholic faith."

Father Alford said that pro-life work and volunteerism is beneficial to promoting vocations.

"Many of the people at the march are young priests, religious, and seminarians," he said. "Their joyful witness of their vocation is encouraging for the young people to see as they continue to discern what God might be calling them to in their lives."