The Catholic Archdiocese of Denver is holding what it calls a teen boot camp on the issue of abortion Saturday.
Arming Catholic youth with scientific and historical information will help them make the right decisions and avoid the heartaches of abortion, said Lynn Grandon, the new director of the archdiocese’s Respect Life Office.
“You have to have the courage to do things like this,” Grandon said. “It’s not fair to women at this time, in this culture, not to present all the facts to them.”
The free “Pro-Life Boot Camp” for eighth- through 12th-graders is scheduled for noon-3 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1555 Grant St. in Denver.
The boot camps follows a 10 a.m. “Mass for Giving Thanks to God for Human Life,” celebrated by Bishop James Conley at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, across the street from the hall.
A “Rosary for Life” will be recited after Mass in the Marian Garden east of the cathedral to mark the 39th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
Statistics show that a teen who finds out she is pregnant will tell her friends first, not her parents, Grandon said. “We want to equip teens with the facts,” she said.
The program will begin with basic information on embryology.
“We simply show them the scientific facts of a baby’s development — when the heart starts beating, when all the organ systems are fully formed, when their fingerprints are finished,” Grandon said.
“We will inform them about abortion procedures, risks and consequences,” she said. “We won’t use graphic photos. We don’t go in for shock value.”
The program is also slated to cover the legal and historical framework of the abortion rights in the U.S.
Since abortion has been legal in the U.S., Grandon said, 54 million have taken place.
Teens who wish to participate in the boot camp should reserve a spot by calling 303-715-3205, or emailing lynn.grandon@archden.org.
Attendees should bring a sack lunch.
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
