Planned Parenthood closes its only Manhattan facility after decades of pro-life prayers
A young woman prays the rosary in front of the Planned Parenthood facility on Bleecker Street in Manhattan in an undated photo.
Amid the organization's financial crisis, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is selling the property of its only Manhattan facility, a place where pro-life Catholics in New York have prayed outdoors for years.
"A miracle" and "an answer to prayer"
"Many Black and Hispanic girls go there to get abortions. It's just devastating," she said. “That particular Planned Parenthood clinic is an iconic facility. It’s no small thing that it’s closing.”
Lopez described herself as someone who “spent too much time away from that clinic.” Its closure, she said, “is definitely an answer to prayer and sacrifice, no doubt.” Lopez spent more than a year and a half attending prayer vigils and providing therapy on the sidewalks in front of the Manhattan clinic almost every day, she said.
While acknowledging the building’s closure as a milestone for the pro-life movement after decades of prayer, Lopez said the landscape of the abortion industry has changed, with most abortions being performed “in the shadows” using abortion pills
Spaces for encounters between women with crisis pregnancies and the pro-life movement are becoming less frequent, López stated. However, she added, "I think the current challenge is excellent, as it forces us, in all human encounters, to demonstrate dedication to the sanctity of human life." "Ultimately, that's what the pro-life movement is about," she stated. "It's not about debating abortion. It's about showing people that we love them and that their lives are eternally valuable. And that they were loved by the Creator of the universe—each one of us."
The Sisters of Life told CNA on Thursday that "the announcement of the closure of Planned Parenthood in Manhattan is an incredible answer to our prayers."
In their statement, the religious sisters thanked those who organized and participated in prayer vigils over the years, including the monthly "Witness for Life" Mass (a procession of Mass and rosary on the first Saturday of each month, held since 2008), as well as the efforts of the "40 Days for Life" prayer and fasting campaign, present in Manhattan since 2015. "It is through prayer that the culture of death will be transformed."