Several residents of Jeff Davis County joined with others on the steps of the State Capitol Building to pray for an end to abortion.

Since the court decision of Roe vs. Wade January 22, 1973 over 55 million abortions have been performed in the U.S.

In 1980, the Sanctity of Human Life Day was established by a Presidential proclamation.

A candlelight prayer vigil was established by the Pro-Life of Mississippi organization to give a voice to the plight of the unborn and call attention to the fact there is still one abortion-performing clinic in the state located in Jackson.

This vigil has been held for the last 27 years starting in the first floor rotunda then spilling out on to the steps bathed in prayerful silence and candlelight.

Pastor Doug Lane of Cruger Independent Methodist Church in Holmes County states, “It looks like the 5th circuit court of Texas will uphold the Texas law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges to local hospitals.

Our law in Mississippi that has been held up is fashioned in the same manner as that of Texas. None of the doctors in the Mississippi’s abortion industry have Mississippi hospital admitting privileges. We are hoping with the upholding of the Texas law Mississippi’s will follow.”

In the meantime Lane states there has been a bigger presence of Christians sidewalk counselors at the abortion clinic than ever hoping to persuade mothers not to abort their babies and church services are held every day this month in front of the clinic. Statistics on the website of Pro-Life Mississippi state that in 2013 2,600 women were offered pro-life help literature at the abortion clinic by Sidewalk Counselors and it was known that 73 babies were saved from abortion.