Bishop Thomas John Paprocki | Diocese of Springfield

On Wednesday, June 19, the 50th Annual Day of Prayer for Life will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 203 E. Main St., in Teutopolis. Effingham Area Right to Life (formerly Effingham County Right to Life) and St. Francis Church invite everyone to pray for renewed respect for all human life and reparation for the nation, according to Angie Esker, chairperson of the Day of Prayer for Life and chair of the St. Francis Social Concerns Committee.

The event will commence with Mass at 8 a.m., followed by Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration. After ten hours of adoration by various groups from multiple parishes, organizations, and Knights of Columbus Councils, Benediction will take place at 7 p.m. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will celebrate the closing Mass at 7:30 p.m., marking the event's anniversary. Refreshments will follow in St. Clare Hall adjacent to the church.

The Day of Prayer was initiated by Loretta Koester, a board member of Effingham County Right to Life, who organized it until her health declined. Koester described the day as “a prayerful day that is dedicated to end abortion and ask God’s forgiveness.”

Koester passed away on February 9, 2017, at age 91. Her husband Jack and other early assistants have also since passed away. "Loretta still played a major role in the 2016 Day of Prayer, although her health was failing," said Esker.

Koester witnessed the permanent closure of Effingham Planned Parenthood in late summer 2016 before her passing. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade through Dobbs v. Jackson decision, restoring states' ability to ban abortions while Illinois continues to allow them.

Esker believes participants remain steadfast in their mission: “I think ‘faithful in prayer for the protection of life’ is what we do,” she said.

Esker expressed gratitude towards Franciscan pastors at St. Francis Church for hosting the event over five decades and acknowledged support from St. Francis Social Concerns Committee.

Liz Kremer, an Effingham Area Right to Life board member who assists with organizing events noted that pro-life advocacy spans generations within her family: “My mom and dad were involved from the get-go... My two sisters, me, their kids, and grandkids—three generations are still in this fight.”

Another board member Judy Repking added: “We are the faithful storming the heavens with our prayers, pleading for an end to abortion and for the protection of life.”