Young Advocates Spend Their Summer Promoting Pro-Life Stance in Novi Area
Novi– Imagine a parish hall buzzing with young minds, compassionate hearts, and active spirits. That’s what has been happening in the Holy Family Parish in Novi from May to August this year.
Hosts to 22 young interns serving with ‘Protect Life Michigan’, a pro-life organization, the parish has served as the base for three dedicated months of community outreach. These interns, composed of high schoolers and college students, have spent their summer interning, passionately advocating for the value and protection of all human life.
For Novi residents, the change in Holy Family Parish was obvious. The usually quiet summer period was punctuated by the passionate work of these young advocates, who, besides their advocacy, brought life and energy to the community.
‘Protect Life Michigan’ is an organization committed to ending abortion by primarily training young adults to stand up for the unborn. The interns drove their message home through pro-life street evangelization, sidewalk counseling, door-to-door canvassing, and one-on-one discussions with the local community members.
The Parish not only served as a base for interns but also as a sanctuary. The young adults and high schoolers were seen praying, reflecting, and seeking peace in the midst of their spiritually challenging work. They were grounded in their faith and drew strength from their belief to face the critical issues they were dealing with.
The interns’ efforts appear not to have been in vain. According to data provided by ‘Protect Life Michigan’, their message has reached over 148,000 people, leading to a reported decrease in the number of pro-choice individuals and a corresponding increase in pro-life individuals in the Novi area.
Their work, which involved debunking myths, having in-depth discussions, and employing what they called “the human rights argument”, went a long way in changing hearts and minds around the contentious issue of abortion. On several occasions, individuals agreed with their position instantly, while others took longer and more in-depth conversations.
Reflecting on their experiences, the interns spoke of witnessing the profound impact of their work, which involved simply listening to and empathizing with people’s experiences with abortion. Furthermore, they noted the importance of small acts, such as dropping pamphlets on doorsteps, in turning the tides on people’s perspectives on abortion.
Their summer-long mission was a constant reminder of what young people, grounded in faith and guided by compassion, are capable of achieving. Their success has set the stage for future internships of this kind, spreading the message and mission of ‘Protect Life Michigan’ on a wider scale.
Even as plans are underway to host future intakes in other parts of town to reach even more people, the interns’ legacy remains alive in the Holy Family Parish and greater Novi community. It’s an inspiring testament to the possibilities of youth action in initiatives that matter.
