As the U.S. Supreme Court begins hearing the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Diocese of Allentown is holding a Mass and Adoration.

The Diocese of Allentown also posted a list of other prayer services over the court's deliberations at local parishes.

The case involves a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks except in the cases of medical emergencies and "severe fatal abnormality." Mississippi is seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in 1973. 

Debate over abortion laws usually centers on the "viability point," the point at which a baby born prematurely has a significant chance of survival. Generally, the viability point is considered to be at around 24 weeks.

According to the CDC, black women account for 14% of the childbearing population and 36% of all abortions. Over 19 million black babies have been aborted since abortion was legalized. Black women are five times more likely than white women to get an abortion. Almost 80% of Planned Parenthood's abortion facilities are located in minority communities. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was a eugenicist who saw contraception as a way to control the black population. A 2019 study of pregnant women found that women who had abortions were more than twice as likely to commit suicide than women who gave birth.

Holy Family Parish in Nazareth was to. hole a Rosary for the Protection of Life on Dec. 1, followed by a Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m. A Eucharistic Adoration was also planned. Saint Columbkill Parish in Boyertown celebrated Mass on Nov. 30 and held Adoration through the night, concluding with Mass at 9 a.m. on Dec. 1.