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Terry Mattingly offers authoratative and reliable commentary on spiritual matters in the new Lifestyles section...

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   Clash continues over Catholics and abortion

PLATTSBURGH — One car beeped its horn, then another.

In response, some participants of the 17th-annual Plattsburgh Life Chain nodded their heads, smiled or held their thumbs up, while others remained silent and stoic.

"The most important part is just to be prayerful," Jutta Purtell, 62, of Peru said. "It's from your heart, lifting up all these innocent, little children to God."

About 125 anti-abortion supporters lined Smithfield Boulevard Sunday — some under umbrellas, a few were sitting in chairs and most holding signs displaying slogans like "Abortion hurts women" and "Lord, forgive us and our nation."

The signs were made available by the Champlain Valley Right to Life committee, which hosted the event.

"It's time to start standing up for stuff," Liz Blaise of Saranac said. "I feel like the unborn don't have a voice."

Bart Gaffney, co-director of the committee, said they pray to end abortion.

"I feel sorry for the women that go in there," he said, mentioning the abortion services offered every Thursday at Northern Adirondack Planned Parenthood.

Kathie Wunderlich, CEO of Northern Adirondack Planned Parenthood, explained that the nonprofit organization offers more than abortion services; preventive and primary health care are also available for women.

She said the anti-abortion supporters are preventing people from receiving essential health care. "For many patients, we are their only health-care provider," she said. "It's less expensive to come to us."

Wunderlich also mentioned the recent debate over health-care reform, calling it an attempt to limit abortion rights at the national level.

"More people are beginning to object to abortion," Betty Buffett of Plattsburgh said, holding a sign that read, "Face it "¦ abortion kills a person."

Although the event was centered on abortion, some of the participants felt that they were supporting life in general.

The Rev. John Yonkovig, pastor of St. Peter's Church, said his support was more than just an abortion issue.

"It's a stand for the sacredness of all human life," he said. "This includes capital punishment and starvation."

Beth Newell, a teacher at Seton Catholic, said she didn't know why there weren't any signs advocating support for life in general.

"I think it would be a good idea," she said.

Karen Smith, 36, of Plattsburgh said she is in the early stages of creating a parish Respect Life committee St. Peter's.

"It's all across the board," she said. "Genocides, poverty and stem-cell research."

Smith said her committee supports Champlain Valley Right to Life but will have its own message.

Smith said she looks forward to possibly converting people's hearts.

"They are loved and welcomed at the parish. We help them by showing them where they could go."

Champlain Valley Right to Life's Gabrielle Project aims to help women who are handling unwanted or unplanned pregnancies find physical, spiritual and emotional assistance while keeping unborn babies alive, she said.

"Life is really about love. We need to love to value life more."