Seventeen parishes in the archdiocese will participate in the National Night of Prayer for Life, a time for eucharistic adoration and prayer for the unborn, an end to abortion and protection of the sanctity of human life. Local parishes will join others across the country to ask for the intercession of the Blessed Mother to establish a culture of life.

The evening prayer spans the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, Dec. 8, and the anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s first apparition to St. Juan Diego on Sunday, Dec. 9.

Parishes that will have eucharistic adoration beginning Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. and ending Dec. 9 at 1 a.m.

ST. JOSEPH, 106 N. Meramec Ave. in Clayton.

Parishes that will have eucharistic adoration on Dec. 8 from 8 p.m.-midnight in union with the National Night of Prayer for Life intentions

HOLY INFANT, 627 Dennison Drive in Ballwin (eucharistic adoration chapel); Each hour will include two Rosaries with pro-life meditations, chaplet of Divine Mercy and litanies.

ST. PAUL, 2267 St. Paul Road in St. Paul (eucharistic adoration chapel).

Parishes that will have a eucharistic Holy Hour on Dec. 8 from 11 p.m.-midnight, the “Hour of Unity,” with the National Night of Prayer for Life

ANNUNZIATA, 925 Cella Road in Ladue (eucharistic adoration chapel).

ASSUMPTION, 725 Mattis Road in Mattese.

ST. ANN, 7851 Hwy. YY in Clover Bottom (Washington); Prayer hour from 11 p.m.-midnight Dec. 8.

ST. CLEMENT OF ROME, 1510 Bopp Road in Des Peres (eucharistic adoration chapel).

Parishes that will have eucharistic adoration at specified times on Dec. 8 or as designated in union with the National Night of Prayer for Life intentions

OUR LADY OF LOURDES, 1014 Madison Avenue in Washington; (eucharistic adoration chapel); 8:30 p.m. eucharistic adoration Holy Hour Dec. 8.

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, 2 Seton Court in St. Charles; Mass Dec. 8 at 5 p.m., followed by Rosary and chaplet of Divine Mercy. Attendance and prayers encouraged in the eucharistic adoration chapel through the night.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, 4556 Telegraph Road in Oakville; Mass Dec. 7, followed by eucharistic adoration and ending with benediction at midnight.

ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL, 6303 Nottingham Ave. in south St. Louis; Mass Dec. 8 at 5 p.m., followed by prayers for life, litany of the Blessed Virgin and concluding with Rosary at 6:30 p.m.

STS. JOACHIM & ANN, 4112 McClay Road in St. Charles; Mass Dec. 8 at 5 p.m., followed by eucharistic adoration through the night and ending Dec. 9 at 7 a.m.

ST. JOHN PAUL II, 4980 Heege Road in south St. Louis County; Dec. 8 beginning at 9 p.m. with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Each hour will begin with Rosary, chaplet of Divine Mercy, prayer to St. Michael the Archangel and silent adoration. Night of Prayer will end with benediction at midnight. Confessions will be heard after 10:45 p.m.

ST. JOSEPH, 1355 Motherhead Road in Cottleville; eucharistic adoration Dec. 7 from 8-11 p.m. in the adoration chapel.

ST. JOSEPH, 6020 Old Antonia Road in Imperial (eucharistic adoration chapel); Dec. 8 exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 9 p.m., followed by a Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet and prayers each hour, closing with benediction at 12:01 a.m.

ST. MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE, 4900 Ringer Road in Oakville; Mass Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., followed by eucharistic adoration in Church, 8 p.m. Rosary, 9 p.m. chaplet of the Divine Mercy and ending with benediction at 11:45 p.m.

ST. PETER, First Capitol Drive at S. Third St. in St. Charles; Dec. 8 adoration in eucharistic adoration chapel from 1-5 p.m.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception falls on Saturday

The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) will be observed this year on a Saturday. It is a holy day of obligation, meaning Catholics are obliged to attend Mass twice; once for the solemnity and once for the Sunday. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat on Divine Worship has stated that, in such cases, most canon lawyers maintain that each day of obligation must be fulfilled with a separate Mass.

The feast of the Immaculate Conception references Mary’s conception in her mother’s womb without the stain of original sin. An essential part of God’s plan for the mother of Jesus was that she be conceived free from original sin. “Through the centuries the Church became ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of conception” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #491). The idea was that no sin would touch her, so that she would be a fitting and worthy vessel of the Son of God.

In 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed this dogma infallibly, declaring that the doctrine was divinely revealed and must be accepted with faith by the entire Church.