Activists will observe the 35th anniversary of the legalization of abortion with a Mass followed by the Together For Life memorial service on the steps of the Georgia Statehouse. Immediately following the service, all are invited to join a police-escorted silent memorial walk through the streets of downtown Atlanta.

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, Gary Bauer, president of the nonprofit organization American Values, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican presidential candidate, are the scheduled speakers at the Together for Life rally.

“This is a way to give us pause to remember this touches real lives,” said Mary Boyert, pro-life director of the Atlanta Archdiocese.

The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta, is to host a rosary prayer service and the annual Mass for the Unborn as part of the observance. The prayer begins at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22, with Mass at 10 a.m. Archbishop Gregory is scheduled to be the main celebrant at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by priests of the archdiocese.

Part of the Mass is being called a procession of remembrance, as one person born in each year since the legalization of abortion will walk to the altar. The procession will conclude with a pregnant woman.

Boxed lunches are available after Mass. To pre-order boxed lunches, contact the Pro-Life Office at (404) 888-7821.

The memorial service, sponsored by Georgia Right to Life, begins at noon and ends at 1 p.m. at the statehouse with participants then walking silently for one mile to commemorate the sanctity of life.

In a related event, experts will talk at the Cathedral of Christ the King as part of a speaker series.

On Friday, Jan. 18, Professor Janet Smith, of the Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, is presenting a talk titled, “The Sexual Mess That We Are In and How We Got Here.”

A week later, Edward Mulholland, of Pinecrest Academy, and Sarah Cannon, a registered dietitian, will lead a presentation titled, “Oh Brother, Oh Sister, Where Art Thou? Daring for Dignity at the End of Life.”

Both talks begin at 7 p.m. with Mass before the presentations at 6:15 p.m.