St. Kateri presentation focuses on the various stages of fetal development

For Catholics, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, is a somber day in history. But this year, it’s being turned into a celebration of life.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Schenectady is hosting a special presentation: “The Miracle of Life Before Birth,” on  Jan. 21 at 7 p.m., the day before the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The presentation will follow a Mass of Life at 6 p.m., and will be livestreamed to St. Kateri’s Facebook page.

The presentation will be led by Meghan Luft, a parishioner and physician assistant in family medicine. Luft will guide viewers through the various stages of fetal development, starting from the first initial weeks up until delivery, with a focus on the early development stages and when women tend to have ultrasounds.

“The science is broken down in a way that’s easily understandable,” she said.

Luft thought that explaining the science behind the development of life could offer a different approach to the pro-life agenda.

“When people think of pro-life they think of it more as a religious issue and people argue it from a religious point, but you can discuss it from the scientific point as well,” Luft said.

Raised in the Albany Diocese, Luft grew up attending Niskayuna High School and worshiping at St. John the Evangelist parish. Luft knew she wanted to go into medicine from a young age; it was a profession for helping people, which is exactly what she wanted to do.

Luft was always aware of the Church’s stance on abortion, being from a Catholic household and attending DeSales University, a Catholic college. But it wasn’t until physician assistant school, when she did an elective rotation in internal fetal medicine, that her own pro-life conviction started to grow.
During her rotation, Luft conducted ultrasounds, worked on the labor and delivery of babies, and had some practice with OBGYNs. “That was when I became more pro-life, because I was seeing it all the time,” she said.

The feelings stayed with her, and around a year ago, Luft joined St. Kateri’s pro-life ministry. Over the summer she proposed the idea to do a presentation on the stages of fetal development from her medical experience.

“I wanted to do something that stands up for what I believe in,” she said. “I’m trying to get more involved.”

To watch “The Miracle of Life Before Birth” from home, visit St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s Facebook page for the livestream. If you wish to attend in person, register ahead of time through the parish website: stkateriparish.org, or by calling the parish office at 518-346-6137.