Heads bowed, eyes closed, the members of Shippensburg University’s Catholic Campus Ministries (CCM) begin a chain of prayer that flows from one person to the next.

This circle of fellowship is not unusual for those who frequent the Cora I. Grove Spiritual Center — they pray for family, friends and on this particular night — the unborn.

Each semester, CCM organizes a “Celebrate Life” week on campus, which promotes birth over abortion and honors life in general.

Students gathered at the Spiritual Center on Tuesday to light candles in memory of aborted babies. During the afternoon on Tuesday, CCM held a “Rosary and Refreshments” session to pray for pro-life.

In 2012, a little less than 700,000 legal abortions were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although abortion has been legal in the U.S. since 1973.

During CCM’s evening memorial service, a woman spoke about an abortion she had when she was a young teenager — the result of rape by a trusted friend. As the years went by, she married and decided to have children, but her regret and guilt over the abortion grew.

“How can one grieve a child they never wanted?” she said.

The story of loss transformed into one of recovery and freedom. Pregnancy Ministries, Inc. (PMI) helped her overcome the guilt through support and Bible study, in a program called Pure Grace 101.

“I help them understand that there is hope and there is help,” said Ruth Schuler, program director of Pure Grace 101. Schuler has worked with PMI for 10 years, both as a volunteer and now as a staff member.

“This is really our only chance to hear from people who’ve gone through it,” junior Paige Deon said of the memorial service. Deon is a member of CCM and the Newman Association leadership team that organizes CCM events.

While some people see the pro-life and pro-choice debate as a political issue, for members of CCM, it runs deeper than politics — choosing life is an integral part of their Christian beliefs.

“Once you start taking God out…you lose respect for human life,” campus minister Father Dwight Schlaline said Tuesday.

The celebration of life continued Wednesday at CCM’s weekly family-style dinner. After prayer, students scooped mac n’ cheese and piled hamburgers onto their plastic plates, while chatter flowed easily between familiar friends.

Senior Katie Dabney served as guest speaker, asking others, why are you pro-life?

“Having a heartbeat is not the only thing that makes you human,” one student said. Catholics believe life starts at conception and ends at natural death.

“Being pro-life is more than being against abortion,” Dabney said. She went on to talk about people with disabilities, the homeless, suicide and honoring the lives of every human.

Robin Kell, PMI center director for Shippensburg, explained to students what resources are available to pregnant women. Their mission is to present all the options so women can make informed decisions.

“Even if someone chooses to abort, we’re there to offer healing grace,” Kell said.

In addition to Shippensburg, PMI has centers in Greencastle, Waynesboro and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Kell can often be seen in the Ceddia Union Building offering information about PMI to students.

On Thursday, Kell joined CCM again to help hand out “cupcakes for life” in the CUB. Reisner Dining Hall donated 100 vanilla and chocolate cupcakes to CCM to pass out to students.

The cupcakes were in honor of the unborn that never got to have a birthday. Inside some of the cupcakes sat smiley face lollipops that read, “I’m glad you were born.”

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