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St. Paul, Minn. (AP)

Archbishop Nienstedt leads anti-abortion vigil

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A somber group of anti-abortion marchers are singing "Amazing Grace" and praying in front of a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul.

Nearby, a group of Planned Parenthood supporters are waving pink signs and shouting to drivers honking horns in support of abortion rights.

The Good Friday prayer service at Highland Park clinic has been a tradition among anti-abortion protesters for years. The vigil will last all day, with a rotating group of priests leading the service.

St. Paul and Minneapolis Catholic Archbishop John Nienstedt led a prayer Friday morning, saying the group is not there to judge women faced with difficult decisions. But he says they do judge doctors, nurses and supporters who give women a quick fix.

As part of its counter protest, Planned Parenthood holds an online fund-raiser. By 8 a.m. Friday, the clinic had raised $19,300.

The Highland Park Planned Parenthood Clinic is scheduled to close permanently later in 2011 when the organization moves to a new headquarters in another part of St. Paul.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)