By Angela E. Pometto
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 1/27/05)

"What do we want? Life! When do we want it? Now!" was one of the newer chants at the 2005 March for Life held Jan. 24 in Washington D.C. The Arlington Diocese showed its support of the pro-life movement as groups from local parishes joined thousands of marchers from around the country. Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde took part in the activities including the Vigil for Life held Sunday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Monday’s Rally for Life at the MCI Center and the March, all in Washington.

The March is usually held on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision on Jan. 22. It was pushed to a weekday this year to allow Marchers to lobby their legislators. Despite the date change and the snow storm that hit Washington, as well as the New England and Midwest areas, there was a crowd of 100,000, according to March organizer Nellie Gray.

President Bush addressed participants via telephone from Camp David before the March began and said that the federal government is "working to promote a culture of life, to promote compassion for women and their unborn babies."

Women who have had abortions held signs reading "I regret my abortion" during the March. Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" from the case, spoke about her petition to the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.

"This is the day I have been waiting for. … We’re looking forward to having the operations of death overturned."

All Saints Parish in Manassas brought more than 200 marchers as a "witness to the whole nation," said Father Bob Cilinski, pastor.

"The sanctity of life is where we put all our efforts," he said. "It’s one of the causes we champion strongly at our parish."

The All Saints parishioners began the morning with Mass, combining prayer and action.

Christendom College in Front Royal brought all 350 students and nearly 50 faculty members and families, according to Father Anthony Mastroeni, adjunct professor of theology.

"The school is committed to the dignity of the human person beginning at the moment of existence," he said. A large group of students protests and does sidewalk counseling in front of an abortion clinic in Washington every weekend.

"It gives the students an opportunity to stand in solidarity with other young people from around the country united in the same cause," he said. "This is becoming more and more a youth movement."

St. Mary Parish in Alexandria brought nearly 50 parishioners, most of them young people, according to Father Dennis Kleinmann, pastor.

"If we’re to change things we need to get their interest," he said.

James Bavo and his wife, Alelú, parishioners at St. Michael Parish in Annandale, think of the March as an extension of their daily work with the pro-life movement.

"It’s an opportunity to show my beliefs," he said, adding that on a whole, the pro-life movement is gaining ground.

"Our country is gradually coming out from its moral anesthesia," said James.

"We need to give those who have no voice, a voice," said John Conthlin from St. Lawrence Parish in Alexandria, that brought 37 people to the March.

"I think we could always do more," said Father Kevin Walsh, pastor of St. Philip Church in Falls Church, one of 36 people from the parish. Father Walsh, a native of Michigan, said he is always inspired by people who come from great distances to support the March.

"The end of abortion on demand has started," said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. He encouraged participants to continue fighting abortion "with your prayers … and your voice and your vote."

Rep. Christ Smith, R-N.J., said he and Brownback would introduce in their respective chambers the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act to require in part that women seeking abortions at 20 weeks’ gestation or longer be informed that the child in their womb can "feel excruciating pain, two to four times more pain than you or I would feel from the same type of assault."

Smith added, "We are a movement with deep hope and expectation, that with God’s powerful grace, the culture of death will be vanquished by the culture of life. We pray for the day when branding an unborn child as ‘unwanted’ will no longer mean a death sentence in America."