The March Continues

By Michael F. Flach
HERALD Editor
(From the issue of 1/17/02)

For those who attend the annual March for Life in Washington on Jan. 22, one of the more amazing sights is the overwhelming number of young people marching down Constitution Avenue. Those numbers, although not documented, seem to have swelled in recent years. It should give us hope in that the future that the pro-life cause will not fade away.

"One of the more striking aspects of this celebration is that it draws thousands of high school and college youths by the busload from throughout the country," said Gail Quinn, executive director of the Bishops’ Pro-Life Secretariat. "Their young witness, along with thousands of others who participate in the vigil, show the strength, commitment and vibrancy of today’s pro-life movement."

The Sept. 11 tragedy may put a damper on this year’s March for Life proceedings, however, as some schools, including those in the Arlington Diocese, are taking a cautious approach regarding school-sponsored trips into the District. Young people are encouraged to attend the March with either their parents or their parish.

Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria will host a Pro-Life High School Youth Rally on Jan. 20 from 7-9:30 p.m. sponsored by the Office of Youth Ministry. Dr. John Bruchalski of the Tepeyac Family Center in Fairfax will be the featured speaker.

Both the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Catholic University will open their doors to out-of-town travelers who will arrive in Washington to pray and give public witness for the pro-life cause. There will be 400 people staying at the Shrine, while 1,500 youth will stay at the university’s athletic center.

The Shrine will host the annual "National Prayer Vigil for Life" on Jan. 21, the night before the March for Life. The vigil is the largest annual Catholic liturgical celebration in the United States. It attracts between 8,000 and 12,000 people from across the country.

The vigil marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide. Mother Angelica’s Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) will once again broadcast the liturgy live. EWTN reaches 70 million cable homes and millions more on short-wave radio.

Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua of Philadelphia, chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, will be the celebrant and homilist. Fifty bishops, including Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde, and 250 priests are expected to concelebrate.

The vigil is co-sponsored by the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, the National Shrine and Catholic U. It is one of several spiritual activities at the Shrine marking this year’s 29^th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Other events include all-night prayer vigil, overnight confession and a solemn Mass celebrated on the morning of Jan. 22. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington will be the celebrant.

In the Arlington Diocese, Bishop Loverde will celebrate a Mass for Life at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Msgr. R. Roy Cosby, diocesan vicar general, will celebrate Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church. Both Masses begin at 10 a.m. and are sponsored by the Office for Family Life.

In addition, the Office for Family Life will host Life Principles evening on Sunday, Jan. 20, from 7-9 p.m., at St. Agnes Parish Center in Arlington. Father Robert Spitzer, president of Gonzaga University, will offer a presentation on life issues facing our culture today entitled "Holding High the Light of Freedom." — M.F.F.

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