After a three-year absence, Life is VERY Good made an enthusiastic return to EagleBank Arena at George Mason University Jan. 18-19 in preparation for the March for Life. More than 1,800 tickets were sold in advance for the Evening of Prayer and 2,500 tickets for the Morning Mass and Rally, indicating no loss of passion for the two-day event that was canceled 2020-23 due to COVID-19 and concerns that the overturning of Roe v. Wade would decrease turnout.
The original purpose of the Evening of Prayer was to accommodate thousands of out-of-state guests. “We decided to organize a large Evening of Prayer as a service to all the groups arriving from out of town,” said Kevin Bohli, executive director of the diocesan Office of Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries. “After a few years we added the morning Mass and rally too. Both events have always been designed to help groups provide the best experience possible for young people.”
Keynote speaker Katie Prejean McGrady called the March for Life “the greatest human rights protest in the world.” She urged the marchers to remain steadfast to the pro-life cause, while popular author and Catholic apologist Chris Stefanik exhorted marchers at the Friday morning rally to never shy away from sharing their faith. “Can we please stop underestimating our power as average, ordinary, every-day Christians?” he asked. “People will not always like you for your faith. Jesus didn’t show up and say, ‘Hey, everyone’s going to like me.’ He gave them an assurance much better than everyone would like them. He breathed on them, and they went out into the world with so much joy.”
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated Mass with strong participation this year from local schools and groups. In his homily, he instructed the youth to remember that “We are with every woman, and for every child.” Bishop Burbidge said, “Sometimes you may feel like you’re on an island, that you’re all alone. But you’re not. Look around today. Look around and see your peers from all parts of our country, who stand up for life. My prayer is that the zeal, the energy, the joy that is all around you today are the gifts that you will bring home with you.”
Record-low temperatures and snowy conditions throughout much of the country did nothing to dampen the energy of those arriving in Northern Virginia after spending hours on buses and vans. Justin McGiff traveled from West Islip, N.Y., with classmates from St. John the Baptist School. “I’m adopted and my mom was a teen when she gave birth to me. Abortion is serious because I could’ve been aborted. That’s why I stand up for life. I feel like a lot of kids don’t realize that we are killing kids. They don’t understand you’re destroying a life.”
Catholic singer-songwriter John Paul Von Arx warmed up the crowd with a rousing mix of praise and country music. Von Arx conveyed a moving pro-life message with his new song, “He is Different,” about his younger brother with Down Syndrome.
As chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge released a statement on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, noting the urgent need to continue the fight to protect the unborn. “Even with the fall of Roe, human life remains gravely threatened by legalized abortion in most states and it continues to be aggressively promoted at the federal level. The U.S. bishops reaffirmed in November: ‘Abortion remains our pre-eminent priority as it directly attacks our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, destroying more than a million lives each year in our country alone.’ ”
Any doubt about the need to continue marching for life has been dispelled as ballot initiatives have enshrined the right to abortion into seven different state constitutions since the Dobbs Supreme Court decision removed federal protection for abortion. But the strong turnout for Life is VERY Good offers hope that young Catholics are energized for the fight. “Just because Roe v. Wade was overturned, it doesn’t mean the fight is over,” said Lucy Wills of Columbus, Ohio. “This is my third time at the march and I keep coming back because it’s important to always stand up for what you believe in.”
Hale can be reached at [email protected]
This story has been updated.
