A blanket of snow couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands of pro-lifers at the annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 19. Families, students, teachers and clergy from the Arlington diocese joined fellow pro-lifers in advocating for the unborn.
This year was the 51st March for Life, coming nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its decision on the abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization June 24, 2022.
The March has since taken on a new tone, shifting from celebrating the federal victory to a determination to fight for life on the state level.
Pro-lifers gathered on the National Mall before the March, including hundreds from the Arlington diocese.
“I believe that one day we can overcome abortion,” said Thérèse Crane, 13, a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church’s youth group in Lake Ridge. “I march for the babies who cannot.”
Students from Christendom College in Front Royal faced a challenge when their charter buses were canceled due to inclement weather. But the snow did not faze them. Instead, nearly 100 students carpooled or used rideshares to make the trek, according to junior Patrick O’Hotnicky.
“Since classes were canceled, it didn’t seem right to sit around the dorm and do nothing,” said junior Kaylee O’Neill. “It’s an awesome opportunity to get out and act on what we believe in.”
As the March began, the snow increased from a flurry to a heavy shower. The pro-lifers pushed onward.
Rossnat Rodriguez, pro-life director of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church, said that despite recent pro-life victories, “There’s still so much more work to be done. Our communities are still suffering, and abortion is still happening.”
Many young people still believe the pro-abortion slogan of “My body, my choice,” Rodriguez said. Touching their hearts is the key to conversion, she added. “So for us to get out of our comfort zones and be here and show up and unite our voices in favor of life, it is one of the most sacred things that we can do.”
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge met with pro-lifers from the Arlington diocese at the March. He said the March continues the pro-life message but with a different aim.
“Dobbs was a vision, a victory, but not a decisive one. So, the work is not done, the work in some ways is just beginning. The issue is being brought back to the states,” Bishop Burbidge said. “So, we celebrate as we should, but now the work is continuing, and we must continue to bring the truth to our states, especially those states where the issue is being put onto ballots.”
According to the National Right to Life Committee, Inc., state legislatures enacted 60 pieces of pro-life legislation in 2022. The Committee reported that by August 2023, 19 states had enacted protections for unborn children at or before 12 weeks gestation.
Virginia Catholics from the Arlington and Richmond dioceses mingled before the March. George Smith and Elizabeth Stephenson, parishioners of St. Benedict Church in Norfolk, handed out rosaries to parish groups across the Mall.
As members of the Legion of Mary, “Something we do is evangelize out in the general public and give rosaries to people,” Stephenson said.
She said the March for Life was the perfect opportunity to evangelize. “Because who knows? Someone might have forgotten their rosary, or somebody has never been introduced to it and knows how powerful of a weapon it is.”
Prayer and participation in the March is all the more necessary today, Smith added. “It’s still an important issue, and not all of the states have gotten on board yet, so there’s still work to be done, especially in Virginia,” he said.
Grace Cosby, a parishioner of St. Edward the Confessor Church in Richmond, said that the unborn “deserve all the dignity and respect in the world, and they should never be killed (if) they’re unwanted.” While the fight for life continues, “We should never lose hope or faith,” she added.
“This is the most important issue of our time,” said Christendom sophomore Thomas Cahill. “You have to evangelize the world, to show them the dignity of every unborn child. And if we won’t do that, who will?”
This story has been updated.
