Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, chairman of the USCCB committee on pro-life activities, celebrated the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington Jan. 19.
The standing-room-only Mass included families, college students and young people gathered from across the country. It began the vigil that ran through Jan. 20 in the leadup to the March for Life. This year marks the first march since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, sending abortion legislation back to the states.
“Dear friends, today we have so much to celebrate,” said Bishop Burbidge, referring to the overturning of Roe. “This is a moment for joy, and for gratitude; a moment to recall the countless souls who have dedicated themselves to political and social action, to prayer, and to service in the name of this cause.
“But even as we celebrate, we must remember: This is the beginning, not the end. A new important phase of work in the pro-life movement begins now. As we plan for the future, our efforts to defend life must be as tireless as ever. Our strength is our vigilance. At the national level, we must continue our efforts to put an end to policies such as those that target vulnerable global populations with abortion funding or that facilitate alternative means of abortion at home. At the same time, we must turn a greater share of our attention to our local communities, from where we may cultivate opportunities in our states to limit the scope of legalized abortion, to curb its funding, or ideally, ban it all together,” he said. “But the most important work that lies ahead is the work not only of changing laws but of changing hearts, with steadfast faith in the grace and power of God to do so. Our work begins with our knowledge of the truth and our courage to speak it.”
He ended by recalling the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who “was dedicated to espousing the light and truth of the Gospel in love. A cynic might retort, what good did it do? The empty spaces of evil persisted in the world to the moment of his death. Where is the victory? But that is not how Pope Benedict saw it. In his last moments, he spoke not of the bleak things he had witnessed. Nor of the persistence of evil. Nor of regret or sadness or despair. With his final breath, his last bit of strength, he spoke the words “Ich liebe dich.” I love you, Jesus.” In the empty space of suffering, he saw Jesus, and loved him. Friends, may we ask Our Lord to give us hearts like that — hearts overflowing with love for him and one another. Nothing less will heal our suffering world.”
The annual event began with a greeting from Pope Francis, read by Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre. The Holy Father wrote of his deep gratitude for “the faithful witness shown publicly over the years by all who promote and defend the right to life of the most innocent and vulnerable members of our human family.”
Archbishop Pierre noted the many young people gathered at the basilica and read that the Holy Father trusts “that almighty God will strengthen the commitment of all, especially the young, to persevere in their efforts aimed at protecting human life in all its stages, especially through adequate legal measures enacted at every level of society.”
Following the Mass, Heather Kramer, who traveled to the vigil and the march from Wisconsin, told Catholic News Agency that she felt it was important to attend “to be a testament to our faith and a peaceful support to the unborn.” She saw Roe being overturned as “just one battle that we’ve overcome now,” but “the battles are really back to our states and we have to still have a united front and show people that we’re still here and still caring for the unborn.”
Sarah Achenbach, who also traveled to the vigil with the Pro-Life Wisconsin group, said that the march is “an amazing example to show that everyone can come together and make a difference in the pro-life movement.” She said Roe being overturned was “a big step in history” and she hopes to see continued change in a pro-life direction.
The Prayer Vigil for Life concluded at 8 a.m. Jan. 20, the morning of the March for Life, with a closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Coffey, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
Catholic News Agency contributed to this story.
This story was updated.
