March for Life Reports

Have you been following the March for Life in Washington, DC?

Is there a local event in which you are participating?

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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38 Comments

  1. Midwest St. Michael says:

    “Is there a local event in which you are participating? ”

    Well, our family is not attending an “official” event, Father Z. However, my wife and I did take our three youngest children (all boys) 50 miles to pray at the nearest Planned Parenthood mill yesterday. We prayed the Sorrowful mysteries and the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. This was the first time the boys had come to pray at PP. (it was *really* cold and drizzly)

    I hope this will be a regular – maybe monthly? – thing for us.

    MSM

  2. cvbreno says:

    My family and I went to the Walk For Life in San Francisco on Saturday, followed by an Extraordinary Form High Mass for life at the Shrine of St. Francis. It was a delightful day!

  3. downyduck says:

    Going to march in Austin, Texas this Saturday and yesterday we stood and prayed at our small town’s courthouse. We also cut ribbon on a brand new ultrasound machine for our pregnancy center made possible by the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative. :^)

  4. Just left our Mass and 15 min away from the March. I love my traditional Masses but there’s something to be said for a youth Mass when the timing is right. Wow. I’m blown away. Can’t be said and brooding with 1,000 singing young people.

  5. Centristian says:

    I participated in a novena for life at my home parish, which consisted of the rosary followed by Mass each night, and concluded with adoration/benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. I was very glad to have the opportunity to add my voice and prayers on behalf of this intention (and to be able to attend Mass every evening).

  6. LaxMom25 says:

    I delivered my three oldest at 5:30 AM to their buses destined for the Youth Rally and Mass at the Verizon Center in DC, after which they will march with their many comrades. I assisted a Mass for the victims of abortion at my home parish this morning, after which the parish sent 3 busloads to the March. I am remaining in the rear, watching my own children and many little children of friends, while their parents March for Life. All of us can do our part to support this beautiful event, particularly pray and fast, wherever we are.

  7. capchoirgirl says:

    Attended Mass today and prayed the prolife rosary (special rosary meditations provided by my parish). Also am fasting today and will say the Divine Mercy chapelet at 3.

  8. amichel says:

    I helped serve dinner to a few hundred high schoolers who had traveled to the DC area last night for the march today. It’s really great to see so many young people so involved in church and the pro-life cause.

  9. mwa says:

    just returned with my crew of 5 from the 20 decade rosary at the West Palm Beach Courthouse led, as usual, by our ordinary, Gerald Barbarito; God bless him for his faithfulness in this. This year there were some students from one of the diocesan high schools, but it always seems a somewhat pitiful display. Watching the nat’l march on EWTN now, and missing living inside the Beltway and being part of it. May their angels help all those witnessing out there in the cold and rain stay warm and healthy.

  10. Christine says:

    My oldest daughter went with her college group (Ave Maria down in FL) to the March in DC. The rest of us went to an abortion mill on Saturday (rain, with some thunder and lightning) and prayed for babies. We did have a save, which was wonderful!

  11. irishgirl says:

    I’ve never been able to go to the March For Life in DC. When I was working, I had the money but couldn’t get the time off from work to go. And if I have the time, I don’t have the money…like now.
    As far as I know, there is no pro-life event around my area to mark the anniversary.
    I tried watch the coverage on EWTN’s web page, but I got irritated with it. The couple they had on sounded so artificial and contrived.
    I sure hate to sound cynical, but I’m going to:
    I find myself getting irritated with these self-serving politicians who get up on stage with the dome of the US Capitol in the background, and get all fired-up about doing stuff in Congress to overturn Roe v. Wade. Well, where’s the results, Congressmen and Senators? Are you ‘man’ or ‘woman’ enough to stand up to the socialist in the White House and his evil minions and tell it to his, and their faces, that you’re going to defeat his, and their, anti-life agenda? Chances are, you’re not, because all you’re really interested in is getting re-elected!
    Talk is cheap, you guys and girls! Show us the results!
    I am nearly always disappointed when it comes to the political process in this country, anyway.

  12. Liz says:

    Our three oldest (Christendom and SGA) are there and hoping to find each other! Our local march is next weekend.

  13. My wife and our 3 middle kids are in DC and having a great time. (My oldest is in college at TAC and doing stuff out there, and the youngest is with his grandparents waiting for Dad to get out of work to go get him.)

  14. wanda says:

    Watching the coverage of the March on EWTN. Thank God for EWTN. Our 3 linked parishes sent
    a bus to the March. We will participate in our local march in Annapolis which won’t be too far off, now. I’m sure the March in D.C. will get lots of coverage on the msm. (not.) God bless and protect all those participating.

  15. There was a black pastor who spoke last at the rally. He was on fire. At one point, he pointed out who was missing: Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, the NAACP. He listed many more.

    Of course, the secular news stations aren’t even bothering with it, despite numbers probably close to 500,000. But they will cover a few dozen occupiers extensively.

  16. BillyHW says:

    Michael Voris has posted a Catholic broadcast from the March for Life today.

  17. EucharistLove says:

    My fifteen year old daughter is participating in the DC march today. I’m very proud of her.

  18. PostCatholic says:

    Only insofar as it impacts traffic in my city. I do not think this type of protest, from any theological or political viewpoint, achieves the impact it might have 40 years ago. If you want to change policy in Washington, accept that you won’t change the minds of judges or legislators and vote your conscience.

  19. PostCatholic says:

    I should add: I have in years past participated in this march. I walked alongside Fr. Charles Pope (I think a friend of this blog?) and directly behind James Cardinal Hickey. I question its efficacy.

  20. patergary says:

    Our parish is in the suburb of DC (PG county). We just came back from March for Life in DC with my parochial vicar and 36 parishioners (we hired a school bus).

  21. i was very impressed with the EWTN coverage. Was so happy to see that the orthodox and Roman Catholic Bishops presented a united front on this most important moral issue of our times. Ecumenism in the best sense of the word.

  22. ckdexterhaven says:

    The entire student body of St. Thomas More Academy in Raleigh is attending, my son is with them. I wasn’t able to go, but stopped at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel to express my sorrow to Jesus over the millions of abortions in the last 40 years.

  23. Wow. I’m completely blown away and speechless. The young people! The priests! The sisters! The singing and chanting. I walked right on front of the line of Silent no More witnesses. Oh my goodness. Will take some time to let it all settle in.

  24. jmconro says:

    Here in the Diocese of Tulsa, Bishop Slattery celebrated Mass for the Sanctity of Human Life and the led an inter-faith March for Life from Holy Family Cathedral to Centennial Square for a keynote address from Dr. Francis Beckwith.

    The following link is Bp. Slattery’s address to those gathered prior to the march:

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151178150195405&set=vb.71521514966&type=2&theater

  25. Matt R says:

    I served at the diocese’s pro-life Mass at my parish yesterday; it’s always pretty awesome. It was more awesome because I was the thurifer and I was able to produce the most smoke in a long time…thanks to your blogs on incense usage! Thanks Father.
    And I have been in constant contact with a friend who went to DC via text. I really wanted to go…next year I hope to.

  26. Joseph-Mary says:

    Went to the March in Denver. Not a very good turn out. The archdiocese would not support it as there was support for the Personhood Amendment which the archdiocese will not support because “it is not worth putting resources towards” and ” it will get overturned and we will be worse off”. It will be difficult to get this passed without the Church’s support although the ‘neutral’ position means that parishes can sign the petition to get it on the ballot if the pastor is in favor.

  27. LittleGal says:

    We had mass this morning and then headed over to Topeka for a Kansans for Life rally. We were told that this was the largest March for Life rally yet in Topeka. Gov. Sam Brownback addressed us as well as the Lt. Gov. and Sec. of State Kris Kobach. A sizeable number of the pro-life legislators introduced themselves and their districts. Kansas seems to be really developing into a pro-life state!

  28. MissOH says:

    I just got back from the national march a couple of hours ago. I went with my son and one of his friends. Unfortunately we were running late as my son has been fighting a bad cold so I will need to catch the speakers later on ETWN or on line. We were able to march and it is always so inspiring to see so many others united in prayer and hope that we are persisting in our desire to see an end to this injustice.

  29. yatzer says:

    I have never been able to go to DC, but did attend the local diocese event in Indianapolis.

  30. Gwen says:

    Our parish took a bus from Reno–six hours over a snowy Donner Summit in the midst of a winter storm–to San Francisco for the Walk for Life West Coast. Our rector (a Conventual Franciscan) celebrated a beautiful Solemn High Mass (EF) at the National Shrine of St Francis of Assisi. Two FSSP priests from St Stephen the First Martyr parish in Sacramento were Deacon and Subdeacon. The homily (audio and text) is posted at renocatholicnetwork dot com.

    The walk was well attended. It was a new route, right down Market Street. The tall buildings and relatively narrow street created an urban canyon that echoed and magnified the cheers, singing, and chanting of the marchers. I estimated that the marchers were at least 70% older teens and young adults. At the Mass, over 75% young adults.

    I disagree with those who say that this type of protest accomplishes nothing. Walkers, especially the young people, come away transformed. Many return to their parishes to begin committed work in the cause of life. In the long run, you change policy in Washington by changing the minds of voters. Today’s legislators and judges may not change their minds or votes, but tomorrow’s legislators and judges were walking for life this weekend.

  31. Hilleyb says:

    Favorite sighting of the March: “Thank You Holy Father – Anglicanorum Coetibus”

  32. BaedaBenedictus says:

    I was part of a large contingent of Harvard Right to Life and the Harvard Knights of Columbus who bussed overnight to DCfor the March.

    A great day, we began with an early-morning pro-life vigil and Lauds led by the Dominicans at the National Shrine followed by a wonderful Mass celebrated by Archbishop Dolan (Fr. John Trigilio was one of the concelebrants, Fr. Z).

    Then we went to caucus and lobby with the Massachusetts Citizens for Life in the Russell Senate Building, followed by the rally and March.

    It was so inspiring to see hundreds of thousands of young people, including so many young priests and young religious, marching and singing. There is hope for the future for our Church and her witness!

    Now we are in our caravan headed back to Cambridge, Mass.

  33. Charivari Rob says:

    Not exactly an event but a “good news” item on this subject, that happened at a related event.

    Had cause to reflect on some article I had read in the past year about the sad fact that we see less Down Syndrome children these days because of (natal screening leading to selective) abortion.

    The cause for reflection (and the good news element) was the phone call from my mother, who had gone to Sunday Mass at our home parish at one of the times she hardly ever does. She ran into a parish family we’ve known for decades but she hadn’t seen for years. Their youngest son (who has lived his life with Down Syndrome and was not aborted, thankyouverymuch) was there with them. He is now a big, happy, strapping, 30-something, enthusiastic, 4th Degree Knight of Columbus – who got my Mom her lapel flower (and Mom says he was the most reverent person in the whole church).

    Living testimony of the best kind!

  34. For the third year, I attended the “ProLifeCon” a conference of pro-life bloggers and social media activists sponsored by the Family Research Council. I sent out my usual “Twitcast” from that location earlier today. My transcript can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/8xtnedt

  35. catholictigerfan says:

    I went on a pilgramage with my diocease to the march, we brought 11 busses. It was filled with prayer, some educaiton and other things. Even filled with a occupy group yelling at us after PEACEFULLY praying a rosary at Planned Parenthood, and PEACEFULLY walking accross DC to the holocaust museum.

    we went on the march, and our walk was filled with prayer. We prayed a rosary and sang a divine mercy chaplet, during the hour of mercy, aka 3pm. We also did a flash mob in union station, but that doesn’t really have to do with the march.

    one last thing my home town baton rouge had a march for life, Not sure about how many should up.

    Our trip was vocations focused and I think we may have helped some high schoolers realize God may be calling them to serve in in the religoius life or preisthood.

  36. eulogos says:

    HilleyB -I marched behind that banner, with people from the Scranton Anglican Use parish (The St. Thomas More Society.) On Sunday I attended when the members of Mt. Calvary Church, a former Anglo Catholic parish, were received into the Church and confirmed. They hung a banner on the fence around the church, which said “Baltimore’s newest Catholic parish!” The banner says “The Anglicans and Catholics of the future ordinariate join to proclaim the sanctity of human life.” Some of the Anglicans who marched last year marched as Catholics this year. Next year, a new banner will be needed!

    The RTL March is at least an encouragement to the discouraged. And I think we have to go on saying publicly that we object to what is happening. It gives some kind of recognition and honor to all the lost lives. The Orthodox folks who go (I have marched with them on several previous occasions) meet on a corner towards the end of the March and sing a Panchida service for the dead for the departed unborn. It simply can’t be better that we be silent.

    I know it is discouraging. I attended the first March for Life in 1974, and how high our hopes were then. But I intend to keep marching as long as I have the physical ability to do so, or until it is no longer necessary!
    Susan Peterson

  37. flyfree432 says:

    “I should add: I have in years past participated in this march. I walked alongside Fr. Charles Pope (I think a friend of this blog?) and directly behind James Cardinal Hickey. I question its efficacy.”

    I hope you are joking. The number of Masses offered and rosaries prayed for life alone made an immense impact. The fact that one single teen in my group of 47 became pro-life made the trip worth it. The dignity and value of human life cannot be underestimated. The war isn’t won, but the tide is turning. Abortion counts are dropping, pro-life laws are becoming more wide spread, we had 3 abortuaries closed in our city in the last year which is completely unprecedented in our area. And the pro-choicers know they are losing. They are going insane and are trying to force Catholics to be pro-choice.

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