As members of the Saint Viator Respect Life club, we got to experience one of the most important days for the Pro-life movement, the March for Life. All ten members, accompanied by three teachers, headed to Washington D.C. for the 49th annual March for Life rally. There was much anticipation and excitement as COVID had prevented us from attending the year prior. 

The trip started off with a Pro-Life Mass the night before the March at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This is where thousands of priests and pilgrims joined together to celebrate life, but more importantly, the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. The court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade was a great step forward for saving human life. At the mass, it was acknowledged that as a people of Christ, we have worked hard to protect the dignity of life and that we are only moving forward. 

While at mass, we had the opportunity to meet a young college student who had traveled five hours from South Carolina to celebrate life at the march. He told us about his beliefs, and it was interesting to hear about his life, especially since he was considering going to seminary to become a priest. We also had the opportunity to meet kids from other schools, all of whom would be attending the March for Life the next day. “Knowing that our beliefs are shared with teenagers around the nation was empowering,” said senior Hugo Freund, “and it was nice to know that together we could make a difference.”

The next day, prior to the March, we went to an expo that displayed many different organizations dedicated to the Pro-life movement. It was an opportunity for us students to learn more about how we can become more involved in life-related issues and how we can be the change. After the expo, we headed to the March itself.

Before we started to walk to Capitol Hill, there were a variety of speakers, some of whom include former football safety and coach Tony Dungy and Jonathan Roumie, best known for his award-winning role as ‘Jesus’ in the groundbreaking series, The Chosen. Hugo Freund commented on these speakers, saying, “The way they spoke about their beliefs was amazing, especially since they were shared between everyone there.”

As we marched, there were tens of thousands of people joining us. Theology teacher Mr. Zach Wulbert says, “it was amazing to see how many people were with us heading up Capitol Hill. It really gave a sense of power to it, the fact that there were so many people with common ground coming together.”

While in Washington D.C., we also visited the capitol, the White House, many notable monuments, and two Smithsonian Museums. “All of the museums, even if it wasn’t explicit, had some sort of connection to a life-related theme,” says Mr. Wulbert.

He specifically commented on the Holocaust Museum, saying, “to go from the experience of the March straight to the Holocaust Museum, it really tied everything together and gave reality to everything we are fighting for.”

To get more involved in the Respect Life club, students can start attending meetings, whether it be this year or next. It is nice to engage in conversation with people of your own age about these types of topics. As for the March for Life, signups will be available at the beginning of next year, for anyone who is interested.