Hey hey, ho ho, Roe v. Wade has got to go!” could be heard from inside nearby business and government building as a crowd of over 200,000 people marched past and took over Washington, DC on Tuesday, January 22, 2008. The 35th annual March for Life was in progress, and onlookers were certainly impressed. January 22nd marked the 35th anniversary of the controversial Supreme Court decision of Roe verses Wade, which declared abortion legal in all states. Ever since the decision, protesters have marched yearly on the capital to show their disapproval.
This year, I was fortunate to join the masses, protest against abortion, and skip school. This was my third year going, and it has been very satisfying to join so many faithful Catholics and non-Catholics alike to stand up for those Americans who are unborn.
I went with St. Helen's Life Teen group, which joined a caravan of a few local parishes' youth groups. We left early Monday morning, arriving in DC in the late afternoon, and celebrated mass in The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Later that night, we went to Palotti's High School in Maryland for a “Lock-In.” The school sponsored a sleepover for teens traveling long distances and provided a comfortable gym floor for us to lay our heads to sleep.
The next day, Tuesday, we awoke and headed for the capital. With the wonderful sleep granted upon us, we all sported the classic Marty Fuhry in-class pose, not waking until we arrived at the Verizon Center. This was an awakening moment, both physically and spiritually for the crew as we walked into a crowd of 20,000 teens singing praise and worship music. Sean Cahill, Marty Fuhry, and I quickly saw the need for ushers in this zoo of Catholics and went down to the floor level to sign up and get free T-shirts.
The Rally for Life Youth Mass at the Verizon Center was phenomenal. The intercession of the hundreds of clergy, including deacons, priests, bishops, and cardinals took at least fifteen minutes. The mass was also graced with the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio to the US bearing a message from the pope.
After the mass, the marchers met on the National Mall, gathering to listen for instructions. At this time, important activists and politicians made speeches, notably Ron Paul and President Bush. (Speaking from Camp David) Finally, we started our three hour march towards the Supreme Court Building, proudly displaying our pro-life banners and chanting.
When all was finished, the activists started their long migration home, knowing that they may not have passed any laws, but knowing that our nation's capital was influenced by their outstanding presence.
