March For Life

WASHINGTON  Continuing a tradition that is more than four decades strong, the 44th annual March for Life in the nation’s capital was held Jan. 27 with its one clear and strong message — that the lives of the unborn are sacred and need to be protected in the womb.

The March for Life began 44 years ago following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade to legalize abortion. The March for Life continues to grow yearly as marchers provide a voice for the voiceless in the womb. Under this year’s theme, “The Power of One,” the March for Life drew a crowd estimated to be close to 500,000.

Prominent speakers, who addressed the crowd at the March for Life Rally that had gathered on the grounds of the Washington Monument, included Vice President Mike Pence, the first time a sitting vice president participated in the event.

The vice president told the massive crowd that the pro-life movement is winning, urging them to fight for life with compassion and love.

“We’ve come to a historic moment in the cause of life,” he added, and “we must meet this moment with respect and compassion for every American.”

“Life is winning in America,” he said, “and today is a celebration of that progress, the progress that we’ve made in that cause.”

Other speakers at the rally and March included Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to President Donald Trump; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York; Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson; and former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson.

“This is a time of incredible promise for the pro-life, pro-adoption movement,” Conway said, stressing that the pro-life movement must help women “who face unplanned pregnancies. They should know that they are not alone,” she said, “they too are protected and cared for, and celebrated.”

Throughout the Paterson Diocese, by the busloads, hundreds upon hundreds of faithful attended the March for Life and joined pro-life advocates, who came from all parts of the country to march together down Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill in solidarity to protect life in the womb.

Stephanie Zonenberg, a parishioner of St. Therese Church in Paterson, has attended the March for more than 40 years, just missing one March for the birth of one of her children. The mother of four adult children, who also has three grandchildren, said, “I’m here as a mother and I know from experience losing an unborn baby through miscarriage. There’s no question, it’s a baby and I’m here in honor of all the unborn.”

There was a huge presence of young people at the March representing high schools and colleges around the country. Many young people held signs saying, “I am the pro-life generation” and “#teamlife.” One member of the pro-life generation at the March was Joby Vargas, a high school sophomore and parishioner of St. Anthony’s in Passaic. “I like seeing so many people out here supporting life,” he said. “For a day, people aren’t thinking about their troubles and putting aside responsibilities because they feel this is an important cause.”

Also attending the March, were many Knights of Columbus from across the Diocese, who are strong supporters of the pro-life cause, and also help to sponsor some of the buses that brought the marchers to Washington. Bruce DeMolli, state deputy and a parishioner of Our Lady of the Holy Angels in Little Falls, was once again marching for the unborn. “Every year we see more and more people supporting the March,” he said. “So much is focused on pro-choice vs. pro-life. Of course, we would never demean a women’s choice. People need to remember there is another choice and that is adoption.”

In Washington, right before the massive March, some diocesan marchers attended Mass at St. Peter Church on Capitol Hill celebrated by Father Michael Rodak, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in the Hewitt section of West Milford. He also serves as diocesan pilgrimage director. Leading a group from Queen of Peace and neighboring communities, Father Rodak said in his homily during the Mass, “As people of God, we come together to speak for life. When we speak up, we are speaking and giving a voice to each one of those children. We give a voice as one.”

Noting the Women’s March, which was held Jan. 21 with its many pro-abortion messages, Father Rodak said, “If we really love the gift of womanhood, we need to support mothers.”

With positivity and peacefulness a hallmark displayed at the March every year, Erick Borrero, a diocesan seminarian who attending his first March for Life, said, “It’s great to see so many people here. It’s something very positive for the pro-life movement and it’s especially positive for the Catholic Church.”

Pope Francis also offered his greetings to participants at the March for Life, assuring them of his prayers and imparting his Apostolic Blessing upon all present.

In a papal telegram from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father thanked the marchers for their witness to life.

“Pope Francis sends warm greetings and the assurance of his closeness in prayer to the many thousands of young people from throughout America gathered in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington for the annual March for Life,” the message said. “His Holiness is profoundly grateful for this impressive testimony to the sacredness of every human life.”

The text of the telegram was included in a letter from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, sent to Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia.

The message quoted a passage from Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia: “So great is the value of a human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb, that no alleged right…can justify a decision to terminate that life.”