January 31, 2018
At around 5 a.m. on Friday, January 19, a packed bus departed St. John’s University’s Queens campus bound for Washington, DC, to join nearly 500,000 people in the 45th Annual March for Life. Held every year at this time, the march draws attention to the 1973 decision of the Supreme Court to legalize abortion in the Roe v. Wade case and rallies to overturn it.
The day began with Mass in St. Thomas More Church with Rev. John J. Holliday, C.M., University Chaplain. Meg Rodriguez, Residence Minister for Catholic Formation and Leadership, enjoyed the liturgy. “Before a day of activism, we must be able to center ourselves with prayer,” she said. “With the present day pro-life issues, being a person of prayer is the best way to witness to others. Coming together as a community to pray is something our students value as well.”
The group of 40 headed to the National Mall to hear senators and members of Congress speak out for the unborn and for the protection of life. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence via video satellite from the White House Rose Garden. “It was an honor to hear them address those who gather annually for this cause,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “It was a very moving experience. The weather was beautiful, which made the day even more joyful for the marchers.”
Aria Laucella, an English major in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and current president of Students for Life, was thrilled at the opportunity to have one of the largest delegations in St. John’s history come together to connect and share their beliefs both as a community and on the national stage. “I have been going to the March for Life every year now since I was a freshman in high school, and now attending once more as a senior at St. John’s, I see how much the movement has grown over the years,” she said. “It is amazing to see how life is truly winning in America and how many young people uphold and believe in its sanctity. The march continues to give me hope for a future where all life will be respected, treasured, and protected for generations to come.”
When the speeches concluded, the St. John’s students and fellow defenders of life descended on Capitol Hill. While solemn prayer and groups reciting the rosary echoed through the crowd, the cheering and singing of youth and adults alike resounded throughout Constitution Avenue in fervent support of life at any stage.
The group finished the march by praying the rosary for the unborn in front of the Supreme Court. “The best way to combat a culture of death is to teach young people about the dignity and sanctity of human life through extraordinary experiences like today,” Ms. Rodriguez said.