Students Stand Up for Life at National 44th Annual March for Life

A packed bus departed St. John’s University’s Queens campus around 2 a.m. on Friday, January 27, to join nearly 500,000 people in the 44th Annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Held every year at this time, the march draws attention to the 1973 decision of the Supreme Court to legalize abortion in Roe vs. Wade and rallies for its reversal.

The day began with Mass at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C., where the St. John’s contingent of 45 joined 25,000 young people around the country for a rally and Mass with Cardinal Wuerl. Meg Fraino, Campus Minister for Catholic Formation and Leadership, remarked that the liturgy was the perfect way to begin the day. “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 then headed to the National Mall to hear senators and members of Congress speak out for the unborn and for the protection of life. They had the opportunity to hear from Vice President Mike Pence, who was the first member of a presidential administration to address those who gather annually for this cause. It was a very moving experience. 

The cold couldn’t dampen the spirits of the marchers, of which half were made up of young people. Nick Cerbo ’17C, 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. “Because we are a Catholic and Vincentian school, the identities that our school represents work to preserve and uphold this dignity, and as students we are able to participate in that identity,” he noted. “Experiencing the March for Life truly reflects how the pro-life movement is about changing hearts, saving lives, and healing souls.”

When the speeches concluded, St. John’s students and thousands of fellow defenders of life descended on Capitol Hill. While solemn prayer and groups reciting the rosary echoed through the crowds, the cheering and singing of youth and adults alike resounded throughout Constitution Avenue in fervent support of life at any stage. Ms. Fraino said, “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!”