The frigid temperatures didn't phase pilgrims, young or old, to the January 25th March for Life in Washington, D.C. This, the 40th year since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion on demand in America.
The March for Life theme: 40=55M – forty years equals 55 million unborn deaths – a tragic statistic that doesn't offend a good portion of our citizenry, so embeded in our culture is abortion's violence against children. Every life is of infinite worth. While everyone jumps on national gun control as a solution to the terribly tragic 26 deaths in Connecticut, our increasingly violence-saturated society gives us 55 million dead children in the womb since Roe. Our acceptance of immoral "choices"; voters content to view foundational and Constitutional issues facing our country in increasingly superficial ways; and a majority of the media so lacking in curiosity or concern about abortion's ugly realities that America's cherished "Fourth Estate" seems little more than a quaint memory and American ideal fading fast.
Here are the stalwart travelers from our Hudson Valley Coalition for Life and Holy Name of Mary bus that included attendees from St. Teresa of Avila in Sleepy Hollow, Ossining, and Scarborough. The weather kept about twelve home who had booked passage, and we hope to see them next year!
Brigid Faranda, seen here with Fr. Fidelis of the CFR's will be your guide through D.C. and these pics:
Heading the March for Life since founder Nellie Gray's passing last year is Jeanne Monahan, shown here along with the next two pictures, up on the Diamondvision screen at the podium:
Sen. Rick Santorum spoke at the Rally. Here with his family, he spoke of daughter Bella who, though born with birth deflects, enriches their lives:
France and Italy's among the many banners on display:
Sacred Heart Academy, part of the large Chicago contingent and one of the most imaginative and colorful witnesses:
1:30 p.m. – The March begins!
This 40th year had the Genocide Awareness Project, as in years past, as well as the new Created Equal project.
Created Equal's graphic truths:
That's Brigid in foreground as Capitol police cycle ahead of the March:
A Supreme Court view of peaceful protestors. Remember the unnecessary "riot gear" years?!
Digna Coronel (with Brigid below), busy taking great pictures of her own, met a woman participating from Indiana who knew Brigid, going back to their prolife activism in Dobbs Ferry – what are the odds!
Women and men of Silent No More were very strong in numbers. God bless them! Theresa Bonopartis of Lumina reminds us that for them and for us abortion is more than politics; it's about healing and reconciling with their God and their unborn children:
Father Frank Pavone (left) introduces the courageous Silent No More witnesses at the Court steps:
The Sisters of Life wouldn't be anywhere else!
Some got their Irish up:
Snow began falling about 3 p.m. at the Courthouse:
Some members of the group lobbied, while others warmed up in the Hart Building:
The contingent from Yale, and from Harvard …
We thank God for so many prayers for a safe journey to and from the March!
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