March for Life 2011



The thermometer said 14 degrees when we got into the van Monday morning. This March for Life was going to be a cold one. This was the 3rd year we joined church to march and I was excited that we would be attending the Youth Rally and Mass for Life for the first time. Megan decided that she didn't want to go and Bridget is too little for such a cold day so we dropped them off at Aunt Becky's. Emma was eager while Rachael was tentative, she didn't go last year and was afraid she would get too tired. We climbed on the bus in the early morning darkness, right behind my brother Joe and his 3 oldest.



We hit traffic on the way down and had a bus driver who as Jim put it "damaged his calm". Since we were late we weren't sure we would get into the Verizon Center for the Youth Rally and Mass, but Dad, who was organizing the trip, confirmed we still had seats. We found seats in the upper section behind the altar and had a great view of the crowd and the happenings thanks to the jumbo-tron. Sections were filled with youth groups each wearing similarly colored hats or scarves or shirts



courtesy of Catholic TV, we sat to the left behind the altar



Musicians lead the crowd in spirit-filled songs. It as fun to join the dancing, clapping and singing. Then the 20 thousand prayed the rosary together. The kids really enjoyed watching the youth and the religious from many different orders. The seminarians sat in huge groups and obviously enjoyed participating. Then Mass began. It was the most impressive gathering of priests and bishops. They processed in 2 by 2 and just kept coming. Sophia, our goddaughter who sat next to me, and Rachael had fun trying to pick out our Archbishop and the Cardinal from DC. Cardinal Wuerl introduced each bishop and had the youth from that diocese cheer. Rachael was immediately struck with the realization that these groups came from all over the country, and sat back in her seat reflecting. Celebrating Mass with this group was an incredibly hopeful experience for me.

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I tend to be a sentimental crier and this gathering touched me in many ways. Mass ended with the Cardinal recognizing each group of religious in attendance, then those in various stages of preparation for religious life, but the one that really got me was when he asked those who were in the process of discerning the vocation of religious life to stand. It was heartening to see so many young people listening to God's call. Sophia said to me after Mass "I might be a nun when I grow up, instead of a mom. I don't know yet." We don't know yet but it wouldn't surprise me if a number our family from her generation are called.

We ate a quick lunch and then joined the crowd to walk from the Verizon Center to the Mall. Jim, Joe and I decided that it would be too hard trying to stay with the St. Mark's group so we made a little group with Emma, Rachael, Martin, Peter and Sophia. The Knights of Columbus were handing out signs that read "Defend Life", so we grabbed a few to add to our "We Choose Life" signs. This was our first real stint outside and boy was the wind cold. We knew we had to be back to our bus before we would really be able to walk much of the route, so we made our way around the fringes of the crowd and kept moving. I was so glad I had gotten hand and foot warmers. It made the cold much more bearable and the girls were glad for them. Jim and Joe playfully teased me for my eagerness to hand out the warmers.

I was sad that none of the 3 major networks mentioned the March for Life that night or in the morning, and their coverage online was hard to find even if you looked for it. There were well over 100,000 people standing up for the unborn, but if it only energizes and rededicates us to keep these littlest victims, their families and those who had a hand in their deaths in our prayers it is worth it.