PRO-LIFE MARCH
The annual PRO-LIFE MARCH will be held January 19, 2018, and as customary, will be on the National Mall. The March begins immediately after the Rally and follows its route up Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Supreme Court Building on Capitol Hill.
Shawe Memorial at the March for Life
Each year, a group of approximately 30 juniors and seniors, accompanied by 3-4 adult chaperones, attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22, the anniversary of the implementation of Roe vs. Wade.
Students are invited to sign up in April of the previous year and then are selected based on the following: seniors who have never attended; juniors who have never attended; seniors who’ve been once; and juniors who have been once. There is usually a wait list for students who want to attend.
All students on the list then fundraise to earn the money needed to be able to attend for a period of 3 days. While in D.C. students attend the Life is Very Good Rally held at George Mason University.
The Rally is the kick off for our group of students. A number of speakers and performers entertain and educate about not only abortion, but the very essence of life itself – God – and the preciousness of life at every stage. Embryos, fetuses, babies, mothers, fathers, grandparents, students, are made the center of attention in order to drive home the message. A spiritual awakening tends to happen in the students. They are a small group in a collective group of thousands who are there for the same reason. The worship of God in song and prayer is, at times, overwhelming, Adoration and reconciliation takes place as well.
The second day is the March itself. Students ride the metro into downtown D.C. and gather with hundreds of thousands of others in the National Mall to hear various speakers from varying faiths as well as politicians and personal witnesses to the effects of abortion in their lives. Regardless of the temperatures, students begin the 2 hour trek carrying signs, chanting and sometimes praying or taking part in discussions with others along the way and end up in front of the Supreme Court. The day usually ends with a meal and possible visits to various sites in the downtown area.
The level of awareness that these students raise in one another about why life is precious, not just as children in the womb but in every aspect, can be astounding. They are not only experiencing a freedom of peaceful protest that all Americans are afforded, but they are learning to foster a sense of awareness to the greatest teaching the Catholic Church promotes: the dignity of life.
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The Toppers for Life continue to grow and expand. They always attend the March for Life regardless of weather as well as the Life Is Very Good Rally. In order to do this, they spend almost an entire year fundraising in order to keep the cost of the trip to a minimum.
Service to others is a driving force behind the idea of the Pro Life movement and the Toppers for Life have added two service projects a year to live out the theme of every life matters. Students choose and coordinate the project which can include anything from raking or shoveling for the elderly; participating in a silent protest; participating in a local march; working in a soup kitchen; or a letter campaign to representatives. The projects vary from year to year.
Students who are Toppers for Life also take turns planning an informative activity at each monthly meeting to become better informed as to what abortion, euthanasia, eugenics is and does to our society.
Dear Parishioners,
From all of us, to all of you THANK AND GOD BLESS YOU and your generosity! This year’s March for Life was one of the largest ever and attending the March and the Life is Very Good Rally the night before has had such an impact on our lives and it is partly due to you and your prayerful and financial support. We wish we could take every single person in our parish (and even beyond!) with us physically. Know that you were with us in spirit and know that what you do for us, we intend to carry out into the world. How blessed we are!
