This January I was able to attend the March for Life 2022. This is an important event to me because of my pro-life stance. I believe that abortion takes the life of the helpless and denies them the rights and dignity that all people deserve. Every year millions of babies are aborted for an estimated total of 61 million abortions in America as of 2020. We march to stop this tragedy.

So, with a group of high schoolers from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, my friends and I boarded a 56 passenger bus to D.C. on Wednesday, January 19th. While on the bus, we watched several movies which truly showcased the realities of abortion, its legalization, and its after-effects. The first film that was played was “Roe V. Wade”. It highlighted the legal aspect of the Supreme Court’s verdict on abortion. The second movie was “October Baby”. This movie follows a teenager as she struggles with the newfound reality that she had been adopted. The final film we viewed was “Unplanned”, which exposed the inner workings of Planned Parenthood as it told the true conversion story of Abby Johnson.

After the overnight road trip from Nebraska to Washington D.C, we arrived at the hotel in the late morning of Thursday, January 20th. That afternoon we visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Attending mass at this breathtaking Basilica was a truly humbling experience.

The next day, Friday, January 21st, we attended the March for Life itself. The March began in the National Mall with several speakers including Fr. Mike Schmitz. According to CNA (Catholic News Agency), “Students for Life calculates that about 150,000 people paraded past its camera post.”

Seeing so many people united in opposition of abortion gave us courage to stand up for the unborn. My friends and I marched to show the world, by our actions, our opinion. In doing so we grew spiritually and realized fully the position of pro-lifers as well as our duty as Catholics to support this movement.