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Young marcher: 'There's nothing I'd rather be doing'
archived from: 2013-02-01
by: John Franko

WASHINGTON -- The 40th March for Life drew a record crowd to Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, buoyed by the presence of hundreds of thousands of young people.

"Life is such a precious gift, and we have to stand up for those who have yet to be born," said Anna Williams, a junior at Slippery Rock University, who joined 10 other students on the National Mall for the rally that preceded the march.

Various media outlets put the crowd estimates at 500,000 and 650,000. The previous high was 400,000. An official crowd estimate has not been released since the mid-1990s.

The crowd braved temperatures in the mid-20s to hear speakers such as Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

They also witnessed a video tribute to Nellie Gray, founder of the march, who died last August at age 88.

Changes to the rally, aimed at attracting young people, were everywhere. Large video screens broadcast the rally throughout the mall. Speakers urged the crowd to follow the march on Twitter and Facebook, and Cardinal O'Malley read a tweet from Pope Benedict XVI, who expressed his solidarity with the marchers: "I join all those marching for life from afar, and pray that political leaders will protect the unborn and promote a culture of life."

"Our¬†generation is going to be the generation that has to step up for this -- to talk to our political leaders," said Kevin Klus, a junior at Robert Morris University. "This is the time to do it -- to step up and say what needs to be said."

It was Klus' 21st birthday, and his seven fellow RMU students remembered it by singing "Happy Birthday" 21 times throughout the day.

"There's nothing I'd rather be doing right now," he said. "There's always time to celebrate a birthday, but we have to be out here today to protect against abortion."

The youthful face of the march was also reflected by Jeanne Monahan, 40, who succeeded Gray as president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. She urged the crowd to take its message back to their schools and communities.

Father Kevin Poecking, pastor of St. Peter in Slippery Rock and director of campus ministry at Slippery Rock University, pointed out that young people who have grown up since Roe v. Wade are the ones most affected by the Supreme Court decision. They have lost classmates, family and friends, he said.

They are also the technology generation, and have benefited from ultrasound and other innovations that have allowed them to view the full effects of abortion.

"They see what they're missing," he said. "They're inspired by this pro-life mission and the March for Life to be here and speak up for their friends and classmates who have been aborted."

Diane Magliocca, campus minister at SRU, noted the energy and enthusiasm that the young people bring to the march and the pro-life movement.

"They won't be deterred when they feel that they've found something that they believe in," she said. "They really latch onto that sense of purpose, that sense of mission, and they're just really bold and courageous about speaking about things they believe in strongly."

Gary Slifkey, campus minister at Robert Morris and Penn State Beaver, said it's inspiring to see young people stand up for life issues. It is important, therefore, that the church leadership continues to move forward and support them in their efforts.

"I remember being called the Pepsi Generation," he said. "The church is not silent anymore in encouraging the young people to be the pro-life generation."

Slippery Rock junior Lincoln Kennedy noted the impact of seeing so many peers at the march. It highlighted the fact that he was not alone in his beliefs.

"It's my first time here and it's definitely made a difference," he said.

The marchers walked down Constitution Avenue and past the Supreme Court Building on Capitol Hill. Some prayed while others sang hymns, a number of them with Marian themes. Light snow began to fall halfway through the march, but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the gathering.

"We're getting our message out and we're making our opinion known," said Emily Acquaviva, 16, of St. Richard in Richland Township, as she neared the end of the route. "You can't just say we're not doing anything about it (abortion) -- we are."

People of all ages pledged that they will continue the fight against abortion for as long as it takes to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"Every year it grows, we're happy to be here," said Ray McGill of Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 21, who was among a number of AOH members in attendance. "We hope that it's going to change. We're going to see it through to the end."

Fellow AOH member Brian Koehler of St. Mary of the Assumption in Glenshaw has been coming to the march for 34 years.

"We have to stand up for life and the nation," he said. For Jeanette Alberti of Christ the Divine Teacher in Chippewa Township, the march is just "the right thing to do."

"You hold it in your heart for the rest of the year," she said. "It's like renewing your vows."

More than 6,000 people from southwestern Pennsylvania attended the march. A number of local groups took part in the vigil and Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception prior to the rally and march.

Dozens of young people also attended youth rallies and Masses earlier that morning at the Verizon Center in Washington and the Comcast Center at the University of Maryland in College Park.

More than 50,000 people took part in the ninth annual Walk for Life West Coast Jan. 26 in San Francisco.

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