He encouraged those marching on Friday to witness “peacefully and courageously to the truth in love and with childlike trust in the power of Jesus to heal and transform our minds, our hearts, and the world in which we live.”
Following the Mass, Heather Kramer, who traveled to the vigil and the march from Wisconsin, told CNA that she felt it was important to attend “to be a testament to our faith and a peaceful support to the unborn.” She saw Roe being overturned as “just one battle that we’ve overcome now,” but “the battles are really back to our states and we have to still have a united front and show people that we’re still here and still caring for the unborn.”
Sarah Achenbach, who also traveled to the vigil with the Pro-Life Wisconsin group, told CNA that the march is “an amazing example to show that everyone can come together and make a difference in the pro-life movement.” She said Roe being overturned was “a big step in history” and she hopes to see continued change in a pro-life direction.
Anna Callahan, a young professional who recently moved to D.C. from Philadelphia, said that it was “wonderful seeing people from all over the country come together” at the vigil Mass and, for her, seeing the shrine “full of people of all ages, all backgrounds coming together, embodies the heart of the pro-life movement.”
Eva Frank, another young Catholic resident of D.C. who attended the event with Callahan said it’s important to be active in the pro-life community and “it’s very evident to see that other people are feeling that way because it was so packed today, we were standing the whole time at Mass, we couldn’t find a spot to sit, which is a great problem to have.”
Frank praised Bishop Burbidge’s message that the movement is not just “about changing policy, it’s about changing hearts” and she saw that as starting “with each one of us just talking about it and showing up, one heart changed at a time.”
Vince Duarte came to the vigil Mass and the March for Life with a group of about 60 students, the Catholic Gators at University of Florida. He said the atmosphere was exciting, particularly as he traveled to the march last year before the Dobbs decision, and called it “a grace to be able to see the impact of prayer and fasting and how that’s changing lives.”
Nick Salazar, another University of Florida student, was attending his first March for Life this year. He said he felt it was important to spread God’s message of love in defense of the unborn. He said he liked the bishop’s emphasis on trying to teach people on the pro-life issue with charity, not “try to have division, but to try to approach others and to just have charity in your heart.”
The Prayer Vigil for Life concluded at 8 a.m. on Jan. 20, the morning of the March for Life, with a closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Coffey, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
Lauretta Brown is the National Catholic Register’s Washington-based staff writer.
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