by Kyle Burgess on January 30, 2020
Campus
by Eileen Cooney ’23
Assistant News Editor
This past Friday, Jan. 24, a large group of Providence College students and faculty made the long six and a half hour trek down interstate I-95 to participate in the 47th annual March for Life taking place at the National Mall in Washington D.C.
Tens of thousands of people descend on the National Mall every year and march on Capitol Hill in protest of the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, making it the largest pro-life demonstration in the world. It began in 1974 and it is described not only as a protest, but also as a celebration of the sanctity and value of every human life.
When PC students arrived in the nation’s capital on Thursday night before the march, they attended mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and then enjoyed a dinner with the Dominicans at the Dominican House of Studies.
On Friday morning, the students and friars were up early to get ready for the march. They gathered at the Washington Monument where President Trump would be addressing those in attendance.
Other Republican Presidents have sent surrogate speakers to address the crowd at the March for Life, but President Trump is the first sitting President to do so in person, and thus his presence was a reason for enthusiasm among the pro-life supporters. In his speech, Trump told the crowd that “unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House.”
After hearing the rally, the students walked from the monument to the Supreme Court building for the march. This walk took three hours because of the thousands of people participating.
Catherine Flugel ‘20, said her favorite part of the trip was at the end of the march when they reached the top of a hill. She said “looking down and seeing thousands of people was incredible.”
Flugel believes that the march is “an experience of a lifetime” and one that she will continue to attend even after she graduates from PC. She added, “The opportunity to attend the march with the Dominican Friars is very unique,” as friars from all over the U.S. gather in Washington, D.C., for this march every year.
