Tag: march for life
Fight for Their Right: Friars March in Defense of the Unborn
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.
photo courtesy of Cameron McCauley ’21
Friars Join in the Fight for Life: PC Students and Faculty Travel to D.C. for the March for Life
by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019
Campus
by Kyle Burgess ’21
News Staff
This past Friday, January 18 members of the Providence College community marched the streets of Washington, D.C. to join fellow members of the pro-life movement in the 46th annual March for Life demonstration.
PC students and faculty made the roughly six-and-a-half-hour trek from Rhode Island to join a procession of nearly 300,000 other participants in open opposition to abortion.
The abortion controversy has continued to divide the nation since 1973 with the landmark Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade. In the case, Norma McCorvey, better known by her legal alias “Jane Roe,” claimed victory over a Texas law that made it a crime to assist in performing an abortion procedure.
The Court’s ruling ignited instant backlash amongst pro-life activists who viewed it as a direct attack against the rights of the unborn, prompting them to take the initiative.
On January 22, 1974, thousands of pro-lifers braved the cold and participated in the first ever “March for Life” through Washington, accompanied by members of Congress who promised to push pro-life legislation through the House and Senate in an act of support for the rapidly-growing movement.
Forty-five years following the inaugural march, the March’s format has not changed.
Politicians such as current Vice President Mike Pence, as well as other leading members of the pro-life movement like Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Wire Ben Shapiro and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro-life Activities Committee, gave speeches of support and affirmation to the gathered masses.
To the Friars present, the demonstration was an empowering experience due in large part to the strong showing of the pro-life movement.
“It’s a great atmosphere because people from all over the world with all different backgrounds and beliefs are united in fighting for life and that is really powerful,” remarked Cameron McCauley ’21. “This was the fourth march I’ve been to, and I’m still blown away by numbers that come out to support life.”
Fellow Friar Lizzie Hall ’21 discussed the unifying force that brought so many individuals from all walks of life together for a day of protest. “Every human life has dignity and value, no matter what stage of life they are in,” Hall explained. “To be alive is an ongoing process of growth and change, a process that abortion terminates. I believe it is important that we continue to fight for these innocent lives.”
As both attendance at and awareness of the March for Life continue to rise, it is plausible that the passionate outcry for change by members of the pro-life movement may soon be translated into action and even legislation within the halls of Congress.