On January 22, 1973, a decision was made that would forever change the face of America. In a hotly contested Supreme Court legal battle, the law known as Roe vs. Wade was passed seven to two. Roe vs. Wade made it a constitutional right for a woman to have an abortion, an unprecedented step which overturned all previous state and federal laws prohibiting abortion. Immediately, a firestorm of furious debate arose over the issue, which has not lessened in the years since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States.

Abortion is the act by which a mother agrees to destroy the life of the unborn child within her. It is a terrible, violent crime on the part of all who participate, as sometimes the mother may be pushed into it by others, and it has been condemned by the Church since the days of the Roman Empire. Faithful people of all religions, and those who simply understand the gravity of the act of abortion, have protested the decision to legalize this act since the day Roe vs. Wade was enacted. Some people felt, however, that what was then being done was not enough. Therefore, in October 1973, about thirty pro-life people began to organize the first March for Life. On January 22, 1974, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, about 20,000 prolifers marched on the West Steps of the Capitol, to protest the Supreme Court decision and petition Congress to address the issue. The movement has grown since then, marching into Washington, D.C. every year to protest and pray in front of the nation's center of power, until it is now the single largest prolife event in the country. Last year, January 22, 2009, more than 200,000 people joined in this rally.

The increased numbers show that the prolife movement in this country is alive and well and spreading rapidly among U.S. citizens, especially young people. More and more have come to realize that legalized abortion and the death of so many innocent children cannot be tolerated.

January 22, 2010, dawned clear and cold. The Czestochowa group had already been on the bus for several hours by the time the sun rose, heading south from Philadelphia to the Washington D.C. Metro area. We were in excellent spirits for the day's work. In previous years, we had had empty space on our bus, but this year every available spot was filled, and some people were turned away because there was no room left. This was a heartening sign; the numbers of Czestochowa protesters have been steadily growing through the years, and now there are so many of us we can't all fit on one bus. Our rallying point each year is the magnificent Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception just outside the capital. Cardinal Rigali celebrated High Mass for the assembled protesters, and our own Fr. Tad concelebrated. After Mass, the group packed into the subway to ride to the Mall, where the pre-march rally was already in progress. On the Mall, a long, narrow strip of clear ground allows one to see the dome of the Senate building, the goal of the day's march. This year, with an anti-life president in office, the atmosphere in the city was definitely different. In previous years, President Bush had called in to encourage us. This year, there was silence. The number of people at this protest is the largest ever. Some 250,000-300,000 people showed up at the Mall. We quietly and peacefully walked from the Mall to the Senate building, prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet, and returned to our bus for the ride home.

The March for Life means many things to many people. To me, it is a symbol. It is the great sign of grassroots prolife activism in the U.S. We practice the values of our faith for the rest of the year, but this protest is the chance for all of us to have a voice collectively raised in shock and sorrow. When we are standing and walking, peaceful and quiet unlike other protesters, people notice us. I feel as if my thoughts on the killing of children in the womb could make a difference and are making a difference. There is also an undeniable feeling in being part of a movement which extends to the horizon, seeing thousands upon thousands of people as far as the eye can see who believe the same things you do. In addition, the March for Life is a symbol of the love for life which prolifers have, the charity for others which we hold in our hearts. We at the Czestochowa Shrine have the blessings of an orthodox church and faithful priests to help us and lead us by example. May the unborn someday have peace in the womb, without fear of death until they are born into a loving world which gives them the care they deserve.

Andrew Parrish

1/29/2010