The March for Life: Kindling the Fire for the Gospel of Life

According to Katie Welsh, going to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., was a truly extraordinary, powerful experience that showed her just how thriving the culture of life really is.

“The March for Life was a great way to put my pro-life beliefs into action,” she says. “Seeing the amount of young people there gave me so much hope for the future of the pro-life movement. The pro-life generation is on fire for life!”

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 20, about 120 young people and 23 adults gathered at our parish for a time of prayerful inspiration to prepare their hearts and souls for the amazing journey on which they were soon to embark.

“Katie Welsh is a high school student who is very passionate about life, so she gave a talk to get us going, along with a few other speakers,” says Michael Lammers, the Director of Youth Ministry. “Following the service, we drove through the night in three buses, arriving at the National Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in D.C. at 6 a.m., just in time for the Closing Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at 8 a.m.”

Next, they traveled to the National Mall, where they heard presentations from various pro-life speakers, such as Fr. Mike Schmitz, who presents the Bible in a Year broadcast. At 1 p.m., they participated in the March for Life.

“It was very encouraging for us all to see the huge scale of people that were there, coming together and giving their time to help save lives,” Michael says. “The march was tough because we had to stand out in the cold all day long, but it was a sacrifice we were making for the cause of life. Throughout the weekend, our motto was, ‘It is not about me,’ and our chant was, ‘You become pro-life when you give your life away.’”

Following the march, they had to travel to Virginia in order to eat because they could not eat out in D.C. without a vaccination card. Finally, they went to a ski resort in West Virginia for a couple of days. Fr. Brian O’Shaughnessy, the chaplain of Aquinas High School, offered Holy Mass for them on Saturday evening at the resort.

When they returned home on Sunday evening, Michael couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful that the mission he had envisioned was accomplished.

“My goal was to get the young people there, and to get them excited about saving life and babies,” he says. “That was my goal, and we did it. I have always been passionate about life. This passion calls me to do something to help and to get other people passionate about helping as well. The greatest evil we face today is the murder of innocent children in the womb. It has been a great blessing to help build up a community of people with a love for life.”

Overall, the trip was a beautiful experience of God’s mercy, and the love that He bears for every creature He has created.

“Life and joy go together, and this trip had both of these!” says student Hayes Ellis.

For more information about how to get involved, please email Director of Youth Ministry Michael Lammers at mlammers@aquinashigh.org, or George Vozniak of the Greater Augusta Chapter of Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) at 706-726-1269 or GVozniak@aol.com. Heartfelt gratitude is extended to the GRTL of Augusta, as well as to private donors for their generous financial donations which made this trip possible.

One of the three buses, on the way to the March for Life