Freshman Meredith VanDerWeide holds a sign in front of the the National Shrine. Courtesy | Emily Schutte
Ten hours into travel towards Washington, D.C., our bus rounded a final corner — and glass flew as a passing truck grazed our window.
Everyone was exhausted, trekking from Hillsdale to the capital to join in the March for Life — the first since the abolition of Roe v. Wade — and the disagreement our bus had with the truck was icing on the bitter cake.
We decided to continue our journey on foot. Anxieties mounted as we realized we’d be late for the rally. After a 20 minute walk, we arrived, managing to only miss the opening concert while still catching the speeches.
There were no radical changes that defined this year’s pilgrimage, despite being the first post-Roe March. There were minimal counter-protestors and no uniquely different messages on signs.
There was, however, a clear difference in the mood. The crowds were subdued. Excitement was tentative. A real joy permeated the crowds, but a foreboding awareness of the pro-life movement’s long journey ahead cut through the atmosphere.
People from all over the country gathered for the rally in thousands, from parents and children, high school and college students, to priests and religious sisters.
The crowd talked, laughed, and cheered with each speaker. I strained to listen to the speeches through the noise, and the words I could hear struck me. The times I could not hear were spent in prayer as I observed those around me.
The crowd exploded at the appearance of Jonathan Roumie, the actor portraying Jesus in “The Chosen” and the event’s keynote speaker.
The general melee of people soon became a crushing mob as the rally came to a close, and our pilgrimage resumed with the beginning of the March. We were all walking shoulder to shoulder with total strangers, and still, there was a sense of deep unity.
The sounds and sights began to press in on us. The determined chants of encouragement and the sounds of Hail Marys surrounded me. The influence of profound faith over these people was evident.
Signs marked the presence of schools, colleges, and churches from across the country. Eager faces, ready for the journey, smiled and shouted below each banner.
“We love babies, yes, we do. We love babies, how ‘bout you?”and “I demand protection at conception” rippled through the air. Posters declared, “Love them both,” “Love life, choose life,” and the newly-victorious, “I am the post-Roe generation,” rose high above the crowd.
Sister Ellen Marie, a Daughter of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus, reflected on the day she and her sisters learned Roe v. Wade had been overturned.
“It was a beautiful day in our history,” Sister Ellen Marie said. “An unforgettable day for all of us who lived it and remembered it and had prayed so long for it. We were on a day retreat with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and our superior gave us the information. It was an answer to all our prayer.”
Roumie used his time speaking to encourage participants to take action beyond attending the March itself.
“Change the culture by impacting the culture. Embrace that which is bigger than you, he who gave you abundant life, and he who has called you by name,” Roumie said.
Roumie explained that lives are to be the witness that changes the culture. It is through the example, the light emanating from these people, he said, that a culture of death will be banished.
Sophomore Grace Marks, secretary for the Hillsdale College for Life, said the pro-life movement should now focus on addressing legislation.
“We definitely have more responsibilities.” Marks said. “We should be doing everything we can to change policy.”
As the new post-Roe generation, young people will surely continue to play a unique role in the movement. But now the duties of legislation have been given back to the people. Because of this we no longer march to the Supreme Court, but instead we go to our lawmakers — all to complete our journey on Capitol Hill.
