Hope was in the air at 39th March for Life
Bishop's Letter to March for Life Participants
January 10, 2012
To All Those Attending the 2012 March for Life:
Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to stand up for the sanctity of life! Your witness is a powerful one and I am so grateful for your willingness to attend this year’s March for Life. If this is your first time or thirty-ninth time, God bless you for your goodness!
We walk together today in our faith that holds every life as sacred from the moment of conception until natural death. We walk together today in hope that our nation will once again protect the most vulnerable of human persons—the unborn baby in his or her mother’s womb. We walk together today in love for every person made in God’s own image. We walk together today in prayer for the unborn, for all expectant parents, for our nation’s leaders, for women and men scarred by the spiritual and emotional wounds of abortion, that they may experience the mercy that flows from the tender heart of Jesus.
May the Gentle and Good Shepherd guide our every step today so that our faith, hope, love and prayers may build the Culture of Life.
Thank you for witnessing to the Church Alive! May you have a safe, inspiring and prayerful journey.
Grateful for our belief that “Nothing is Impossible with God,” I am
Your brother in Christ,
Most Reverend David A. Zubik
Bishop of Pittsburgh
John Franko
Pittsburgh Catholic
WASHINGTON -- Amid all the mud there was a message.
Pro-lifers will never give up the fight until Roe v. Wade is overturned.
"There's always hope," said Katie Grella, director of religious education at St. Anne in Castle Shannon. "We can never give up the hope."
She was among the thousands of pro-life supporters from southwestern Pennsylvania who braved miserable conditions at the 39th March for Life Jan. 23 in Washington, D.C.
The supporters stood on the soggy grass of the National Mall to hear pro-life speakers during the rally and then walked up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court Building and the Capitol.
As in past marches, the atmosphere was a mix of heartfelt spirituality and youthful enthusiasm.
Some prayed the rosary as they marched. Others sang "How Great Thou Art," and the wail of bagpipes filled the air. Young people chanted slogans that have passed down through the years.
"They see all of us and they know it's an important issue to fight for," said Mitchell Mroczkowski, 14, of St. Maurice in Forest Hills, about the large number of young people in attendance.
Added Janie Messina, 17, of St. John the Baptist in Unity: "It shows there is a lot of interest and people who are willing to stand up against abortion."
Moments after she passed the Supreme Court Building, Michelle Sanders, 13, of St. Anne reflected on the words engraved on the front -- "Equal Justice Under Law."
"If you kill babies that's not justice," she said. "It's not fair."
The turnout reflected the strong pro-life commitment of a number of local parishes. The St. Anne delegation included more than 50 people. Other parishes had similar numbers.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pleasant Hills sponsored three different groups for the march.
Joe Decker of St. Louise de Marillac in Upper St. Clair pointed out that the march is important in that it highlights the truth about abortion and the need for prayer.
"It's the most important thing we can do," he said.
As she took note of the large number of young people, Nicole Palombo, 17, of St. Louise de Marillac said it is an issue that they are well aware of, adding, "We're the ones who will face it in the future."
Stephen Barnhart, 16, of St. Anne said one of the virtues of the Catholic faith is defending the innocent. The march, he said, is one way for young people to express a "revolution" of their own to express the ideas and values that Catholics share.
"We're not just called by name," he said. "We show it by what we do."
The Knights of Columbus have long been a mainstay of the march. Knights from Virginia and other areas surrounding Washington serve as marshals along the route. The efforts are coordinated under Bob Szerszynski, a 1972 Central Catholic High School graduate who now lives in Virginia. He is past grand knight of John Paul II Council 7165 in Dale City, Va.
Pointing to gains of pro-life representatives in Congress, Szerszynski said the next step is to move toward a pro-life Senate, and ultimately a pro-life president. He sees light at the end of the tunnel.
"We can change this (culture of death)," he said. "I honestly think we can."
More information on the March for Life is available at www.marchforlife.org.
You are alive with the life of Christ
John Franko
Pittsburgh Catholic
WASHINGTON -- Prior to the March for Life Jan. 23, some 30,000 young people took part in a youth rally and Mass at two locations.
Almost 20,000 were on hand at the Verizon Center in Downtown Washington, while another 10,000 filled the D.C. Armory.
The rallies were linked by a multimedia hookup and were emceed by the APeX Ministries team of Brad Farmer and Gene Monterastelli. They included music, spiritual reflection and personal witness.
From the D.C. Armory, Farmer's wife, Joia, told the young people that they have been affected by a pro-life movement that truly means something.
"My brothers and sisters," she said, "we know what the truth is. It is our obligation that others know it as well."
Both liturgies were celebrated by former priests of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington was the celebrant at the Verizon Center, while Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston celebrated the Mass at the D.C. Armory.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the new apostolic nuncio to the United States, concelebrated the Verizon Center Mass and read a letter from Pope Benedict XVI. In it, the Holy Father reminded the young people of the role they are called to play in the new evangelization.
"You are alive with hope and love," the Holy Father stated. "You are alive with the life of Christ."
The homily at the Verizon Center was delivered by Msgr. Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Parish in Washington.
The enthusiasm of the young people in the pro-life movement, he noted, refuted the notion that the church is "old and gray."
Only life, Msgr. Pope noted, can drown out the culture of death, and he reminded the gathering that there are no mistakes or accidents when it comes to protecting human life.
He also reminded them to keep the spirit of the march alive when they return home.
"The big choice of life has to be accompanied by daily choices," he said.
Msgr. Pope defined the abortion issue by noting that there are four keys to fighting it -- chastity, charity, courage and consistency.
In pointing out that some 85 percent of abortions involve single or unmarried women, he spoke of the need to live chaste lives.
With 42 percent of abortions involving women beneath the poverty line, he continued, there is a need for the church to reach out to women in crisis and give them options to know that they don't walk alone.
Msgr. Pope noted figures that show 90 percent of families who discover that an unborn child has a severe defect opt to terminate the pregnancy. The faithful must have courage, he said, to ask God for the ability to love the disabled.
And they also must be consistent in the efforts to fight abortion. In doing so, he noted that some 61 percent of Americans believe that abortion should be illegal in most circumstances.
He closed by saying that he was encouraged by polls that show today's young people are much more likely to be pro-life than members of the baby boomer generation.
"It's a long and uphill battle, but we are going to get there," he said.
Antoinette Yelenic, 17, of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pleasant Hills said young people appreciate the efforts to get them excited about their faith and involved in the fight against abortion.
"You feel the faith through everyone's spirit and enthusiasm," she said of the rally. "It really gets you excited and want to spread the message more."
Alexandra Dalton, also of St. Elizabeth, said the events show how kids can make a difference.
"It definitely made me want to get out to the march, hold a sign and rally," she said.
Bishop David Zubik was a concelebrant at the Verizon Center Mass. He also concelebrated a vigil Mass for the march the evening before and he heard confessions for several hours before the youth Mass.
"It's a nice proclamation of life to everybody," he said of the events.
Young people who wish to build on what they experienced at the rally and Mass, or get a glimpse of what took place, can visit Facebook (Archdiocese of Washington Life Issues) and watch a video of the rally and Mass at www.catholictv.com.