Mariana and I grabbed our ropes and positioned ourselves on the left side of the opening marchers. Students from Mary University in North Dakota were the opening marchers to carry the banners. Next up were the VIP marchers which included many of the rally speakers and Jeanne Mancini, the president of March for Life.
Here we are at the front waiting for everyone to get in place. Since the march was late starting, many marchers had already positioned themselves in the streets. The DC police had to clear out the intersection so the official start of the march could begin. While we were waiting, this lovely lady walked by in her hand-crocheted hat. If you remember, there was another march the week before and a pattern was offered on the website for those marchers to make in advance. I love what this pro-life marcher did with her hat!
In the middle of that crowd of people are the very important peeps. I wish I could name them all for you but I can assure you that Mariana knew who almost all of them were. Right in the middle is Jeanne Mancini herself. We were told Kelly Anne Conway was marching and would be in this group but she had a very busy schedule that day and couldn't make the march.
And how cute is this guy? A lady with a strong north eastern accent came up to me and started asking questions about the parade route and I was explaining that this was the beginning of the march. We looked over toward the students and she said "hey, that's my Cardinal!". Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley of the Boston archdiocese was posing in front of the opening banners with Mary University students.
And then I did some fangirling myself. Standing and marching right beside me was Father Frank Pavone, head of the pro-life Priests for Life group. I know he has been quite controversial lately but there he was! Next to me. I later went to his Facebook page and he had shared live video from the beginning of the march and I caught myself and Mariana in it quite a few times!
Marching in this parade was incredibly overwhelming. Because I was holding a rope I wasn't able to get many pictures during the march itself but I suppose this kept me grounded in my reasons for marching.
There were many sights along the way that brought me to tears.
The youth. So many young people from all over the United States. This is our future. The experience of travelling by bus for thousands of miles and marching in this peaceful expression of solidarity to "save the babies" will most definitely leave a mark on these kids and on our culture for decades to come. We may not win the war on abortion now but I saw the future on this day.
A middle-aged priest standing in an intersection with tears running down his face as he watched the marchers.
Another very excited man standing on the sidewalk in a large group when he sees the banner and all of the flags: "there have already been hundreds of thousands of marchers before you."
A group of women and children standing on the sidewalk with pink signs that said "Mother by rape, I love my life". "Born of rape, I love my life".
Another sidewalk group of women with signs that read "I regret my abortion".
A group of women holding signs that said "Trigger warning ahead." "Disturbing images ahead". Thank you, ladies, for warning us.
The section of the march where there were no bystanders at all. Only an overwhelmingly giant banner symbolizing the murder of babies as an offering to satan. And a speaker blaring a baby screaming and crying over and over again. I felt this was an unnecessary part for the march and was most likely not organized by the March for Life committee. The students we were marching next to were very animated during the march with catchy chants and songs but during this section they were very quiet as we passed. It was incredibly unsettling.
Passing the Supreme Court steps where people were already kneeling in prayer and women were giving testimonies about regretting their abortions. Silent No More.
Finally ending in front of Congress and standing and watching for another hour and a half as more and more groups marched by. Mariana and I stood and talked with a group of young seminarians who told us that hundreds of thousands of people had already marched by. They couldn't believe that we were the beginning! I think that at the beginning when the police were trying to clear the intersection so we could begin those groups that had already staged themselves just started marching!
It was all amazing and overwhelming. I came away knowing that I was supposed to be there on this day. I also know that next year I will be back but not as a volunteer marcher but with a group from the Wiregrass area of Alabama. And we will travel by bus, spending one or two nights sleeping in our seats. And next year, I will get to attend the youth events the night before and the rally as a spectator.
Stay tuned, you guys! My March for Life did not end on January 27th, 2017!! It has only just begun!
What a great experience!!
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