By Magdalena Dajka, ‘20
Every January, on the Friday closest to the anniversary of the disastrous Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, hundreds of thousands of Americans from all over the country—especially young people—converge on Washington D. C. for the annual March for Life. At Thomas More College, classes are always canceled so that all students, joined by President William Fahey, have the opportunity to travel down to the capital to defend life.
The journey is quite an adventure. Most of the student body boards a charter bus the evening before the March and spends the night on the road. The bus arrives at Union Station in the wee hours of the morning, and after dispersing to find coffee and sustenance, the students make their way to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Closing Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life. The beautiful, massive shrine is packed with pilgrims. Then the students head to the National Mall for the Rally, and the March begins! The Thomas More group joins the immense crowds, and the students sing and pray their way up Capitol Hill, banners held high, testifying to the joy which springs from fighting for the true and the right.
Thomas More College faculty and students recognize the importance of the March for Life, both for the nation and for the College itself. As Dean of Students Dr. Denis Kitzinger explains: “St. John Paul II reminds us in Evangelium Vitae that we must strive for a culture of life—which is a culture of love, for God loved us first and invites us to eternal life with him. Participation in the March is an expression of that love, an opportunity for our students to witness to the truth of human dignity, and to stand up for and defend the human person so loved by God. The motto of Thomas More College is Caritas congaudet veritati—‘Charity rejoices in the Truth.’ We humbly and joyfully participate in the March as lovers and defenders of the truth about the human person.”
“In these dark times, a warm light from our nation’s capital shines every year in that bitter January weather. Through rain, sleet, and snow, I am proud to march with millions of my fellow Americans in defense of the defenseless.”—Maria Simpson, ’20
The students agree that the March for Life is a pilgrimage and a crusade, and that by participating in it they are fighting in Chesterton’s “last crusade,”
defending what is true and good against the error which may seem to be taking over the world. Senior Maria Simpson notes that “in these dark times, a warm light from our nation’s capital shines every year in that bitter January weather. Through rain, sleet, and snow, I am proud to march with millions of my fellow Americans in defense of the defenseless.” Senior Daniel Richert reflects on the relation of the March for Life to the mission of Thomas More College: “As a student at a Catholic liberal arts college, I find that the March for Life offers us a concrete opportunity, consistent with our academic pursuits, to stand up for the fundamental truth that all life is precious. The March for Life exemplifies the spirit of pilgrimage that is deeply central to the culture of Thomas More College. It reminds us that we live in dark times and that we are called to boldly stand up for the truth. We are called to fight for the goodness, truth, and beauty of every life from the womb to the tomb.”
Freshman Emma Culbertson is excited to join her fellow students on the March for the first time: “I want to go to the March for Life because it is an opportunity to stand up for the truth in a world which is asleep.” As President Fahey notes, “Our students bear witness to the courage and vision that God gives to the young, when the old have become morally blind. For me, they reveal a dimension of Our Lord’s words: ‘Blessed are the pure of heart.’ A lasting crusade in the temporal order can only be a crusade animated by a spiritual vision.”
Please pray for our students as they put their education into practice by standing up for innocent life!
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