On January 21, 2022, as tens of thousands of people gathered in our nation’s capital for the March for Life, a voice stood out in the crowd: that of Thomas More College students singing in unison.
Rallying behind the standards of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Sacred Heart, and St. George, the TMC contingent lifted up their voices in song. Seamus Othot ’23 and Austin Hastings ’25 led a sung Rosary as the group walked down Constitution Avenue, with Alexander Tapsak ’25 keeping the beat on a bodhrán. The music brought joy to all around: Danielle Summers ’24 remarked that, for her, “The highlights of the trip were the many comments and compliments given to the Thomas More students concerning their great joy in singing. As this is also one of my favorite aspects of life at Thomas More, it was good to see it make a difference for other people as well. I thought my fellow students did an excellent job in expressing their joy that is so necessary in times of trial and suffering.” On reaching the Supreme Court, the group sang the National Anthem—a sign of hope in times of great division—and then paused to pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet led by longtime friend of the College Fr. Matthew Schultz.
“It is important for the College to support the March so that the future of the country may be a pro-life and truly pro-woman future.”
–Molly Hugo ’25
While the students maintained a hopeful disposition throughout, the gravity of the situation was not lost on them. Indeed, many see support of the pro-life movement as an essential part of their—and the College’s—Catholic identity. Molly Hugo ’25 stated, “Young people are the future pro-life generation, and the College works to strengthen and teach the young people that come here to study. Therefore, it is important for the College to support the March so that the future of the country may be a pro-life and truly pro-woman future.” Mr. Hastings remarked, “It is important for Thomas More students to continue attending this event because this March is how the people of America show their disapproval of the continued genocide of unborn children.” For Mr. Othot, “The College’s support of this event is, I believe, essential to its status as a faithful Catholic school.”
Indeed, the students appreciated that the College gave them the opportunity to attend, as various obstacles had to be overcome to make the trip possible. Taking advantage of this opportunity were several students who were marching for the first time. Vallerie Armstrong ’25 was one of those first-time attendees: “It was a very fruitful experience for me. It was cold, but we were all cold together, united in our sufferings for the unborn. We marched for life, and we stood together against the greatest evil of our nation.” For Marie Vyleta ’25, “I’ve never done anything really politically active before, but I enjoyed the opportunity to stand up for the unborn.” The prayerful nature of the event also made an impression on her: “There was an overwhelming Catholic presence that I found very welcoming. It certainly was very much a spiritual as well as a political experience.”
With the College’s ongoing support of the March for Life, the students are already looking forward to next year’s event. And as classes graduate and the banners pass from one student to the next, one thing remains the same: Thomas More College is committed to living out the truth of the Catholic faith with joy and—whenever possible—with song.
