WASHINGTON — On Jan. 19, tens of thousands of people are expected to participate in the annual March for Life in Washington marking the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision that legalized abortion.

For decades, this march and rally was in protest of the court’s decision and an appeal to change it. Now, after the court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, participants still come to the annual march but with a different focus.

Organizers call it the “largest annual human rights demonstration” and say it draws participants to celebrate life. They also say people from around the country still gather at the Washington event to reinforce the message that the work to end abortions in this country is far from over.

The March for Life website points out that even with Roe’s overturning, “the necessary work to build a culture of life in the United States of America is not finished.” It also stresses that the “goal of the national March for Life is to not only change laws at the state and federal level, but to change the culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable.”

The theme of this year’s march is: “With every woman, for every child” focusing on the need to care for both mother and child during the nine months of pregnancy and in the years after.

Speakers at the rally, taking place on the National Mall just before the march, include Benjamin Watson, a former NFL football player; Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family; Jean Marie Davis, executive director of Branches Pregnancy Resource Center in Brattleboro, Vermont; Aishia Taylor, author of “Navigating the Impossible: A Survival Guide for Single Moms from Pregnancy Through the First Year of Motherhood”; and Dominick Tolentino, Penn State University senior and president of the university’s Students for Life Club.

The rally begins at noon and will be livestreamed on the March for Life website, Facebook, and YouTube channel. After the rally, participants will begin marching about 1 p.m., heading up Constitution Avenue and ending at the steps of the U.S. Capitol building. 

Organizers point out that this year’s route is slightly different, to include walking by the U.S. Capitol and finishing between the Capitol and the Supreme Court. “We will give witness to the inherent dignity of the human person to pro-life and pro-abortion legislators alike, helping them understand that we will not cease advocating for women and children until every life is protected,” they said.

The March for Life is also more than just the rally and march but is a three-day event starting with a March for Life Expo Jan. 17 with booths set up from various pro-life organizations and ministries around the country.

The Diocese of Brooklyn will have two buses heading to the march on Jan. 19 at 6 a.m. One bus will depart from the Diocesan Office at 310 Prospect Park West and another from St. Kevin Church at 45-21 194th St., Flushing.

On Jan 18, participants can take part in a workshop, “Marching 101,” about how to take part in pro-life lobbying work. 

That evening the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is hosting its annual “Life is Very Good” event for high schoolers from across the country. The event, featuring inspirational speakers, music, and prayer will take place at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

On Jan. 18 and 19, Catholics are invited to take part in a nationwide prayer vigil for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life. The vigil is hosted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and The Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry.

It will be held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington and will begin with an opening Mass at 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 18. 

Immediately after Mass, a National Holy Hour for Life will take place with a Eucharistic procession, Eucharistic adoration, praying the rosary, and Benediction. The Mass and Holy Hour will be broadcast on various Catholic networks and will be livestreamed on the Basilica’s website at nationalshrine.org/mass. Continuing into the night, livestreamed Holy Hours led by bishops from various dioceses around the country will be shared on the USCCB’s website.

The vigil concludes the next morning with a closing Mass at 8:00 a.m.

Another event taking place the morning of the march at the D.C. Armory is called “Life Fest.” Sponsored by the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus, the event begins at 6 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m., and includes Mass, music, and several speakers. 

The day after the march is the annual Rose Dinner featuring Benjamin Watson, the former football player and current pro-life activist.

While the national march draws a big crowd, state march for life events are also happening throughout the year in 13 states this year.

The March for Life website points out that it is “growing a strong state march for life initiative quickly, however, we will continue to march every January at the national level until a culture of life is restored in the United States of America.”