by Antonina Zielinska
Buses from throughout the diocese brought hundreds of pro-life supporters to the 39th annual March for Life Jan. 23 to join the tens of thousands of demonstrators in Washington D.C.
“I came to speak for the children who cannot speak for themselves,” said Michael Cucci, a parishioner of Most Precious Blood parish, Bath Beach. “When so many people show up, it shows that people are not indifferent to laws that destroy life.”
Many who exercised their constitutional rights last Monday were teens and young adults.
Jovenes Unidos Con Cristo member Steven Gonzalez, 16, marched among their ranks. He said he had the opportunity to join the demonstration in previous years but chose not to attend. This year, however, he said he matured into the decision to march and was pleased with what he found.
“It showed me that the members of our generation are not self-indulged,” he said. “They care about other people.”
Fellow JUCC member, Jessica Hernandez, 13, from Bushwick said the march helped her discover herself.
“I’m not sure if I made a difference for others but I made a difference for me,” she said.
Jesus Raul Cepin, 16, also from the Brooklyn group, said the march has given him tools he can use back home.
“I think after coming here I can consider myself an advocate,” he said. “I can go back and tell my family and friends about how abortion is wrong.”
Fran Ruocco, a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace, said the march will help her in her virtual advocacy. She will post the photos she took of the many people who partook in the march on Facebook. She said this is her way of compensating for the lack of media coverage.
Mary Ann Selvagio, from St. Ephrem parish, Dyker Heights, said law makers will not be able to ignore for long such large numbers of people who oppose abortion. She said what gave her hope was the number of young people and children who came to the demonstration.
“I hope that in my lifetime, and if not in my lifetime then in my grandchildren’s lifetime, the abortion law will be overturned because every life is precious from conception to when God calls us,” she said.
Eighteen-year-old Juan Francisco Bencosme, JUCC member, said that even though politicians may not want to pay attention to the demonstrators, this was more than a symbolic gesture.
“Prayers for the policies and politicians makes a difference,” he said. “Next year, I’ll come here, but hopefully I won’t have to because abortion will be illegal.”
Rivera said the spirituality of the event was clearly seen. Although the demonstrators were passionate about their message, there was no ill will. She said marchers were orderly and had a deep sense of purpose.
“There was so much love,” she said.
Kevin C. Freile, a college-seminarian at Cathedral Seminary Residence, Douglaston, said, “At the Mass Vigil for Life, I was extremely overwhelmed by the amount of young people, seminarians, priests, bishops and cardinal, all of whom, like me, want to advocate for the sanctity of life. It was such a great spiritual experience to see other young people, other seminarians who united with me and my diocese want to stand up for the rights of all human life. I was so blessed to be standing among the 400 seminarians, the more than 10,000 people in that shrine! It reminded me that the Church goes well beyond the Diocese of Brooklyn, that we are Catholic are universal, and that we can be united through our faith!”
Members of Congress who spoke at the rally said they were proud they had passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Protect Life Act and voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood.
Americans “as a people are pro-life” because life and liberty “are intertwined and form the core of our national character,” House Speaker John Boehner told the crowd.
“God who gave us life gave us liberty,” said the Ohio Republican, who is a Catholic. He added that his pro-life stand isn’t political, “it’s just who I am.”
But now, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., “we must work to change the Senate and reclaim the White House, which not only obstructs pro-life legislation but has for the past three years advanced abortion in so many ways.”
Smith, a Catholic who is chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told the rallygoers that they were “an important part of the greatest human rights movement on earth – the selfless struggle by prayer, fasting and works to defend and protect all weak and vulnerable persons from the violence of abortion, infanticide and euthanasia.”
He also told the crowd he had a message for President Barack Obama: “The violent destruction of children in the womb – killing babies – is not an American value.”
The temperature in th nation’s capital hovered in the high 30s. Intermittent rain forced marchers to put on ponchos and assorted rain gear and pull out their umbrellas. The wet weather left the National Mall a soggy and muddy patch, which marchers slogged through after the rally as they headed to Constitution Ave., past the Capitol and up to the Supreme Court.
As for the size of the crowd, a late afternoon email alert from the District of Columbia to commuters said protesters numbered from 15,000 to 20,000. But media reports said March for Life officials had a permit from the National Parks Service for 50,000 people, and for the last several years they have put the number at 200,000. [hr]
Contributing to this story was Julie Asher.
