Enkindling the fire of the prolife movement are the young people. Their vast numbers, excitement, and energy were the story of 2013 March for Life. Here are the students of Albertus Magnus High School – two buses — who came to Washington to carry on the prolife legacy and continue the fight for life.
As we come to the end of our March for Life 2013 coverge, we’d like to thank a group of unsung heroes – the Right to Life banner pole assemblers.
For 30 years, our iconic ‘I ♥ Life’ banners have flown bravely over many Marches for Life, St. Patrick’s Day parades, and prolife events. Designed and constructed by the late Tom Niblo, they are miracles of home-made ingenuity.
And they are also somewhat pesky when it comes to assembling them – an operation that challenges you to figure out how to fit together all those crazy telescoping poles of various lengths and how to secure them the odd collection of screws, washers and assorted hardware that Tom provided.
This can only be done barehanded and — with the March for Life temperature usually below freezing, the wind blowing, and fellow marchers impatient to get the show on the road — it takes good circulation, a steady hand, a keen mind, and stout heart to be a banner pole assembler.
Then, after the March, the poles have to disassembled, collapsed, wrapped up in plastic bags, and transported by cab to the Basilica (long, pointy things are not allowed on the Metro), and eventually lugged to the bus for the trip back home.
In all their many public appearances over the years, the banners have never come crashing down on their wranglers or nearby marchers — no matter how hard the rain fell or the wind blew – nor have they ever been lost or damaged.
All this is a tribute to the many of you who have assembled them with care and carried them with pride – this, the symbol of the prolife community of Rockland.
Thank you everyone!
We’ll see you at the March next year!
Carolyn Pappalardo of Pomona describes how the reverence of college students at Mass in the Basilica after the March for Life brought her the consolation of continuity and the blessings of hope — both for the Church and the prolife movement.
After the awesome and inspiring Right to Life March up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court Building in Washington DC last Friday and our trek back to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to catch our bus, a few of us went inside to see if there was a Mass we could attend.
Sure enough, there was a Mass starting at a side altar in the Crypt of the Church at 4:30 p.m.. A few of us sat in the back of the little chapel so as not to interfere with the group that scheduled the Mass. In they came, college students. About 30 of them. They quietly and reverently took their seats.
No talking, no laughing, no texting, no looking around. They seemed to be from the University of Pittsburgh because one was wearing a sweatshirt with that name. They assisted the priest, proclaimed the readings, sang, and when it came time to kneel, since there were no kneelers, they knelt on the stone floor the whole time. As they processed up at Communion Time, they bowed low or knelt before rising to receive. Back in their places, again prayerfully kneeling and the same when Mass was over.
Tears flooded my eyes and my heart flooded with Hope. The Church will go on with these beautiful people and the thousands of young men and women that marched that day chanting, “We are the Pro Life Generation.”
“The prolife movement is very much alive!” says Sean Miller who sent us this video. It will make you feel like you’re there, right in the midst of all the excitement. And below are his thoughts, inspired by the March.
On a bitterly cold January morning a group of 31 people boarded a bus to embark on a journey that would unite them with over 500,000 people. This day long journey will lead us to our nation’s capital. Every year at this time, hundreds of thousands of Americans unite at this destination to celebrate the gift of life. This celebration is marred with the unfortunate legalization of abortion which took place 40 years ago.
On this day, we urge the people in power to respect the sanctity of life. We pray that their hardened hearts open up so that they can be open to the gift of life. In particular, a life that is innocent, defenseless and most vulnerable. In our nation, which is known for being the land of the free we have discriminated against those that are powerless and cannot defend themselves. Perhaps, since they have no voice it is easier to do so. Well, on this day we stand in solidarity with one powerful voice pleading for the unborn that only ask for the “right to life.” How can a country turn its back on a completely dependent little baby? Since when is it inconvenient to care for those that are most in need? If this is the case than we truly are a poor nation. Our own selfish desires have filled our hearts with greed to the point that we have no room to care for an innocent little baby.
Some links from other sites with important stories about the 2013 March for Life
March for Life — Cool video produced by students of Steubenville College really captures the spirit of the March for Life. It’s young, positive. It’s simply prolife.
The Ultrasound Generation — Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s message to teens and young adults: I think of you as the “Ultrasound Generation.” You are different than any generation that came before you in that your very first baby pictures were taken not with you in your mother’s arms, but you alive in her womb.
The video tribute to the legacy of Nellie Gray plays on the Jumbotron at the Rally before the March for Life.
If you ever thought that one person can’t make a difference, watch this great video. It’s a tribute to Nellie Gray who organized the first March for Life in 1974. She thought it would be a one-time event. 20,000 people came.
Nellie continued to be the force behind the March for Life for four decades until her death last August. She was in her late 80s.
This moving video was shown on the Jumbotron at the Rally for Life. Click here to view it.
Our Witness for LIFE began with a 5:30 am Mass at St. Paul’s in Congers. 25 people were in attendance as Fr. John Palitucci, of St. Paul’s, offered the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (Our thoughts and prayers are with Fr. Palitucci, whose sister, Jeannie, passed away at 3 am, the very morning of the March.) We were welcomed to coffee and treats following the Mass.
Soon our bus was packed and ready to roll . . .
. . . with Max making sure everyone was accounted for. Continue reading
A Rockland Right to Life banner rises above the crowd, surging along Constitution Avenue toward the Capitol. If you were there, and would like to have your photos, memories, or comments posted, please send them to RocklandRTL@optonline.net. The photo above is by John Ferrao.
Standing in the crowd in the National Mall at the end of the Rally for Life can give you the chills (even when it’s not 20°). You can see the Washington Monument. The White House is across the park. And now the hundreds of thousands of people are somehow moving into a great line of march that will soon move down Constitution Avenue, past the Capitol Building, to the Supreme Court.
At that moment, you are never more aware of what America stands for: One nation under God, government of, by, and for the people, with liberty and justice for all.
And yet, with sadness, you know that the march is, in a way, a “road to Calvary” as you remember the 55 million unborn children who have been killed by abortion. And how our country has betrayed its great ideals by 40 years of legalized abortion.
But yet, something tells you the march is something more.
As you stand among a half million people — you know you are not alone in your hopes for change. And you know that the half million here — young and old, rich and poor, of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds — are only a fraction of the millions more at home who are praying and striving that abortion will end.
And holding high your signs and banners you all begin to move together, and the march becomes a march of resolve, commitment, hope for the future — of love, and even joy.
The March for Life Rally, is where it all begins. Here before a stage erected near 7th Street in the National Mall, the crowd gathers at noon to hear the words of the leaders of the right to life movement.
From the worlds of politics, religion, medicine, and social action, they bring their passionate message to inspire us and to encourage us never to give up the fight for LIFE. The excitement builds.
In this part of our March for Life coverage, you’ll see the marchers of the Sacred Heart bus at the Rally. The quotes under the photos are from the speakers.
Defending life, of course, is about much more than voting the right way or saying the right things. It’s about promoting a culture of life. It’s about understanding that abortion is a defining human rights issue of our time. — Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio)
We indeed, Mr. President, must care for the vulnerable—but that also includes unborn children and their mothers. No one gets left out or left behind. All people are created equal. — Rep. Chris Smith, (R-NJ) Chairman of Congressional Prolife Caucus
The March for Life is a long day that begins before sunrise. But to give the unborn the chance to “see the light of day,” we gladly get up in the dark — and journey home in the dark when our mission is complete.
On the morning of Jan. 25, chartered buses from every state in the union were converging on their destination, Washington, DC, for the world’s largest annual civil-rghts demonstration — The March for Life.
Some of their passengers had been on the road for days.
We didn’t have quite that far to travel, but, still, our journey was 5-hours long. We gathered at Sacred Heart Church in Suffern before 6 am.
Bundled in layers of clothes against the single-digit temperatures, we boarded the bus with our provisions for the trip — snacks and things to read on the bus.
Our intrepid bus captain, Dave DiNapoli, (right) took attendance.
The bus captain is the go-to person on the bus, the leader who’s responsible for keeping the group together, answering their questions, and keeping them safe.
David is the son of Marie DiNapoli, of Suffern, the recruiter for the Sacred Heart bus, who took reservations, collected fares, and procured the scarves, banners, and materials for the trip.
The bus captain of the St. Paul’s bus was Eileen Peterson, of Stony Point.
Meanwhile, Msgr. Joseph Giandurco, (left) the pastor of Sacred Heart, greeted everyone outside as they entered the bus. Then he came aboard and offered us his congratulations and gave us his blessing before we left.
And then our friendly bus driver (we actually had two drivers — one is the other fellow in the photo with Msgr.) pulled out of the parking lot and we were on our way. 6 am! Bussing for Life! Washington, here we come.
Fr. Jerry Deponai (below), the pastor of St. Anthony’s in Nanuet, led us in prayer for a safe trip and that our March would be fruitful. Continue reading
ROCKLAND RIGHT TO LIFE COMMITTEE 