To commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the controversial case that legalized abortion in the United States, almost 40 Creighton students traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the March for Life.
The students banded together with around 650,000 other Americans on Jan. 22 in the hopes of raising awareness about the sanctity of all life, even in the womb, and influencing legislators to overturn the ruling.
Senior James Doyle, president of the Catholic Students Organization, embarked on this trip to the nation’s capitol.
“I went to the March for Life because I believe that all life is worth standing up for and that unless we can guarantee the right to life, which is the most basic and fundamental human right. Then any visions we might have of establishing a worldwide recognition of and commitment to human rights will ultimately prove illusory,” Doyle said.
As well as the March, students who participated in the trip also got to take advantage of Washington D.C.’s tourism industry and went sight-seeing. Some students visited the famous monuments; others toured the Smithsonian museums; and a few ambitious students went to the Library of Congress to obtain library cards. Doyle said his favorite part of the experience was enjoying Mass with 10,000 other high school and college students the night before the March.
“To partake in the holy sacrifice of the Mass with hundreds of priests and bishops from across the country was enough to move me to tears,” Doyle said.
Doyle also expressed feelings that most people are incorrect in assuming the term anti-abortion only means pro-life.
“The message can’t stop there. Being pro-life is about learning to love each and every human being as a beloved child of God,” Doyle said.
The recent trip was not the only opportunity for pro-life students to get involved; there are constant events and activities on and around campus that students can attend. A March for Life will be held this Saturday, Jan. 31, in the streets of downtown Lincoln.
“Every week, there is a group of students who drives to the abortion clinic operated in Bellevue to pray for the conversion of the medical staff, as well as for the expecting mothers, their families and their unborn children,” Doyle said.
The Catholic Students Organization plans this trip annually. For more information about the organization or its presence on campus, visit its page on the CU Involved website.