Jan. 22, 2002 marked the 29th anniversary for the controversial Roe v. Wade decision. I
t was greeted with hundreds of thousands of Pro-Life supporters in Washington D.C., including 82 students, faculty and staff from Saint Louis University and Washington University, who peacefully protested the Supreme Court’s verdict in the annually held March for Life.
The event drew more than 100,000, March coordinators reported.
SLU joined dozens of colleges, parishes and Pro-Life groups who gathered on the mall next to the Washington monument at noon Tuesday for a rally. It was followed by a march down Constitution Avenue toward the Capital building and ending at the Supreme Court. The protest was a day-and-a-half event with mass and prayer vigils the night before the activities on Tuesday. However, the student-run organization, Students For Life, had been working on the trip since last summer.
The itinerary for the March had been set in October and the logistics of transporting, housing and feeding 82 march participants was almost a significant undertaking.
The large number of students SFL wanted to take presented a unique challenge. Barney Barry, S.J., advisor for the SFL, highlighted some distinctions from the past. “From the success of last year’s march, it was a watershed year for SLU, and it is the first time the SFL has gone beyond its membership to get people to go on this trip.”
Without financial support the trip would have cost each attendee over $100. Generous contributions from Campus Ministry and some outside fundraising brought the cost down to $65-$70. Chad Koehnke, SFL’s president, was more than pleased with the financial contributions. “Campus Ministry was a huge asset, the trip would have been nothing it was without them.”
The two chartered buses left St. Louis at 7:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 amid the freshly fallen snow from the previous night’s storm. The travelers made it safely to Wheeling, in northern W.Va., that evening and stayed the night in the recreation center at Wheeling Jesuit University. They have hosted SLU for many years on the trip.
On Sunday, Jan. 20, the group arrived in Baltimore to sightsee around the Inner Harbor and disperse to their lodging for remainder of the trip. Holy Family Catholic Church, located in a Baltimore suburb an hour and fifteen minutes from D.C., parishioners hosted the marchers.
The parish had been graciously accommodating the group in the past, but this year’s large numbers stretched their resources. Despite this, the families opened up their homes for anywhere from two to eight students.
The following day, Jan. 21, the buses pulled into Washington D.C., and the group spent the morning in the Holocaust Museum, followed by sight seeing throughout the mall area.
The troupe attended the National Prayer Vigil for Life Mass that evening held at the National Shrine Basilica in the Capital. The Archbishop of Philadelphia, Anthony Cardinal Bevilaque, hundreds of bishops, priests, nuns and other ordained, along with thousands of Pro-Life supporters packed the Shrine for the evening service. Bevilaque’s homily against abortion and the reading of a personal supportive letter from President Bush to the congregation led many to applaud. The mass was followed by a 24-hour vigil held in the Crypt Church, in the Shrines basement, a tradition that has been practiced since 1981. Joining the vigil were hundreds of other march participants who where housed throughout the Shrine in hallways, foyers and even chapels.
The SLU group again stayed with their host families that evening and returned to the U.S. Capitol that morning to meet and speak with their respective senators, representatives or their staff about their Pro-Life cause.
The March for Life rally began at noon, and SLU was joined by other Jesuit schools, such as Wheeling and Georgetown, to march together. The rally featured speeches from various leaders in the Pro-Life movement along with a live telephoned-in speech from President Bush, while he was away in West Virginia.
At around 1:15 p.m., Constitution Avenue was closed off for the marchers as the thousands of people made their slow walk towards the Capitol and the Supreme Court. People in the crowd carried posters and signs reading “Stop Abortion Now” and “I am a former fetus.” SLU carried large banners and waved hand-made signs supporting their cause. Pockets of the crowd were singing songs or cheering and others were praying the rosary.
Diverse cross sections of Americans were represented, and everyone from the very young to the very old was in attendance. A large number of college-aged students packed the crowd. The marchers stretched from curb to curb of the avenue and from the steps of the Supreme Court past 1st Street to the end of 14th, the people were densely packed.
The march lasted an 1 1/2 hours. It covered over a mile and was met with little counter-protest during its proceeding. Pro-Choice activists held a candle-lit vigil outside the Supreme Court that evening.
The SLU group departed at 4 p.m. and drove through the night to arrive in St. Louis Wednesday morning at 8 a.m., 97 hours after their departure.
Barry was very pleased with the entire trip. “It went very well. The trip was well organized and the SFL officers did a great job. The students benefited from realizing that a lot of people are behind them on the Pro-Life issue . it was beyond my expectations.”
Christine Hinson, secretary for SFL, has been to the march three times. “I think it went wonderfully, with everyone that went and the comments that I heard, I think everyone enjoyed it . being a little older this year, it meant a lot to me.”
The reason for people going was as diverse as the participants themselves. Brian Bradley, a junior physical therapy student, went because, “it is something I strongly believe and I felt a need to voice that to our government.”
Sophomore chemistry major Sarah Riter shared a similar sentiment. “I wanted to be able to voice my views in a peaceful manner and meet others at school who have the same values I do.”
Others came on the trip to find answers. Rebecca Dohrman, a junior Spanish major, was searching for her own view. “I had never had enough information to make a stance and have been in the middle. I think it is important to make a choice on the important issues.”
John Schlautman, a sophomore philosophy major, attended the trip on his own terms. “I am Catholic and Pro-Life, but I went on the march to do something different, not because I felt obligated to do so.”
The highlights of the trip were different for many people. Greta Weissler, a junior communication disorders student enjoyed all the people she saw. “I got to witness some truly Christian people and I am able to try and live up to their standard.”
Bradley was awed by the march. “Getting to the top of Capital Hill, turning around and seeing endless amounts of people and signs for the same cause, it was awesome.”
Julie Burke, a junior biology major enjoyed her host family. “The family I stayed with in Baltimore was my favorite experience. I stayed with an inspirational, devoted and faith-filled family.”
Freshman Angela Burke echoed what most on the trip felt about the march. “I am very impressed with the student leaders that put this together. It went very smoothly, was fun and made for an excellent experience.”
