On Jan. 24 thousands of anti-abortion Americans gathered peacefully in Washington, D.C., to march at the National Mall in protest of the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. Among the crowd was senior Andrew Shipp, leading his second youth ministry trip to the nation’s capital for the annual March For Life. Shipp was not there just to march- he was there to lead.

Through the Office of Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese, Shipp participated in leading a program geared at advancing a “pro-life message.” It is a task that he not only relishes; it comes natural.

“We wanted [to stress] importance of respecting all life from conception to natural death, in sickness and in health. I think the teens really connected and that we made a difference,” he said. “We were part of a huge crowd that walked the National Mall to the Capitol and the Supreme Court to hopefully get our point, our prayer, across that we support life and we feel that it shouldn’t be as lightly as some people take it.”

How Shipp arrived in the capital, leading a prayer march to the Supreme Court building on a cold winter’s day, is a story in itself. The St. Louis native knew from his freshman year in high school at De Smet Jesuit that his faith would drive his life. How exactly, he was not so sure. As a teen, he participated in and lead retreats like Kairos and TEC, but what seems so natural to him took several years of discernment.

“I was at Rockhurst University and I didn’t really have a lot of things figured out,” he said. “It clicked on me that I would want to pursue a deeper level of theology, and I started looking at other schools and came across SLU, and this is where I ended up.”

After transferring to SLU, Shipp found a unique way to grow in his faith through the Archdiocese of St. Louis. After volunteering for the Office of Youth Ministry, Shipp said he became aware of a summer internship coordinating and planning events for Catholic youth ministries around the St. Louis area.

“I loved it,” Shipp said. “It was a great way to spend my summer, doing what I know is right, planning for events for the diocese and … for over 3,000 teens. Those things have always been important to me. It’s something I thought I would enjoy continuing on with.”

Making a difference in teens’ lives is exactly what Shipp said he enjoys. According to him, sharing his faith with teens challenges him to be better in his own faith life.

“I mess up. I make mistakes. I’m human. I struggle with my faith at times like everyone else,” Shipp said. “But because I am challenged, it allows for me to be a greater example for the teens and to challenge them to stay spiritual and stay passionate about their faith through college. That’s the cool thing about it.”

Shipp said he hopes to teach at a Catholic high school in the future, which, according to him, will allow him to pursue his other great love, coaching soccer. In the meantime, however, he said he will continue to finish his degree while engaging youth through his work with the diocese.

Shipp has advice for the teens with whom he works.

“Just because I’m in ministry doesn’t mean I have it figured out.  All that I can do is share my story, share my faith and be a role model,” Shipp said. “It’s important that we stay strong in our faith and acknowledge and recognize that God is a huge part of our lives.”