The 49th annual March for Life was this past weekend on January 21. Twelve of our very own Saint Joe students attended the March along with hundreds of others from our diocese. It was a very successful trip filled with singing, friendship, laughter, and prayer. 

Though the March for Life was a blast, it is far from comfortable. When asked how the March went, sophomore Mary Jo Appleton joked, “The March for Life was really good. It was a lot of fun, but it was very tiring. Sleeping on a bus and then on a gym floor is not the best.”

Joined by Mrs. Baglow, Miss Streich, chaperones, and students from Trinity, the crew drove all Thursday night to Washington, D.C. They marched Friday and spent the night on a gym floor with the other groups from the South Bend area, driving another ten hours back home on Saturday. 

The trip was tiring to say the least, but extremely rewarding. Appleton described the experience saying, “It was really humbling to see all the people that gathered to share our belief and support it, and I have a lot of hope for our generation coming up, especially with all the youth that was there.” 

With roughly 150,000 marchers, the March for Life is consistently one of the biggest protests of the year. This year in particular holds major significance, as Roe v. Wade is currently being reconsidered in the Supreme Court. It is extremely important for the pro-life message to be heard, for America is entering an era of change. 

Overall, the March was a joyful and powerful experience. Our Saint Joe family was able to educate, advocate, and pray for a future filled with life and hope rather than death and despair.