Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P., (left) & Fr. Edmund McCullough, O.P., with Dartmouth College students.
March for Life 2018: A Joyful Witness
By Br. Anthony VanBerkum, O.P.
This year marked the 45th annual March for Life in Washington, DC. Marchers ranged from elderly veterans of many marches to newborns in strollers to sleep-deprived, yet enthusiastic, college students. The diverse marchers were unified by their joy—their love for God’s gift of life overflowing into infectious enthusiasm. This is a bit of an odd contrast: after all, the March for Life protests one of the most horrific aspects of modern culture, the widespread slaughter of innocent children in the womb.
Enthusiasm is fitting, though. Although we must not allow ourselves to become numb to the horror of abortion, it is good that our public witness is joyful, for the pro-life movement is not about limiting options or restricting freedoms but about helping all people to share in the joys of life and family.
Our Dominican charism comes especially to the fore during the annual March, as we preach the Gospel of Life to those who come to Washington. We offer food, shelter, and prayer to the pilgrims. We also experience our own kind of Dominican diversity during the March, as friars, sisters, and those we serve gather from around the country to walk, sing, and pray with us as we march together along the Mall.
Our witness to life continues all year round. At our many parishes and ministry sites, there are Dominican friars promoting the cause of life in numerous ways, serving as chaplains, preaching retreats, and giving counsel and aid to suffering mothers. Most of all, we offer up many quiet Rosaries to the Lord, beseeching His mercy for this nation and especially for those mothers who are struck with fear, rather than joy, at the prospect of new life.
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