Marching for Life
Marchers from all around the nation joined to protect the unborn.
January 27, 2022
The Pro-Life March takes place annually and every other year, St. Joseph’s Academy seizes the opportunity to attend.
The Pro-Life March occurs around the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973. The speakers who addressed the marchers include Members of Congress, Down Syndrome advocate Katie Shaw, Duck Dynasty star Lisa Robertson, actor Kirk Cameron, and other prominent pro-life leaders like Fr. Mike Schmitz, the Keynote Speaker for the 2022 March for Life Rose Dinner. The theme for the 2022 March for Life was Equality Begins in the Womb.
Unfortunately for the 2021-2022 school year, St. Joseph’s Academy was not able to participate in the March for Life trip, as was originally planned.
Ms. Hailey Meersman, math teacher and Respect Life moderator, spoke on behalf of the Administration and COVID Safety Committee.
“With the unexpected severity of this new wave of COVID-19, we feel that there is no safe way to proceed with an event in which our students and chaperones would be surrounded by thousands of people. Additionally, there would be no safe way to get students home if they become infected while in D.C.,” Ms.Meersman said.
However, SJA came up with several alternatives to be present with those on the march. SJA hosted a Respect Life Prayer Service with all its students on Tuesday, January 18 while gathered at Community Time to “pray for an end to abortion, healing and forgiveness for those involved in abortion, and an increased respect for all human life.”
Additionally, families were invited to join the Respect Life Apostolate for the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ Roe v. Wade Memorial Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski on Saturday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica. Mass included the Pro-Life Generation Memorial and the LifeLine Coalition collection, which benefits thousands of local pregnant/parenting moms, children, and families annually. A peaceful and prayerful Rosary Procession to and from the state’s last abortion facility followed the Mass, which marked the 49th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion on Jan. 22, 1973. The prayer vigil concluded with a reception and fellowship in Boland Hall. Lastly, students were given approval to wear March for Life sweatshirts with skirts on the days that they would have been on the March.
Senior Samantha Stryker went on the Pro-Life March with her youth group, though she couldn’t attend with St. Joe.
“It is so amazing to see people of all ages coming together from all over the country to show how important the right to human life is from conception to natural death,” she said.
While St. Joe was unable to attend the march this year, they look forward to future visits to march for the rights of the unborn.
