Delco students participate in 45th Annual Walk For Life
UPPER DARBY » Eighty-five students at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby and about 45 students from Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor will join thousands upon thousands of faithful from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia today when they travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 2018 March for Life.
The 2018 theme for the March for Life is “Love Saves Lives.” This year marks the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions legalizing abortion nationwide. Each year since 1974, the March for Life joins Catholics and other anti-abortion groups and individuals together in Washington to oppose the decisions.
“The March for Life is one giant prayer. As believers, we know that no prayer goes unheard. So to have a platform that unites us with so many people from across our country, in voice to our loving God, is an unbelievable opportunity,” explained David Barr, Bonner Prendie School minister and theology teacher. “We want to show our kids that their efforts mean something and that the Respect Life movement is theirs to take over. We want them to know that this younger generation has the voice and the courage to make change while being the voice for those who don’t have one.”
Barr said that many of the students in attendance are members of the Bonner Prendie Pro-Life Club. When he announced the trip over the loud speaker, it only took two days for all seats on two coach buses to be filled. The buses planned to depart from the school at 6:30 a.m. and head to Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput will be the principal celebrant at a special Mass for the delegation from Philadelphia, Diocese of Rochester, and Diocese of Toledo. Following a quick group photo op with Chaput outside of bacilica, the students will hop on the Metro to Constitution Avenue where they will join hundreds of thousands of others to begin the procession to the Supreme Court building.
The 2018 March for Life Rally will take place at noon on the grounds of the National Mall, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive. Following the rally, the march will begin on Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th streets at about 1 p.m.
Although signs are available at the march, Barr said members of Bonner Prendie’s Pro-Life Club and others have made their own signs as well as attended meetings over the last several weeks to review the mission of the march.
“We want the students to get the most out of this day and we want to prepare them ahead of time of the distractions that they may encounter along the way,” Barr said, referring to protesters often on the Constitution Avenue sidelines vocalizing opposing views. “We want to be sure our students know that they are speaking for those who have no voice and that by participating, they are making a difference and spreading the Gospel’s message.”
Barry Kirsch, who has been the moderator of the Pro Life Club at Archbishop John Carroll High School for 30 years, will accompany Rev. Michael Speziale, Carroll’s director of Campus Ministry, and a bus full of students on the trip to D.C. Kirsch said the bus will pull out at 4:45 a.m. Friday morning to make it on time for a special Respect Life Mass celebrated by Delaware County native, Most Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. After Mass, the students will arrive at the National Mall in time for the rally and march.
“We have made the trip to Washington every one of the 30 years that I’ve been at Carroll,” Kirsch said. “We think the march is very beneficial for our students because they get to join students from all over the country to stand up for life and proclaim its sacredness. We only have to drive a few hours to get there but some students really have to sacrifice, by driving all night or even for days to get there. This confirms to our students how important is for us to attend.”
Kirsch said the students are impressed, year after year, by the “awesome” sight of 600,000-700,000 marchers, all there to proclaim the value of life.
“When we reach the it Su-
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