By Ana Rodriguez Soto - Florida Catholic newspaper
Young adults from Encuentros Juveniles and Our Lady of Divine Providence take part in the Mass they celebrated at the hotel on the second night of their three-day March for Life pilgrimage to Washington, D.C.
Eucharistic adoration, accompanied by confession, concluded the second day of the young adult pilgrimage to the March for Life.
The dome of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, on the campus of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
The entire group of young adult pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Miami pose for a photo after arriving at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the last day of their pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
The group of young adult pilgrims from Encuentros Juveniles, along with their chaperone Zoila Murgado, bottom row right, pose for a photo after arriving at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the last day of their pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
The group of young adult pilgrims from Our Lady of Divine Providence, along with their chaperones Maria Elena Flores and Zoila Murgado, center, pose for a photo after arriving at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the last day of their pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
The group of young adult pilgrims from Notre Dame d'Haiti pose for a photo after arriving at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the last day of their pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
The group of young adult pilgrims from Immaculate Conception pose for a photo with their pastor, Father Manny Alvarez, center, after arriving at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the last day of their pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Maria Elena Flores of Our Lady of Divine Providence Parish prays in front of the image of Our Lady of Charity, patroness of Cuba, which is in one of the niches of the upper church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
View of one of the Christ in Majesty mosaic in the north apse of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
View of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel inside the upper church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Father Manny Alvarez celebrates Mass for archdiocesan young adults in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in the crypt church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Archdiocesan young adults celebrate Mass in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in the crypt church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Father Manny Alvarez celebrates the final Mass of the young adult pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. The Mass took place in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in the crypt of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Archdiocesan young adults receive a blessing from Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, whom they ran into as they were leaving the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on their last day in Washington, D.C.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston blesses a religious article presented by Sophonie Dagrin of Notre Dame d'Haiti's young adult group.
Father Manny Alvarez, pilgrimage chaplain, and Rosemarie Banich, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, chat with Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, whom they ran into as they were leaving the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception during their last day of their March for Life pilgrimage to Washington, D.C.
Posing with Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, from left: Father Manny Alvarez, pilgrimage chaplain; Steve Colella, archdiocesan director of Evangelization and Parish Life; and Rosemarie Banich, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
Photography: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
WASHINGTON, D.C. | On the last day of their pilgrimage for life, young adults from the archdiocese spent the morning touring the national Holocaust Memorial Museum. In the afternoon, they celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
The visit to the Holocaust museum is an integral part of the experience for most of the Catholic students and young adults who travel to the March for Life. It is always the first stop for the 120 archdiocesan high school students and their chaperones who travel to D.C. led by Joan Crown of the Respect Life Office.
The reason is evident: to draw parallels between Hitler’s “final solution” and the “quick fix” of abortion: Both put an end to lives that are inconvenient for either political or personal reasons. Both have resulted in the deaths of millions. Both were/are “the law of the land.”
At the museum, the young adults took a sobering walk through boxcars and a roomful of shoes from those who died in the death camps. They saw photographs from the time and pondered the words of villains, heroes and martyrs.
Then, after lunch, they traveled to the basilica, viewed and photographed its magnificent works of art, and prayed before their favorite Marian images and saints.
Their last official act before leaving for the airport was the celebration of Mass in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in the crypt church. The Gospel reading for the day was from the Gospel of Mark (3:13-19), where Jesus “appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.”
Basing his homily on those words, Father Manny Alvarez, the pilgrimage group’s chaplain, told the young adults:
“You came as disciples, and are sent back as apostles, to share with others what you have seen and heard here in Washington. Because (Jesus) has called each and every one of you by name… You have chosen life. Now you have been chosen to go back and proclaim that life.”
