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Feature News | Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Teens reflect on their experience at the March for Life

About 130 students from 10 local Catholic high schools took part in this year’s march in D.C.

St. Thomas Aquinas seniors, from left, Paige Pokryfke, Shania Moscat, and Phoenix Tabasso pose with their pro-life placards in front of the U.S. Capitol as they take part in the March for Life Jan. 19, 2018.

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO

St. Thomas Aquinas seniors, from left, Paige Pokryfke, Shania Moscat, and Phoenix Tabasso pose with their pro-life placards in front of the U.S. Capitol as they take part in the March for Life Jan. 19, 2018.

MIAMI | A total of 132 high school students from 10 Catholic schools in the archdiocese took part in this year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C. Deacon James “Doc” Dugard, who organizes the schools’ participation along with Respect Life Director Joan Crown, asked a few of them to submit their reflections about a week after their return. Here’s what they had to say.

 

A truly remarkable cause

By Sara Lasi, grade 12, Cardinal Gibbons High School

Every year, our nation’s capital holds the largest pro-life march in the world. Roe v. Wade was a landmark establishment, allowing the termination of a pregnancy of any child, if a woman chooses to do so. Hundreds of thousands of people join in the March for Life hosted at the beginning of every year, where every individual is fighting for the right to life. This year, a group of students from Cardinal Gibbons High School, including myself, had the privilege to participate in such an amazing movement.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School students, from left, Shania Moscat, Paige Pokryfke, Phoenix Tabasso, Cristina Avila, Rene Padilla and Patrick De Freitas pose outside the Church of the Holy Rosary, where the 132-strong archdiocesan group celebrated Mass before the start of the 2018 March for Life.

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO

St. Thomas Aquinas High School students, from left, Shania Moscat, Paige Pokryfke, Phoenix Tabasso, Cristina Avila, Rene Padilla and Patrick De Freitas pose outside the Church of the Holy Rosary, where the 132-strong archdiocesan group celebrated Mass before the start of the 2018 March for Life.

On January 17, we packed our bags and headed to Washington D.C. with approximately 130 other students from the Archdiocese of Miami. On this pilgrimage we encountered many people from all parts of the world and the nation, fighting for a sole purpose: the end to abortion. Throughout our journey, we visited museums, held prayer vigils, bonded with one another, attended Mass, and most importantly, marched for the right to life. We were also very fortunate to have traveled to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at the Catholic University of America. To top it all off, our group attended Mass and confession in the crypt of the Basilica, which was a truly remarkable experience.

The day of the March, we attended a beautiful Mass in a small Italian church, Church of the Holy Rosary, and headed to the National Mall. On the mall were thousands of people preparing for the event we had all traveled to D.C. to attend. Seeing the sea of people behind our seemingly minuscule group was breathtaking. To think that so many people had come all that way for a cause to end abortion was even more amazing. The lesson, I believe, we were able to take away from this pilgrimage was that all life is sacred. Many times, we take what we have for granted, sometimes even our lives, but when I realized the impact that this court case had caused, (it) was astounding. We all had the experience of our lifetimes and know that we had gone for a truly remarkable cause.

 

If we don’t stand for those who can’t, then what do we stand for?

Giuliana Michel Gechelin, grade 10, Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School

The March for life is an annual pro-life event held in Washington D.C., attended by thousands of students and people around the United States. Once a year they unite for a great cause: to speak for those who cannot. They protest in a peaceful but passionate way about their love for life and how it should be respected from the very beginning. In the march, you can see all kinds of people, from kids to women who aborted and now stand brave, showing that they regret their abortion. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend an event where everyone is committed to change the world for the better. If we don’t stand for those who can’t, then what do we stand for? This experience truly had an inspirational impact on my life and I would be willing to attend next year’s march in 2019.

 

Young people making a difference

Paige Pokryfke, grade 12, St. Thomas Aquinas High School

My name is Paige Pokryfke and I had the opportunity to participate in this march with St. Thomas Aquinas High School through the Archdiocese of Miami. This was my first year attending the march, but I have heard from people who have gone that it was an eye-opening experience. I have been wanting to participate in this event since my freshman year, but I was so busy with sports that I did not have the chance to go before.

We arrived at the airport in Washington D.C. really early in the morning because of the time of our departing flight. When we went outside, we instantly felt the difference of D.C. and Florida. Yet, that was one of the best parts of the trip, the cold weather. Afterward, we drove to Union Station where we would be eating most of our meals for the rest of the trip. This was also another one of my favorite parts of the trip, exploring Union Station and its restaurants. Then, we went to the Holocaust Museum where my perspective on life truly changed. You always hear about this disastrous event in history. However, when you are looking at thousands of shoes that were taken from people, your viewpoint on the world changes.

On the third day of our pilgrimage, we participated in the March for Life, where thousands of pro-life supporters come together to share their faith and their opinions on the topic. Just looking at the amount of people that went to this event really struck me because this just shows us that we can come all together as a community and start making a difference in our world. There were all different age groups who participated in the march, but it was mainly made up of teenagers, which showed that our generation will not (leave) this world in vain. We will keep building the foundation back up until we’re stationary.

Finally, on the last day of the pilgrimage, all the schools who participated in this event with the Archdiocese of Miami, came together and really bonded. We got to know each other more when we did icebreakers in the hotel lobby and when we were walking from place to place.

Just spending time with those who share the same faith as you, no matter what school they go to, will really help strengthen and help you understand deeper into your faith. If I was not a senior this year, I would definitely participate in this event again because it really changed my perspective on life and (gave me) a different viewpoint on the world.

 

It is a march for women

Manuel Fernandez, grade 12, Belen Jesuit Prep

Pope Francis said, “The right to life is the first among human rights.” For 45 years, women all over the United States have had the so called “right” to terminate their pregnancy. The landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, made this possible, but also sparked a counter movement to protect the most basic human right to life. The annual March for Life is perhaps one of the most important protests going on in the country because it is a protest against the killing of people that have yet to be born, which goes on every day in this country. It is a march for women. It is for women whose lives are gravely affected by either going through with an abortion, or trying to make a decision on whether or not to end the life of their own child. It has given a voice to the voiceless.

Clear skies, relatively warm temperatures and the Washington Monument greeted archdiocesan participants at  the 2018 March for Life.

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO

Clear skies, relatively warm temperatures and the Washington Monument greeted archdiocesan participants at the 2018 March for Life.

On Jan. 19, I participated in the March for Life alongside my school and the Archdiocese of Miami. This was my second time making the pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., and it is safe to say that it is a unique and impactful experience every time. Before even hitting the streets of our nation’s capital, this trip is special in that you get to spend time with a bunch of high school students from all over the archdiocese who come together for one cause. The march itself is an unforgettable journey with a clear mission. Seeing such a diverse and unbelievable amount of people stand with you in protection of life, from conception to natural death, is awe-inspiring. The overwhelming sense of community, hope, and faith in Jesus Christ that fuels the march is amazing to witness and be a part of. It is also extremely important to note and appreciate that the great nation that we live in allows and encourages us to protest against our government and express our beliefs without fear.

In the end, the 2018 March for Life was a successful strike against the legal, daily tragedy that is abortion and a powerful reminder that all life must be respected and protected. However, the battle continues even after the march is over. It is now time to take all of the eye-opening experiences of the march and use them to fight for life every day, so that this generation may truly be the pro-life generation.

Comments from readers

Andrew Meszaros - 02/01/2018 09:16 AM
The March for Life came and went with minimal mainstream media coverage. By ignoring it, the media missed out on a most inspiring event of so many young faces testifying with optimism that life is a gift, that life is good, that hope is better than fear. This is a much needed message: a remedy to our society often draped in despair.

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