Thirteen students and two faculty members traveled by bus to Washington D.C. to attend the March for Life in January, 2023.

The students, comprised of six seniors, four juniors, one sophomore, and two pre-freshmen, were led by Campus Minister Mr. Jeff Ramon and Religion I. teacher Mrs. Catherine Tonry.

The march originally began on January 22, 1974, when thousands of pro-life activists gathered to stand up for the unborn. This came a year after the United States Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade that the fourteenth amendment implied a right to privacy, stripping states of the ability to vote on the topic of abortion and making the regulation of it a federal decision, essentially making abortion legal (to an extent) in all fifty states without restriction.

Every year since then, more and more protesters have joined in the fight for the intrinsic rights for every life, even the unborn. Accordingly, Saint Paul’s has sent students to represent the school in this march for many years.

Other than on the 23-hour bus ride and the march itself, most of the group’s time was spent touring the National Mall, visiting museums, and sight-seeing monuments. All of the students who attended agreed on how breathtaking the Capitol was, for instance.

Saint Paul’s junior Aidan Hayes was in attendance and could barely describe it all: “Seeing both the national monuments and the national Basilica was one of the most life-changing experiences I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. I strongly encourage any students who are on the fence to go next year.”

The trip culminated with the march itself. On January 20, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, along with over 500,000 others, gathered in the National Mall for the Rose Rally, where multiple pro-life speakers gave moving testimonies and rallying speeches. Immediately following the rally, the official march began. The march started in the center field of the National Mall, continued to the Capitol, and ended in front of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Saint Paul’s junior Sam Drez was incredibly honored to be a part of it. “I think it was inspiring to be a part of something I believe so strongly in and to make a difference. Being able to march for what I believe in is a good sign for us as Americans,” Drez stated.

Next year, Mr. Ramon hopes to have a higher turnout of students. For information regarding next year’s pilgrimage, contact Mr. Ramon at J.Ramon@stpauls.com