Marian’s pro-life club, Knights for Life, went to the annual March for Life and the following the National Pro-life summit in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20. The group protested the legalization of abortion, the medical practice that terminates a pregnancy. 

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022 that handed the legalization of abortion to the states, activists began the process of making abortion not only illegal but unthinkable in Post-Roe America. 

Knights for Life arrived at Washington Monument and walked to the March for Life rally. There the group stood 50 ft away from the stadium and listened to music from The Messengers and heard testimonies and talks by the speakers invited. The speakers ranged from government officials such as Steve Scalise, actor Jonathan Roumie, and The daughter of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Gianna Emanuela Molla. After the conclusion of the last speaker, the march began. 

Due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade the March changed directions to pass by both the U.S. Capitol building and Supreme Court. 

Knights for Life spread out within the crowd, making sure every student had a companion. Students held up signs in shapes of hearts with slogans like “love them both” reforming to the mother and the baby in the womb. At the end everyone reconvened for dinner at Union Station. 

Olivia Heying, the Co-dorecter of the March for Life started working on getting Marian to the district with her co-director Tony Fleming since before school started in August. Heying said many long nights and hard work took place to get the group to the district, including fundraising, establishing local connections so the club had a place to sleep, securing transportation, food, chaperone, and signing up to the summit.

According to Heying, the summit focused on the next steps of the pro-life movement with talks and sessions on living as a Post-Roe activist. A heavy emphasis was placed on supporting the mothers, volunteering for a local pregnancy resources center and letting the mothers know there is support for them.

“Making sure we are not forgetting to love them both, that’s something I love about the culture of Knights for Life,” Heying said. “It’s compassion and love first; that’s something we need so much in Post-Roe America,” Heying said.