The group spent much of their first day in the city visiting many of the national monuments and museums. Among the venues they visited was the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to learn more about the atrocities that took place in Europe during the Second World War and the lack of respect for human life that haunts our world's history. 
 

Ahead of the March on Friday morning, January 19, approximately 250 students from Jesuit high schools, colleges and universities, and parishes from across the country gathered for the Ignatian Mass for Life at St. Aloysius Church at Gonzaga College High School. Many of those in the delegation were excited to see a familiar face and hear a beautiful and inspiring homily from former RJ Jesuit Regent, Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ, who is now the Secretary of the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In his homily, Fr. Kellerman challenged students to reflect on how their baptism and confirmation invite them to defy expectations of them as pro-life advocates and respond to God’s call to stand with the oppressed, including the unborn, mothers and those facing poverty. You can read Fr. Kellerman's full homily or listen to the audio recording here.

Following Mass, the RJ delegation headed out onto the cold and snowy streets where they joyfully joined tens of thousands of marchers. The rally culminated in an inspiring, peaceful and uplifting assembly of women, men, young people and children from all across the country supporting human rights and celebrating and dignifying human life from conception to natural death.  

As a conclusion to the trip, the RJ delegation attended the 25th Annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life where Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, OFM, offered the keynote address followed by various breakout sessions on topics surrounding abortion as well as looked ahead to the next 25 years of the pro-life movement. The day ended with a special Mass for Life celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori, Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.