By Timothy Stoeber ’26 and Daniel Graziose ’27
Moderator’s note: Due to an error on the part of the moderator, this article was not posted when it was meant to be.
On Friday, January 24th, 2025, over 35 Chaminade High School Flyers and four moderators traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the annual March for Life, the world’s largest annual human rights event. It is an inspiring, peaceful, and faith-filled gathering consisting of men, women, and children from across the nation, and it promotes the school’s deeply-held pro-life beliefs.
Chaminade has been attending the rally since 1983; this totals 40 years at the march, excluding the year the march was not held due to COVID-19.
Christopher Geitner ’27 stated, “Seeing the large crowds and, notably, the amount of young people there is definitely telling that…we must continue to fight for what we believe. While it is easy to believe that those who support our position are older, the amount of young marchers shows the importance of our pro-life position.”
Shortly after arriving, the Flyers traveled to the National Mall and listened to many pro-life speakers. Notable speakers included Speaker of the House Mike Johnson; professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton; and Vice President J.D. Vance, the second-ever Catholic vice president. All of the speakers stressed the importance of protecting every human life and the need to care for expecting mothers. They assured the pro-life faithful that they will not stop fighting for our beliefs until “abortion is illegal and unthinkable.”
The speakers often referred to the famous line in the U.S. Declaration of Independence: “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Vice President Vance noted the joyfulness of the attendees, despite them having to stand outdoors on an abnormally cold day. He focused the crowd’s attention on the theme of the day: “Life: Why We March.”
“We march to protect the unborn,” Vance stated. “We march to proclaim and live out the sacred truth that every single child is a miracle and a gift from God.”
Following the conclusion of the vice president’s speech, the faithful congregation of pro-life activists started their March for Life. The march began near the Washington Monument. Marchers then walked down Constitution Avenue, proceeded to Pennsylvania Avenue, crossed the National Mall, continued up Independence Avenue, and, symbolically, finished the March in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.
It was inspiring to see the Chaminade students and alumni gathered together, wearing Chaminade’s traditional March for Life scarves, to make their presence known as active members of the pro-life community.
“I thought the Chaminade students were exceptionally enthusiastic about attending the rally and march that followed afterwards,” said Bro. Stephen Balletta, S.M. ’74. “The Flyers’ participation in the march provided a tangible witness to young people putting their faith in action. For me personally, it was really inspiring to see.”
This year marked the 52nd March for Life, which began after the passing of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973. On that fateful day, abortion was legalized across the United States. Since then, over 63 million abortions have been performed in the United States.
The first March for Life took place on January 22, 1974—precisely one year after the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. Nellie Gray, lawyer and pro-life activist, organized the first event and became a key leader in the pro-life movement. Twenty-thousand pro-lifers attended the first march.
Today, the March for Life continues to be a successful avenue to promote and protect life, drawing an average of 50,000 to 100,000 pro-lifers each year, with some years having seen a turnout of almost 200,000 determined activists.
On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court via Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The overturning of Roe v. Wade ended federal protection of abortion rights and, instead, made abortion a matter to be handled by the state governments. Despite such a pivotal ruling, the legality of abortion still remains an issue. Although some states have completely banned abortion, many other states have little or no restrictions and have protected the practice under legislative acts. Unfortunately, abortions have not decreased significantly since the overturning of Roe v. Wade because expecting mothers have traveled to states where abortions are still legal to have their abortion performed.
“We can keep attending the March for Life, pray, and try to convince those who are struggling with the idea of abortion that there are other, better options,” said Robert Crimmins ’27.
Chaminade students are committed to continuing the tradition of attending the March for Life and protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
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