More than a march
The March for Life Education and Defense Fund has one mission, “To provide all Americans with a place to testify to the beauty of life and the dignity of each human person.” The March for Life is an annual protest held in Washington D.C., and is being held on January 27 this year. Xavier has participated in the march for many years, but students were unable to attend this year due to icy road conditions and bad weather. On Sunday, January 15, ten students and two chaperones were planning to travel four hours to attend the March for Life in Chicago. Even though Xavier students were unable to make it, four to five thousand people from all over the midwest still came together to fight for a common goal. “Chicago is the largest pro-life march in the midwest; students from Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan attend,” Ms. Gineal Schrunk said. “God can do a lot with a little. The march itself isn’t really what is important. What is important is what God is planning on doing with it. If hearts or minds are changed it will be because of God’s grace working through the march.” Ms. Schrunk has attended the march three times in Washington D.C. She planned the trip to help students strengthen their faith, while also standing up for what they believe in. “I wanted students to realize they are not alone in their pro-life beliefs,” Ms. Schrunk said. The weekend was full of events beyond the march, including a variety of conferences, rallies, and speakers from all over the United States. Some of the events included a Youth Rally and Mass, as well as a SFLI Lovin’ Life Conference held at DePaul University. Senior Joy Schnoebelen said, “The march is smaller, but there are still a few thousand Catholic marching for the same reason.”
