March for Life 2019

Jesuit High School's Pro-Life Club returned to Washington, D.C. last week to support the rights of the unborn at the 46th annual March for Life.

Led by school president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. and Pro-Life Club moderator Rania Saade, 47 Jesuit students joined hundreds of thousands of marchers on Friday (Jan. 18) as they worked their way from the National Mall to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as part of the largest pro-life demonstration in the world.

The event marks the 46th year since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling concerning abortion, and this is the 11th year Jesuit's Pro-Life Club has joined the march. Click here to learn more about the March for Life at marchforlife.org.

While on their four-day pilgrimage from Wed. Jan. 16 to Sat. Jan. 19, the Pro-Life Club and the six chaperones had numerous educational and spiritual experiences. After their arrival in D.C. on Wednesday, the group visited the International Holocaust Memorial Museum. Later that day, they celebrated Mass in Dahlgren Chapel at Georgetown University. Established in 1789, Georgetown is the oldest Jesuit university in the United States.

On Thursday, they met up with students from Jesuit New Orleans and visited St. Matthew's Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, to listen to lecturers at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, including George Weigel and Mary Hallan FioRito. Afterwards, they celebrated the National Prayer Vigil for Life Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

On Friday morning (Jan. 18), the group celebrated Mass at the Catholic Information Center, then traveled to the National Mall where they attended the Rally for the Unborn at Noon, followed by the March for Life to the U.S. Supreme Court. Afterwards, the group toured the Washington monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial.

Saturday, the Jesuit students went on a guided tour of Baltimore Basilica. Following that, the group celebrated Mass at Loyola University and attended a talk with Fr. John Conley, S.J. about being pro-life in academia.

Chaperone Noah Menendez '14 tweeted updates daily on the @TigerPilgrims Twitter account. There, users can scroll through the Jesuit contingent's timeline of experiences.

View a photo slideshow below of the Pro-Life Club's trip to D.C. for the March for Life:

The following students attended the 2019 March for Life:

James Benvicenga '19, Nicholas Deptula '19, Matt Farley '19, Nick Haskell '19, Andrew Kynes '19, Aidan Nies '19, Sergio Ruiz '19, Phillip Thompson '19, Thomas Turner '19, Arthur Ward '19, Wilson Ward '19, Trent Alexander '20, Riley Buchanan '20, Aidan Henriksen '20, Dominic Lafalce '20, Riley Martin '20, Milo Paman '20, Carlos Rueda '20, Brandon Ruel '20, Mark Rumsey '20, Dylan Thibodeau '20, Ajay Vander Werf '20, Max Al-Ali '21, John Barreto '21, Donnie Beard '21, Dominic Castellano '21, Austin Courtade '21, Thomas Davis '21, Jonathan Dawson '21, Evan Donaldson '21, Luke Franklin '21, Christian Hamilton '21, Jason Kwo '21, Wolf Louk '21, Trey Martinez '21, Miguel Menendez '21, James Moroney '21, Bern Plazewski '21, Cameron Sayers '21, Gavin Sissel '21, Kris Sosnowski '21, Mike Beard '22, Matt Bencivenga '22, Adrian Cancio Rodriguez '22, Grant Greenwell '22, Gianluca Mammola ’22, and Trey Morris '22.

March for Life chaperones:

Denise Diaz, Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J., Matthew Kuizon '11, David Mammola, Noah Menendez '14, and Rania Saade.