Central Catholic Students & Staffulty Attend Annual March for Life

Central Catholic Priest Leader, Fr. Kevin Moebius (Class of 1999), along with eight students and two staffulty members, joined other representatives from the Diocese of Toledo in attending the National March for Life on January 23 in Washington D.C.  The March for Life is an inspiring peaceful rally of women, men, young people, and children from across the country, and it’s the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world. 

Every January, tens of thousands of pro-lifers converge in Washington, D.C. and march on Capitol Hill to remember the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling which legalized abortion in all 50 states.  And while the Dobbs ruling returned the decision to the American people, the work to protect life continues at the state and federal levels.  The March for Life is not just a protest.  It is a celebration of beauty, dignity, and value of every human life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

The CCHS group attended Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception before they took part in the annual rally and march.  They listened to speakers at the National Pro-Life Summit and learned how to better live out the pro-life mission.  They also had an opportunity to tour DC and visit some of the monuments.  

Senior John Cherry has attended the march all four years he has been at Central Catholic.  “Men are often seen as not being part of this conversation because it’s not our bodies, so this doesn’t concern us,” he explained.  “But standing up for life is up to all of us, and it’s important for all of us to have our voices heard.  I feel that it’s part of a man’s duty to love and protect his family, so I see this as an extension of that duty.  Even though I’ve been to the march four times now, I learn something new each time.  If you go once and think you’ve learned everything there is to learn, then you will have a closed mind about it.  I try to go into this every time with an open mind and to be open to new possibilities and make new connections.  It’s important to show my support for the cause by going every year.”   

This was campus minister Anna Walker’s third time attending the March for Life.  “I feel that each time I attend, God calls me to look at things in a different way,” she said.  “I originally went to the march to help women in need, to pray for them, and to show them that they have more options.  But my reasons have evolved over the years.  I think it’s important to support women in more ways, and to understand that we need to be pro-life in everything, not just abortion.  This includes support for immigrants and not having the death penalty.” 

Senior Anthony Villarreal has also attended the March for Life three times.  “It’s important to me to help others and to care for all life,” he said.  “It’s been very motivational to attend with other people from Central Catholic and to be part of such a powerful movement.  This years’ experience was very reverent and prayerful, and we had a beautiful time.  Listening to the speakers really opened my eyes to public speaking and using your own voice to speak out about your beliefs.”