Amongst a multitude of hundreds of thousands of people of many different races, ages, and walks of life, Benedictine College marched on Washington in protest of abortion Jan. 22.
Sixty BC students and faculty left on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 20 for Washington D.C. They arrived the following day around the same time. That evening, there was a Vigil Mass for Life at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
“The Mass was attended by thousands,” said Joe Dobrynski, junior at BC and President of Ravens Respect Life. “There were a number of Cardinals, bishops, and priests and over 400 seminarians in the procession.”
The day of the march, the BC students attended the March for Life Rally, where religious, political, and other pro-life leaders spoke. Finally, the crowd of marched from the National Mall up Capitol Hill to the Supreme Court Building.
“My favorite part of the march was seeing the unity among all different groups and types of people,” said Whitney Danze, a senior at BC. “It was awesome to hear all the different speakers... their different experiences and encouragement about our stand for life.”
That evening and the majority of Saturday were free time for students to sightsee until they had to load the bus and get ready to head back to Atchison. After arriving back on campus around noon on Sunday, Jan. 24, the students and faculty attended Mass in St. Martin’s Chapel celebrated by BC Chaplain Father Meinrad Miller.
As far as the number of people from Benedictine who went on the march, there were about 60 this year, compared to about 180 that went last year. Dobrynski said this was due to a number of reasons including money issues, other mission trip opportunities, and the oft-feared prospect of missing class.
For students who couldn't make it to Washington for the national march, there was also a mini March for Life that took place the same day in Topeka, Kansas. Several BC students took part in this one who did not go to Washington, D.C.
Dobrynski said students' mission didn't end with the march's conclusion.
“We must be faithful in the small matters God presents us with in our daily lives,” Dobrynski said. “This means conversations with friends and family, prayer, and getting involved in all types of pro-life activities.”
“I think just by talking about the importance of life to others can raise awareness and convey the importance,” Danze said. “Also, sharing experiences and stories…and just appreciating the people in your life and knowing how blessed you are.”
