Over 430 students attend National March

Over 430 students from the University of Notre Dame joined the March for Life in Washington, D.C. this past Friday, January 24. The trip was organized by the Notre Dame Right to Life Club (RtL), allowing students to join thousands of marchers from across the nation in protest for the defense of preborn children.

Although the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 has given more power to the states in determining their abortion policies, March for Life, a pro-life non-profit organization, has continued to host a national rally in Washington each year. Information from their website details the further commitment to the pro-life cause, saying, “The goal of the national March for Life is to not only change laws at the state and federal level, but to change the culture to ultimately make abortion unthinkable. … We will continue to march every January at the national level until a culture of life is restored in the United States of America.” 

RtL Club president Jackie Nguyen also explained her convictions for why the club continues to march, telling the Rover, “Fighting for the unborn and the sanctity of life will not stop until the dignity of every life is upheld, and Right to Life will continue to march until then. Beyond advocacy, the March for Life strengthens the culture of life within the Notre Dame community. As the organization’s largest annual event, it draws hundreds of students to Washington, D.C. for a weekend of prayer, witness, and fellowship.” 

Students departed from Notre Dame on Thursday night and arrived at St. Charles Borromeo parish in Arlington, Virginia early Friday morning. In preparation for the March, pilgrims prayed a holy hour of adoration in the church, followed by Mass celebrated by Father Terry Ehrman, C.S.C., professor of theology and RtL club chaplain. 

When asked how the faith shapes the mission and values of RtL, Fr. Ehrman told the Rover, “The Roman Catholic faith and its teachings about God and the goodness and dignity of each human life are the foundation and form of the Notre Dame Right to Life club. The club welcomes people of all faiths and no faith, if they will participate in the mission of promoting a culture of life.” 

Fr. Ehrman continued, “Prayer is one of the constitutive pillars of ND RtL. The March for Life trip is intentionally a pilgrimage of prayer for the end of abortion. Prior to the March on Friday morning, the students, faculty, and staff gathered for a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration before Mass whose focus this year was on charity and living out the command of Jesus Christ to love one another.” 

Upon arriving at the National Mall, marchers attended a rally near the Washington Monument. The event featured notable political figures, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Vice President J. D. Vance. The event also included speeches from pro-life activists, including abortion survivor Josiah Presley, Mama Bear Care CEO Beverly Jacobson, Live Action president Lila Rose, and longtime pro-life leader serving as co-chair of the Pro-Life caucus, Representative Chris Smith, New Jersey Republican. 

Junior Kevin Sadler found Jacobson’s testimony particularly powerful. He told the Rover, “It was inspiring to hear how amidst the pressure from doctors to kill her disabled daughter, she chose to embrace the struggles of motherhood with courage and love so that she and her daughter may experience the beauty of life together.” 

The incoming president of March for Life, Jennie Bradley Lichter, also spoke at the rally. Lichter, a Notre Dame graduate, attended the March for the first time through the university. In a November 2024 interview with the Rover, she explained how this trip was instrumental in her career as a pro-life activist, saying, “To be able to attend, as I did, as a college freshman, I think it really helped to knit me into the pro-life movement. … There’s a very, very direct connection between my Notre Dame experience and my current work.” 

Lichter further praised the Notre Dame RtL club and its advocacy, telling the Rover, “Being vocal witnesses to the beauty and dignity of unborn life and caring for vulnerable moms, the way that you all do at Notre Dame Right to Life … is so important just to show [that] we are still here. … I would really encourage young advocates to lean into your joy and to take the long view, and never to give into discouragement.”

Ellen Burks, a sophomore who co-led the trip, told the Rover, “For students looking to get more involved in the pro-life movement on campus, I would suggest simply attending events and learning as much as you possibly can about life issues. Notre Dame Right to Life offers so many amazing opportunities for that, and really all it takes to get involved is to show up and make connections with fellow members of the club.” 

For students who stayed on campus, RtL hosted a 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration Vigil for Life.

The next RtL event is its weekly Mass and Adoration on Friday, January 31, in the Stanford Chapel.

Xavier Anderson is a sophomore from Northern Virginia studying finance. He can be reached at xanderso@nd.edu.

Photo Credit: ND RtL

Subscribe to the Irish Rover here.

Donate to the Irish Rover here.