Students, teachers participate in "March for Life"

As the bus finally takes off around seven o'clock p.m. with 33 St. Charles Catholic Comets and 19 Archbishop Shaw High School students, all are eager to start their five-day trip. For some it is the second time they are marching and standing up for something they believe in, for others this is the first time and they don't really know what to expect. Participating in the 36th Annual March for Life in Washington D.C. is their goal.

Twenty – four hours, several stops, and a hotel check in later, the Comets begin the march day in unison with the Archdiocese of Washington participating in their Youth Rally at the Verizon Center. Once the arena fills, the doors are closed and no one else is allowed inside. The rally begins with a spread of numerous bands, talks, confessional areas, and ends with a beautiful mass. Priests, bishops, and archbishops from all over the country unite for this mass against abortion. There was also a surprise guest sent from the Pope himself who shared a letter written by the Pope to all in the arena. When asked how she felt participating, Student Council President, Carly Trepagnier stated, “It was so awesome to stand with my peers against something we all felt strongly about. The youth rally in the Verizon Center really made me feel like my generation cared.”

As the arena was dismissed from mass, all were spiritually ready for the march against abortion. After regrouping outside the Verizon Center the Comets along with the Archdiocese of New Orleans group set out to the start of the march. While walking from the Verizon Center to the National Mall, Comets were greeted by other pro-life believers giving out signs, posters, cds, and many other items. To pass the time until the march, some students were able to sit and enjoy a boxed lunch with Archbishop Alfred Hughes. As the Comets and the Archdiocese of New Orleans group pull out their banners, the 36th Annual Rally and March for Life begins.

The Comets joined in the three-hour march up Capitol Hill with thousands of others who would like to see the reversal of the court case Roe vs. Wade. Along the walk from the National Mall to the U.S. Supreme Court the participants are faced with the reality and effect of abortion. Looking behind them, the Comets realize that they are just a small portion of those participating as the street is filled with protesters as far as the eye can see. “I was deeply touched by the whole experience, but what really stood out to me the most was the mothers with signs that said ‘I regret my abortion’,” remarked Katrina Cupit after having participating in the march for the past two years.

Along the street leading up Capitol Hill, pro-lifers positioned display boards, posters, and pictures throughout the march. These billboards allowed the Comets, and all marchers to witness what it is they were taking a stand against. The gruesome images point to lives unfinished, for the most part lives never fully lived. Adrienne Jaubert shares her thoughts on the march by saying, “The Pro- Life March made me more grateful for my life. The trip as a whole was absolutely beautiful and gave me a whole new outlook on life. It was definitely an experience everyone should encounter.”

After the march the group walks from the Supreme Court to a New Orleans Right to Life reception with members of Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation. At this reception talks were given from different representatives on their beliefs against abortion. After returning to the hotel from a delicious dinner at Buca di Beppa the day comes to a close as the whole group unites again once more for evening prayer. After sharing thoughts of the day, the group comes together in song and prayer. "Chaperoning for the second time, it is exciting for me to be a witness to the changes our students undergo while in this pilgrimage," Marie Ory, Development Director said. "To see them take a stand and actually walk away with a better understanding of their part in society is very fufilling."

The remainder of the trip allows the participants to experience the history of our nation as well as visit some of the most spectacular museums the U.S. has to offer. The group participated in a tour of the U.S. Capitol and then took on the National Mall to visit the many Smithsonian Museums there. Some even toured the National Arcives building to see firsthand the documents that shape our governmental structure.

The final day in D.C., luggage is loaded into the bus undercarriage and students prepare for their last day. The baggage they leave with next is leaving on their hearts. As the buses pull up in front of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, students are ready for another memorable experience. Once inside the students are each given a booklet of a person who was a victim of the Holocaust. In this booklet was information on that specific person and whether or not they survived. With more knowledge of history in their minds, some students are greeted by a survivor of the Holocaust, Leon Mereck. Mereck shared his amazing and life changing story to the students around him. While exiting the museum, Megan Vollenweider tells of her experience, “I never realized how terrible the Holocaust was until I was faced with the pictures, stories, and items found in the museum.”

After lunch at Union Station the buses take their last stop at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Here the group was able to tour the beautiful church and its many chapels. The church also had a large gift shop where the group bought various items as souvenirs to remember their trip along with gifts for their friends and family back home. “I enjoyed the many chapels at the Basilica and it was a good chance to have some alone time in prayer,” said senior Gabe Delatte. The Comets again united and joined a number of other groups in the celebrating of the Eucharist at the Vigil Mass. After a beautiful and spiritual finish the Comets depart Washington D.C. with a stronger goal to the end of abortion, a life changing experience, and knowing that at a high school level they can help make a difference.