The youth rally at the Verizon Center.

February 10, 2010. Washington, DC. From Thursday January 21 to Sunday January 24, thirty girls from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Maryland went on “missions for life,” an organized weekend of fun and apostolate, built around the national event of the Washington, DC, March for Life.

Arrival

The missions were organized by the Regnum Christi consecrated women Mary Schwarz and Mary Borson, as well as members of the Regnum Christi coworkers Christina Codit, Fatima Zombada, and Molly Hodgson. The purpose was to help the participating high school and college students to form friendships among other girls who have the same values as them.

“It was an opportunity for girls of the same values to stand up for life as well as their dignity” said Christina Codit, who began her missionary year this January.

The thirty participants arrived in DC on Thursday and began their activities right away. Thursday was a spiritual and formative beginning to the active and apostolic next few days.

The youth rally

On Friday all rose at 5:00 am to take the metro to the youth rally initiating the March for Life held at the Verizon Center in downtown DC. The rally which lasted from 8:00-10:00 was dynamic.

Mary Schwarz said it

	The participants during the March for Life.

reminded her of a Steubenville Conference, with guest speakers followed by groups of singers, all leading up to the highpoint of the Mass.

The main Eucharistic celebrant was Archbishop Donald Wuerl, though the homily was given by the parochial vicar of St. Pius X parish in Bowie, MD, Father Lawrence Swink. In his homily Fr. Swink spoke directly to the youth, emphasizing what he called “the three p’s: protect life, purity, and prayer.”

Reminding everyone about the reason they were gathered, the priest shared a startling statistic: the Verizon Center where they were gathered can hold about 20, 000 people, but it would take 2,500 stadiums of the same size to hold all those aborted since Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973. With that motivation, the youth rally hit the streets for the march, including the 30 girls on their missions for life.

Caitlin O’Conner, from DC, stated that the youth rally was her favorite part of her weekend. “I have been to the March for Life four times before, but never the rally. It was a brand new experience that showed me that there are so many other people who feel and think the same way that I

	All in all, a worthwhile trip.

do.”

Alyssa Jenkins also shared that the rally was a great experience, “It was my first rally and first March for Life so everything was impressive, but seeing all the young men and women there to support life and to see all the seminarians and priests pursuing a vocation helped me tremendously to know that I’m not alone in the faith.” 

A moment of generosity

The following day the girls had an opportunity to witness to their faith once again. Through a local parish they were introduced to four underprivileged families and presented with a list of needs. The girls then bought the families some basic necessities ranging from clothes for the children to diapers.

“It was like a late Christmas for these families,” Schwarz said, “and a real lesson in generosity for the girls. They have everything and these poor families have nothing. Yet both were able to give to one another even if in different ways.”

Later that day the group was on the opposite end of the receiving chain when they were provided a “progressive dinner” at several family houses. Christina laughed at the memory, “We had so much fun talking, dancing to music by Michal Bublé, and spending time in good company!”

Was it worth it?

When asked the question “Was it worth it?” all agreed that from whatever angle the question was posed the answer was a resounding “definitely!”

“I definitely think that this fight against abortion is worth it!” stated Alyssa, “A child is a gift from God and the March is telling the world as much. This weekend in particular was worth it. It opened many doors of faith in my own heart that lead to God, simply by witnessing other people fighting for my same ideals.”

Caitlin reflected, “To have an entire weekend to focus on my faith and strengthen my convictions really made the experience of the March for Life stick, making it not just something that lasts for the afternoon and that you go home from when it’s done. It was worth it. It was worth it because I love helping people and every time I’m able to make a difference in a life I realize that this is what I was made to do. It is worth it to help others have the chance to live!”