January 22nd marked the 41st anniversary of Roe V. Wade, the court case that legalized abortion in the United States. Over 50 Mercy students and staff members travelled to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life. Students attended a youth mass Wednesday morning before the march along with thousands of other students from around the country.

“My favorite part was the youth rally and mass at the Verizon Center,” said senior Alyse Adolf. “It is held in a huge arena and you can truly see how many teens have traveled from all over for this one cause. It gives you a great sense of community to know that you aren’t alone in the fight on this issue and that our generation and those to come are also concerned making it highly plausible that the fight will not die and a change could be made.”

The mass featured the Ike Ndolo band, who played upbeat Christian worship music, and a bishop representing Pope Francis. The bishop delivered a speech thanking students for their commitment to protecting the right to life and asking them to continue their efforts at home.

Following the mass, students joined thousands in one of the most peaceful annual demonstrations. The March for Life led participants through the city, ending in front of the Supreme Court building. Along the march, speakers told their stories to the crowd and protestors chanted pro-life cheers. Mercy students came away from the march empowered and ready to spread the pro-life message at home.

“I plan to pay more attention to the news on Pro-Life legislation while also educating people on the truths and dangers of abortion,” said Adolf. “I feel that the best thing to do is to educate people and to tell them of my experience.”