Monday, January 23, 2012

2012 March For Life in Washington DC....Cold and Wet, But Determined!

In spite of the rain, in spite of the cold, the turnout for the 39th Annual March For Life looked as strong as last year.  People came from all over the country to celebrate life and to protest once again the unfortunate decision by the Supreme Court in the case of Roe Vs. Wade, legalizing abortion-on-demand.

I expected a lower turnout this year because of the rain, and also because most major cities are doing their own marching or walking (out west).  The fact that the crowd is every bit as large as before in DC tells me the pro-life movement is GROWING.

But because of the rain there were fewer banners and signs, and therefore fewer pictures for me to take.  Also, my camera is not waterproof!  But I met some fantastic people, including a barefoot Franciscan and four girls pictured below with interesting, Whoville hairdo's.

The marchers holding the banner this year are from Front Royal, VA, more specifically Christendom College  (See their video below).  They marched boldly, chanted loudly and did a wonderful job.  It's unfortunate, though,  that the police, in their effort to clear the streets of people so the marchers could pass through, waved a large portion of the crowd forward rather than sideways causing them to march ahead of the banner again this year.  Next year this will have to be stopped.

The resistance to the March was futile as usual, with only 25-30 so-called "pro-choice" people waiting for us at the Supreme Court building, taunting us with chants and occasional obscene gestures (typical liberal petulance).  Our numbers were in the low hundreds of thousands, perhaps 250,000 by my estimates.  The vast throng of humanity seemed to go on forever....

St. Blogustine welcomes readers from New Advent, Shameless Popery, Danielle Bean, OSV Daily Take, Fr. Longenecker from Standing On My Head, Faith On The High Wire, Little Catholic Bubble, Catholic Exchange, Adrienne's Corner. Jill Stanek, Stepping Out of The Boat (ArchDofNY), Filipino Families of Skokie, Unshakeable Hope, Get Religion, Dymphna's Road, The Oogedy Boogedy Blog, and The Anchoress.  St. Blogustine also wishes to welcome the foreign press, Forum Libertas (using Google Translator.).  Thanks so much for the links!  And if I've missed any links, please email me at StBlogustine@aol.com. 

Also, check out these posts from The Crescat, Mommy Life, Catholic Beat on Facebook, and Nice Deb who were also there.

Just in:  excellent Picasa photo collections (some of the best I've seen yet) from Niall O'Donnell and Tom McFadden.   You did great work on your video, too.  See bottom.

ALSO... Sister Lisa Marie at Nunspeak has a nice photo collection of the Walk For Life that occurred in San Francisco on Saturday.

Kids from Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD.  What great smiles!

"A person is a person, no matter how small!"

Baby feet hats.



Tough looking brothers


All for the Immaculate!

Fox News was there covering








Cold and wet, but spirits high

Not easy climbing Capital Hill while holding a banner in the rain

He's an annual fixture and great motivator


Kids from St. John Cantius in Chicago, always enthusiastic!

Takes guts to admit this.  These ladies got lots of hugs along the way.



Vulgar, obscene, loud-mouthed, pro-abortion occupiers.

40 degree weather and he's in bare feet!  One of Bishop Rhoades's radical Franciscans



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24 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2012 at 7:56 AM

    Fabulous photos!!! I love the girls with the Whoville hair and the barefoot monk.

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  2. Gail FinkeJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:11 AM

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Catholic-Beat/338606022821753

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  3. Matt@StBlogustineJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    Gail, thanks for the link! Those are always appreciated.

    And that's one more reason I love Mary DeTurris Poust!

    http://www.osvdailytake.com/2012/01/march-for-life-photos-you-probably.html

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:48 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:49 AM

    That's not "RHC" but AHC, as in The Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD.

    My wife used to teach there. I was wearing her old purple hat yesterday myself, in fact. :)

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  6. MattJanuary 24, 2012 at 10:56 AM

    Thanks for the correction. I'll fix it.

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  7. Faith on the High WireJanuary 24, 2012 at 4:34 PM

    Wonderful pictures. The kids in the yellow hats are members of the Youth Group from St. Veronica Parish in Chantilly, Virginia.

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  8. brice griffinJanuary 24, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    Hey that's my friend Andrea on the left and me on the right in the Silent No More photo. The hugs were much appreciated by both of us--it was an emotional day to say the least! Thanks for the article, it's nice to know that SOMEONE covered the March. :-)

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  9. Faith on the High WireJanuary 24, 2012 at 7:29 PM

    Don't know why my link didn't show, so I'll put it here in a comment. http://faithonthehighwire.blogspot.com/2012/01/st-blogustine-2012-march-for-life-in.html

    God bless! Kathy

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  10. A Nobody who wants this world as it is in HeavenJanuary 24, 2012 at 7:43 PM

    DO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN....

    IT IS MAGNIFICENT.

    THIS IS THE REAL US OF A TALKING THE TALK AND WALKING THE WALK!!!

    GET THE MESSAGE TO OBAMA AND HIS ILK.... NEVER THINK YOU ARE GOING TO LET HIM WIN WITHOUT A VERY VERY BIG FIGHT....USING LOVE AND PRAYER IN UNITY WITH ALL FELLOW HEARTS.

    YOU ARE GONE OBAMA...GONE...GONE...GONE. YOUR LEGACY WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR NOTHING MORE THAN DIVISION, DEATH AND DECEPTION...AN UGLY BLOT IN US HISTORY TO SAY THE LEAST!!!

    YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!! when is the next march!!! GOD BLESS THE USA

    SO PLEASE, PLEASE DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

    TO ALL THE PROMOTERS FOR A CULTURE OF DEATH.... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

    BRING IT ON YOU LOVERS OF LIFE AND FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT....ENOUGH IS ENOUGH FROM THOSE SELFISH HEARTLESS HUMANISTS.

    ReplyDelete
  11. MattJanuary 24, 2012 at 8:10 PM

    Faith, I went ahead and included your link toward the end of the text of the post. Sometimes Blogger.com is slow in including links.

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  12. The CrescatJanuary 24, 2012 at 8:28 PM

    Thank you so much for the link. Fantastic pictures~

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  13. Lisa, ofsJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:37 PM

    LOVE the your pics and writeup! Thanks for sharing! :-)

    Just one correction: You mention "a barefoot, Franciscan monk", which isn't correct. Franciscan male religious are not monks, but friars. There's no such thing as a Franciscan monk. (The Franciscan Order is mendicant, not monastic.)

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  14. Matt@StBlogustineJanuary 24, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    Lisa, thanks for the heads-up.

    I'm learning a lot today.

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  15. AlanJanuary 24, 2012 at 10:57 PM

    Thank you for these extraordinary photographs.

    @Brice Griffin: Thank you for your courage and your example. I will pray for you and your friend Andrea. I will never forget that photo. I shall imitate your example of courage and go to the next 40 Days for Life. May Jesus shower both of you with His abundant mercy and many graces.

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  16. Faith on the High WireJanuary 25, 2012 at 5:56 AM

    Thanks, Matt. I have a couple of posts about prior to and about the March. I hope they are interesting to your readers.

    Blessings, Kathy

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  17. Tom McFaddenJanuary 25, 2012 at 8:51 AM

    Christendom College, is in Front Royal, VA. Thanks for the photos. Here are some more:

    https://picasaweb.google.com/christendomcollege/MarchForLife2012PicsByNiallODonnell#

    https://picasaweb.google.com/christendomcollege/MarchForLife2012PicsByTomMcFadden#

    And a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xJgFyXtW00

    Tom McFadden

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  18. MattJanuary 25, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    Thanks, Tom.

    I saw Front Royal AND Alexandria on the college banner and heard someone else say they were from Alexandria so I picked the latter.

    Thanks for the links.

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  19. AdrienneJanuary 25, 2012 at 11:28 AM

    Thanks, Matt. The pics are wonderful. I'll be linking in about an hour. That cute little Catholic Bubble directing me over here - and we thank her.

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  20. Beauty BlondieJanuary 25, 2012 at 11:34 PM

    Thanks for sharing! I love seeing all of the youth get together and fight for what is right!

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  21. Stacy TrasancosJanuary 26, 2012 at 7:44 AM

    Awesome, followed Leila's link. You are a talented photographer! Thank you.

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  22. EditorJanuary 26, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    Fantastic photos and thanks to all the participants in this year March for life. God bless America. God bless the whole world. Amen.

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  23. ProlifeCatholicJanuary 27, 2012 at 2:39 PM

    God Bless the Christedom students! As a prolife Catholic I wonder why we still have Girl Scouts in our parishes considering the Girl Scout Planned Parenthood connection? If we are prolife Catholics we should not want ANY connection to the BIGGEST abortion provider!!! Dont believe me check out Girl Scouts is connected to Planned Parenthood http://bit.ly/uegymM
    Girl Scouts Why Not? group is exposing the connection of Girl Scouts to Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion advocacy groups and individuals. We are asking all Catholic parishes and schools worldwide to sever ties with GSUSA and WAGGGS.....
    http://bit.ly/qJF0Xn
    Over 100 Questions for
    Girl Scouts of the USA
    Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood

    http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100 There are alternatives to Girl Scouts
    American Heritage Girls

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownJanuary 26, 2014 at 7:37 PM

    Thanks for the great pictures. Could I ask who the Sisters are in one of the pictures? What order are they from? Thank you!
    Mary Anne

    ReplyDelete

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