March For Life 2008
January 23rd, 2008 by Br. Peter Totleben, OP
On Tuesday, March 22, 2008 the annual March for Life took place in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. As has become tradition, Dominicans were out in full force. Marching along with our student brothers were members of various Dominican parishes in our province, students from Providence College, as well as the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia Congregation (the Ann Arbor and the Nashville Dominicans, respectively). Here are pictures of the march.
The observances began the evening before at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with the Solemn Mass for Life. The Great Upper Church, the Crypt Church and all of the side chapels were filled to capacity with Catholics praying for an end to abortion.
After the Solemn Mass for Life, Catholics kept vigil throughout the night in the crypt of the Shrine. Seminarians from across the country took shifts leading Holy Hours. The Dominican student brothers concluded the Vigil by leading Lauds and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Rev. Br. Anthony Giambrone, O.P. was the celebrant and Br. Michael O’Connor, O.P. preached a reflection. Here are pictures from the event, and a video clip of Br. Michael’s homily.
