Local Parishioners Join Washington March
MARCH
Norwalk Hour
Anthony Rotunno
Boston University Washington News Service
1/25/07
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 – A group of 55 parishioners from St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Norwalk and St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan trudged down a slushy Constitution Avenue earlier this week as participants of the 34th annual March for Life, a massive protest against the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.
Led by St. Mary’s pastor, the Rev. Greg J. Markey, Monday’s trip marked the third year the church has sent area residents to participate in the event. His parish joined with St. Aloysius in organizing the trip.
According to Nellie Gray, president of the March for Life Fund – the non-profit, Washington-based organization that organizes the annual march – the St. Mary’s delegation joined protesters from across the world in the 10-block trek that ended on the Supreme Court’s steps. Gray estimated the number of marchers this year to be more than 200,000.
“There’s always sacrifice and inspiration,” Markey said about the march. “It’s always cold out, but the number of young people that come out and participate is truly inspiring.”
Roughly two-thirds of the St. Mary’s group were teenagers or younger, and Markey said that the overwhelming presence of young people at the event was a promising sign that the attitude toward abortion is changing. “The future is ours,” he said.
Stephanie Genovese, a 17-year-old senior at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford, said that she’s marched with St. Mary’s for the past three years and that this year was by far the most exciting. As a member of both her school’s Crusaders for Life club and the St. Mary’s Youth Group, Genovese said that it felt great to participate in the march.
“Our bus to Washington was completely full, which has never happened before,” she said. “The speakers were very powerful, and the whole atmosphere was very moving.”
The trip was organized by Eileen Bianchini, the head of St. Mary’s Gospel of Life Society – a trans-diocesan anti-abortion group that, according to Bianchini, works to promote pro-life issues throughout the local community. She said that the level of enthusiasm at Monday’s march was infectious and that it brought a sense of hope to those demanding legislative change.
“Being at the march you begin to realize you can make a difference,” she said. “I thought it was fantastic.”
Bianchini said that she saw the day’s success as an increase in the momentum of the anti-abortion cause. According to Markey, however, the success of this year’s march will not necessarily ensure that his parish won’t find themselves back on the steps of the Supreme Court a year from now.
“Unfortunately, it is something we have to go back to every year,” he said. “There’s no more worthy cause than this. It’s something we cannot ignore.”
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