Knights from across the nation march in support of the right to life during the first post-Roe March for Life
1/20/2023
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori and Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly with March for Life President Jeanne Mancini at the 2023 March for Life. (Photo by Matt Barrick)
Photos: 50th Annual March for Life
For the first time since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the Knights of Columbus and pro-life advocates from across the U.S. joined together at the 50th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. to support and defend the right to life.
Knights of Columbus councils from across the nation organized buses from their local councils, parishes and communities to the nation’s capital, helping as many as possible to participate in this year’s landmark March for Life. This year’s march was highlighted by Life Fest, a lively pre-rally concert and youth rally co-hosted with the Sisters of Life, where pro-life advocates gathered to listen to dynamic speakers and music, celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of Mass and spend time in eucharistic adoration.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly issued the following statement in support of those who participated in the 2023 March for Life:
“In one of the most important Marches for Life since members of the Knights of Columbus joined founder Nellie Gray at her kitchen table fifty years ago, tens of thousands of Knights and supporters of life – including thousands of young people – walked in solidarity with mothers, their unborn children, and all who believe in the dignity and worth of every human life. Together, we’ve worked for nearly five decades to make the March for Life the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world.
“The end of Roe represents a crucial milestone. But we cannot mistake it for the end of abortion. In a post-Roe America, the Knights of Columbus will continue to show our nation’s lawmakers that life is a precious gift worth protecting, and we’ll proudly march for life until abortion is unthinkable.
Members of the Knights of Columbus and their families were among the thousands joining the 2023 March for Life. (Photo by Matt Barrick)
“As we look to the future, the pro-life movement will proclaim to a whole new generation those points we’ve made clear since the first March in 1974 — that life is beautiful and sacred; that being pro-life means being pro-woman and pro-child; and that women deserve better than abortion.
“Even before the Dobbs decision, the Knights moved to expand our pro-life efforts in a significant way. In early June 2022, we launched a new Knights of Columbus campaign — called ASAP, which stands for Aid and Support After Pregnancy. ASAP is a call to action for Knights across the United States, Canada, and now Poland, to raise even more money for pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes and other organizations which give direct assistance to new mothers and babies. We set a goal of $5 million in ASAP’s first year, and we’re already well on our way to exceeding that.
“In fact, since 2009, Knights have donated more than 1,600 ultra¬sound machines to pregnancy resource centers in all fifty states. Ultrasound machines equip these centers with a tremendous tool that can save thousands of lives — the lives of unborn children, women and men who may otherwise face a lifetime of regret and grief.”
A new Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll shows that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support limiting abortion to at most the first three months of pregnancy. Additionally, 91 percent of Americans support pregnancy resource centers, which offer support to mothers during their pregnancy and after their baby is born.