I often hear participants at the March for Life complain that the protest has no real impact on political abortion policy. This is a valid concern. Does the massive gathering of pro-lifers in Washington, D.C. really convince politicians, or is this just a social event?  

These doubts hovered in my mind when I arrived at the March for Life, alongside seven buses’ worth of Franciscan University students. I grew discouraged as I trudged past the shuttered windows of government offices. Politicians are so stubbornly divided along party lines when it comes to abortion, with even Republican politicians faltering often, that marching sometimes feels purposeless.  

However, as the day unfolded, I began to understand the March for Life’s impact.  

While waiting to enter the rally, my friends and I decided to pray a rosary. We were surrounded by students from Liberty University, a Protestant Christian college; halfway into our first decade of the Rosary, a girl from the Liberty group interrupted us.  

“Why are you praying to Mary?” she asked, “What do you believe about her?”  

We ended up having a very fruitful conversation with this student, sharing the Catholic belief about Mary’s place in salvation. As we talked, I was grateful that the March for Life had allowed us to meet her. Although we disagreed about the Blessed Mother, our mutual care for unborn lives had brought us both to Washington, D.C.  

This sense of unity grew more evident as I stood on the steps of the Smithsonian museum, watching the crowd mill past. I spotted Dominican friars, families dragging strollers, and Franciscan’s own AMDG household. I saw a group called Monarchists for Life and people from the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. Each person and group in the throng came from differing beliefs and states in life, but all were here to defend the unborn.  

Later, as we plodded to the Capitol building, my friend caught sight of a Koreans for Life group. They were waving signs and asking for prayers for the abortion-focused political debate raging in South Korea. Drawing on her 1,400+ day streak on Duolingo, my friend shouted 걱정하지 마 우리가 기도할게요, which in English means, “Don’t worry, we’ll pray for you!”  

The Korean group erupted in cheers when they heard her. A woman from the group even gifted her a rosary from a Marian shrine in South Korea.  

This sweet interaction reminded me once again of the unity found at the March for Life. Whether or not politicians take notice, the March for Life can still be empowering for pro-lifers themselves. It is encouraging to meet and see so many thousands who love the unborn.  

That experience can have a ripple effect, motivating pro-lifers to renew their efforts against abortion in their communities. In this sense, the March for Life is never purposeless.