Seminarians Go for “March for Life” in Washington D.C.
On the night of January 21 2009, seminarians of St. Basil College with Father Bohdan Danylo were getting ready to departure to Washington D.C. Keeping the tradition of many years, they were going to the annual “March for Life”, hold every year in the streets of Washington. “March for Life” is a peaceful movement against the Supreme Court decision “Roe vs. Wade” of 1973, which legalized abortion in United States. The protest started in 1974, and each year it has attracted more and more people, who are eager to defend the right for life, especially life for the unborn. The movement defends principles such as the equality of rights for all human beings, that all human beings have the right of life (including the unborn) and that life should be preserved and protected.
Before going to the march, seminarians participated in the Divine Liturgy at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Paul S. Loverde from the Diocese of Arlington, Va. In his homily he emphasized the importance of hope. He says that “we are a people of life because we are a people of hope.” He also mentioned the role of Christians in this protest and again he stressed the hope that we have in defending life. “The people of hope do not give up, hope sustains us to persevere and prevail.” The Liturgy was ended with words of encouragement from the Bishop: “the atmosphere is charged with words and with the realities conveyed by those words: change, responsibility, accountability, and above all hope.”
As soon as the Liturgy ended, we went down to the streets of Washington D.C. to take part in the “March for Life.” The march started with speeches from people who are there to defend life and who also spoke about the importance of this movement in the preservation and protection of life. The weather was perfect and thousands of people with signs were there, expressing their beliefs in the right for life for all human beings. The itinerary of the march usually begins at 4th street in front of the U.S. Capitol and goes around the Capitol by the Constitution Avenue. It is a short distance, but it is a peaceful manner of defending life.
This trip to Washington was unique for all of us, because we usually stay there for one day; but this year we had the chance to stay longer. The day after the march, we had the chance to explore the rich culture of Washington D.C. We had the opportunity to visit the beautiful monuments, places and museums that are located in the capital. The city has a variety of museums, which are admission-free, monuments that we could go and see things of our own interest. It was the perfect day to explore the wonders of Washington, such as the Library of Congress, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and the many museums spread all over the city.
The exploration journey was not over. The next day Father Bohdan took us to see the famous Arlington Cemetery. This is the place where the soldiers and war veterans are buried. We could see President John Kennedy’s grave, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and also the ceremony of the “changing of guards” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Later in the day, we visited Mount Vernon, the place where George Washington lived; we had the opportunity of learning more about the life of this important figure in American History and also learn more about U.S. History. It was a fascinating experience.
The next day was time to pack and go home. Before our departure, we all attended the Liturgy at the Ukrainian Shrine of the Holy Family. Time went so quickly, and everyone has a good time in Washington D.C. It was a trip that we all will keep in our memories. In behalf of all seminarians, I would like to thank Father Bohdan Danylo, rector of St. Basil College, for this amazing trip, for the good care he provided us during that time, and also for his amazing work by preparing and putting together and organizing this trip.
Pedro H. Fulop
Senior