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'March for Life' brings hundreds of Jesuit college and university students to the nation's capital

Benjamin Clapper, a senior at Loyola University New Orleans with a triple major in philosophy, religious studies and political science, believes that student participation in the March is especially important because the fight against abortion starts on college campuses.

"I believe student participation is absolutely crucial because in my view the front lines of the abortion battle are not in some legislature, but on every college campus in the country," said Clapper.  "Many of the women seeking abortions are college-aged, and college shapes a large part of how people view their world and country.  Students must be involved with the March to witness to this fact and to learn how to better work against it."

"The student participation is representative of the future of the pro-life movement," said Bridget K. Bowes, a senior majoring in government at Georgetown University.  "As each generation continues to be more pro-life, we can acknowledge that there will continue to be changes in the way we face abotion culturally.  While our generation inherited abortion on demand, our participation in the March shows our united resolve to overcome the sad legacy of abortion and to create a culture in which every human live is respected and protected."

The following Jesuit institutions had student participants at the March: Boston College, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Gonzaga University, John Carrroll University, Loyola University New Orleans, Rockhurst University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, University of Scranton, Wheeling Jesuit University, and Xavier University.

In addition to the March, many Jesuit college and university students attended Mass at Saint Aloysius Church in Washington, DC the morning of the 22nd.  Many also participated in the "Students for Life of America Conference" held at Catholic University on January 20.  They also took part in the "Cardinal O'Connor Conference on Life," which was held at Georgetown University on January 21st and included keynote speaker Helen Alvare, JD, former spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Pro Life Secretariat.

"The Jesuit schools are in a very unique place to help promote the pro-life mission," said Bowes, when asked how she thinks participation in the March supports the Jesuit, Catholic mission of Georgetown.  "By educating their students on the Gospel of Life, we all realize that not only is abortion a moral issue, it should be a focus of the social justice movement as well.  The Jesuit mission promotes helping those who are the weakest of our society, and there is no one more helpless than the unborn."