On January 22, just two days after enormous crowds gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to witness the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered to mark the 30th anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion. From my vantage point on the steps of the National Gallery of Art, I saw a vast sea of people, holding placards, signs and banners of every shape and color. There were Franciscan and Dominican friars marching in formation. Throughout the crowd, sisters wearing the habits of religious orders I had never even heard of walked across the Mall in small groups. Orthodox Christians carrying icons and chanting hymns walked alongside Orthodox Jews in black hats and long topcoats.
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Seminarians gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. during the 2009 March for Life, Jan. 21-22. left to right: Brian Lasky, Deacon Daniel Forsythe, Musil Shihadeh, Diódoro Mendoza, Jaroslav Girovsky, Lector William Rupp.
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And everywhere I looked, I saw young people. Young Catholics, young Orthodox Christians and young Evangelicals filled the streets. I walked back down the steps of the National Gallery of Art to rejoin my group. Our group was comprised of about 50 Byzantine and Melkite Catholics from across the country. They were from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Georgia, Ohio and Nevada. And, like most of the crowd, ours was overwhelmingly young: most of the Byzantine marchers were members of the ByzanTEEN movement.
Those of us who had traveled to Washington from SS. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh had arrived the night before. We joined Bishop William Skurla of the Eparchy of Passaic, along with scores of Roman Catholic bishops, priests, deacons, religious sisters, seminarians and faithful at the annual Mass for Life in the National Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Lector William Rupp, a third year seminarian from SS. Peter and Paul Byzantine Church in Erie, Pa. said of the experience: “This yearly liturgy, and the number of religious groups gathered there, helps to emphasize the universality of the Church and its unified witness to the pro-life cause.” After the liturgy, Bishop William celebrated Compline in the crypt of the Basilica, with the help of the men’s choir of Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church of Anandale, Va.
On Thursday, the actual day of the March, the ByzanTEENs gathered in the Verizon Center along with 35,000 other teenagers for the celebration of a liturgy to start the March. Bishop John Kudrick of the Eparchy of Parma was a concelebrant. After that, the teens marched down to the National Mall where we all joined the crowd who had gathered to offer prayers, protest and a unified witness in support of the unborn.
The March itself began on the National Mall and made its way along Constitution Avenue and over to the front steps of the Supreme Court building. As we made our way to Constitution Avenue, we were joined by Bishop John. We marched together, singing the Akathist as we went. First-time marcher Jenny Forkal of Annunciation Byzantine Church in Homer Glen, Ill. commented on the March: “I can safely say it was a life-changing experience. This was my first March for Life and my first time in D.C. So, what better way to experience some American history than to fight for real human rights at the same time!”
When we reached the Supreme Court building, Martha and Andrew Dietz, teenage parishioners of Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in Philadelphia, led the group in the prayers of the Panachida. As they finished, Bishop John intoned “Eternal Memory” for all those who had lost their lives because of the tragedy of abortion. First year seminarian Musil Shihadeh, a Melkite attending the Byzantine Catholic Seminary remarked: “Singing ‘Eternal Memory’ at the steps of the Supreme Court was a good chance to express our unique Byzantine response to the tragedy of abortion, as we stood surrounded by so many other Christians and people of good will.” Fifteen-year-old Andrew Dietz commented: “It was a humbling experience to represent the Byzantines of our country at the march and to have Bishop John join us and encourage us as we took a stand for those who do not have a voice.”
Even though the March for Life is over, we Byzantine Catholics cannot forget about the pro-life cause until next year. While the March for Life is only one day, it serves as a sobering reminder that even in our society, grave injustices are forced upon the most vulnerable citizens of our land. As Byzantine Catholics, we believe that every human person is created in the image and likeness of God.
Let us all pray throughout this year that the hearts and minds of our politicians and leaders will be open to the enlightenment of the Gospel, so that they might see what a tragedy abortion brings to our land. Likewise, let us keep our eyes open so that we might be ready to help a young mother in need, so that she will not be driven to do the unthinkable. This culture of death can only be conquered if we reach out in Christian love to those who so desperately need it.
Deacon Daniel Forsythe wrote this article originally for the Byzantine Catholic World
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