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WASHINGTON, DC, January 22, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Hundreds of youth joined 45 clergy from various Christian denominations at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, this morning for the 20th annual National Memorial for the Pre-Born. 

In reference to the sub-zero temperatures that prevented both speakers and attendees from coming, Rev. Rob Schenck, who founded the memorial along with his twin brother Fr. Paul Schenck, told the assembled crowd: “They may call us all sorts of names, but they can’t call us fair-weather pro-lifers.”

It was however a fill-in speaker who raised the roof of the hall with his fiery Pentecostal message. “It’s not the agenda of the donkey, it’s not the agenda of the elephant, it is the agenda of the Lamb” that counts, said Pastor Tony Suarez, referring to the Democratic and Republican Parties and the Lamb of God.

“I dare to hope that this generation will rise up and declare for every Pharaoh there must be a Moses, for every Goliath a David,” added Suarez, Vice President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.  “For every devil that rises there is a God mightier than you – behold the Lamb of God.”

“Violence in America begins with abortion,” he said. “Violence in the home begins with violence in the womb.”

To a rousing standing ovation from attendees and his clergy colleagues alike, Pastor Suarez exclaimed, “Rise up Church. Rise up and speak truth.”

At the gathering, the National Pro-life Religious Council bestowed the pro-life recognition award to Brad Mattes, CEO of the Life Issues Institute. Mattes is the three-time regional Emmy-award winning host of the weekly pro-life television program Facing Life Head-On.  Mattes is also President of the International Right to Life Federation.

Brad began by thanking his producers, his parents, and also God for the award and the gift of working in the pro-life movement.

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life delivered the homily at the service. He called on pro-lifers to get angry and disturbed since that works to motivate us to work hard for life. “Only Jesus Christ has the power over human life,” he exclaimed. Citing Martin Luther King Jr., he said, “we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.”  “We have come here to cash a check for unborn Americans,” he added.