CHICAGO, IL, January 20, 2014, (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Sunday, support for life crossed faith, political, and age boundaries as 2,000 people gathered for the 9th annual March for Life Chicago. Organizers say they drew twice as many as expected.
Speaking from the podium, Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam, a Republican, and Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski, spoke of the need for life.
“The pro-life movement continues to build,” said Lipinksi, adding that being pro-life “is not just being against abortion; it is about embracing life.”
The March, which included rallies at Federal Plaza and the James R. Thompson Center, brought strong words from the Archbishop of Chicago, who urged those in the crowd to continue standing for the sanctity of life. He also compared the struggle for the rights of the unborn to America's civil rights movement.
“Because you tell the truth, the pro-life movement can come in from the cold,” he said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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Other faith leaders showed their support for life. They included Pastor Ceasar LaFlore of New Community Church and Fr. Marco Mercado from Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines.
Powerful personal stories also shared the day. Linda Couri, a former abortion worker, and Brittaney Campbell, a mother of two who chose life after visiting the Aid for Women pregnancy center, shared their testimonies.
“I felt that I was in way over my head. I was entirely on my own,” Campbell said. “I decided that my only option was to have an abortion.”
“I am grateful for my twins, Olivia and Amelia, and thankful that they're not another statistic that represents a life lost to abortion.”
The Chicago March for Life comes just days before the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The national March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22 is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pro-life activists. The 10th Walk for Life in San Francisco, CA takes place on Saturday, and will draw tens of thousands.
“The 2014 March For Life Chicago was a great success,” said Mary Hallan-FioRito, spokesperson for the March For Life Chicago planning committee. “The pro-life movement has been objecting to legal abortion for 41 years. As Congressman Lipinski said, science is with us and truth is with us. We hope and pray that one day soon the law will be with us, too, and [all will] recognize abortion for what it is—the intentional killing of a defenseless child.”
Photos courtesy of the Pro-Life Action League.