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OTTAWA, May 14, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Pro-lifers gathered in Canada’s capital city Wednesday night at the Human Rights Monument to hold a vigil for those lost to abortion. They held candles, sang songs, and listened to inspiring testimonies from those working on the front-lines of the pro-life movement. 

Christina Alaimo of Campaign Life Coalition Youth challenged the crowd of about 400 to fulfill the words inscribed on the monument. 

“On that piece of stone is inscribed the words, 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,'” she said. 

“And tomorrow when we march, we need to march yes, in laughter and in fellowship and in friendship and in enthusiasm, but we need to march to remind our politicians, to remind the rest of Canada, and to remind the world that what is written on that human rights monument is not yet fully realized until every human being, both born and pre-born, is recognized as being equal in dignity and in rights.” 

“This is the 18th annual March for Life. If there have to be another 18 more, we will continue to march, and our government needs to know that.”

Before the candlelight vigil, Montreal Archbishop Christian Lepine offered the March for Life vigil Mass at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish. In his homily, the archbishop stressed the importance of God’s grace in converting skeptics to the pro-life view, and said everyone, including those who have been involved with abortion, need to trust in God’s mercy. “It’s very important to discover the mercy of God. …  Those who have aborted and those who have not,” he said.

Adrianna Palma, 22, told participants at the vigil that it was only when death was being offered to her pre-born child that she decided to make a stand for life. She told about her experience as an 18-year-old university student who became pregnant and was asked by a doctor if she would like to “terminate.” 

“I was away from my family and I was absolutely terrified,” she said. 

But when abortion was offered, Palma said she knew ending the life of the child growing within her could never be a ‘choice’ she could live with. She made a stand for her baby, despite suffering misunderstanding and alienation from her family. 

The crowd cheered when Palma mentioned that her son Nathaniel was born two-and-a-half years ago and is the “most active little boy that you will ever meet.” 

She said that when people question her choice and whether she will be able to provide for him while continuing her education she replied: “What I can give him is love. […] If he grows up to be a man of God, if he grows up knowing it is OK to dream in a world that is scary, then I know that I would have done my job as his mom.”

Paul Coates, a teacher from Fr. Austin Secondary School in Whitby, Ontario, told the numerous young people in the crowd to be courageous in defending life. 

“Don’t take ‘No’ for an answer. Go into your schools and be pro-life.”

Coates shared how his decades long effort to create a pro-life environment in his school led to students booing a number of politicians who visited his school one day and admitted they were for abortion. 

“The whole school booed them, and I went ‘Oh my gosh, we have arrived.’”

Alaimo ended the evening with the message that it is possible to turn the tide on abortion and create a culture that embraces life.

“This is achievable. We can end abortion in our lifetime. We can save children from the hands of abortionists and women from a lifetime of regret. We will do this with the help of our Lord and savior. We will overcome.”