The 2009 National March for Life marking 40 years of legalized abortion in Canada was a resounding success with record-breaking attendance. Despite a forecast of rain that ran all week before May 14 and a misty rain that turned into more of a downpour during the speeches on Parliament Hill and the beginning of the March, over 12,000 people took part in this year’s National March for Life. The procession which took well over an hour from start to finish, witnessed to the great injustice of millions of unborn child killings facilitated by the 1969 passage of the Trudeau-led Liberal government’s Omnibus Bill. This year’s crowd for the March smashed last year’s record of just over 8000 with a 50% increase. Each year’s success builds the foundation for the next National March for Life, as schools, youth groups, and churches return from having experienced the incredible demonstration of solidarity with the unborn and are moved to encourage friends and family to join in subsequent marches.

Besides those who came on hundreds of buses, including 65 schools, this year’s March was joined by numerous notable dignitaries including 13 bishops – His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet – Quebec City; His Grace Archbishop Terrence Prendergast – Ottawa; His Grace Archbishop Thomas Collins – Toronto; His Grace Archbishop Brendan O’Brien – Kingston; His Grace Archbishop Sutton, OMI, emeritus archbishop of Keewatin-LePas; His Excellency Bishop Paul-André Durocher – Alexandria-Cornwall; His Excellency Bishop Ronald Fabbro – London; His Excellency Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe – Sault Ste Marie; Msgr Gerard Drainville, retired bishop of Amos (Quebec); His Excellency Bishop Stephen Victor Chmilar- Ukrainian Bishop of Toronto and Eastern Canada; His Excellency Bishop Michael Mulhall – Pembroke; His Excellency Bishop John Stephen Pazak – Byzantine Rites, as well as the retired Archbishop of Ottawa, the Most Reverend Marcel Gervais

– and 19 Members of Parliament (many of whom addressed the audience of thousands):

Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet gave an impassioned French-only speech on the Hill that was significantly picked up by the Quebec media. In his call to action he stated, “After forty years of exile from the culture of life, we come to Parliament Hill to claim the return of the right to life of the human being in gestation in Canada”.

Other dignitaries that addressed the throng included Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; former MPs Pat O’Brien and Tom Wappel – who serve as the political and legal counsel to CLC respectively – and Lia Mills, a 12-year-old whose school speech became an internationally famous five-minute internet video presentation that provides an articulate, reasoned, point-by-point argument against abortion. Other than young Lia Mills who addressed abortion directly, the speakers generally rallied the crowd to continue giving voice to the unborn and to remain vigilant in their defense of life in all spheres.

Organizers of the National March for Life said they were thrilled with the turnout.

The rains, the first time this has occurred during the March, didn’t dampen the spirits of those in the crowd, who were louder and more enthusiastic than ever before. Rod Bruinooge said of both the weather and the crowd, “there is a storm gathering” that “can’t be ignored.” He, and other speakers, urged pro-lifers to continue advocating a change to Canada’s abortion law until the unborn are protected from the moment of conception/fertilization.

More than half of those in attendance were youth – high school and university students – many who were proud to display their school banners or pro-life signs. Many wore pro-life t-shirts, signaling their deep commitment to the cause. Jim Hughes, the National President of Campaign Life Coalition, said that “the growing number of young people” is a “tremendous blessing” to both the March and to the movement. “This is going to make a difference.”

We are also extremely gratified that the March had the support of the bishops. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops threw its official support behind the event, as 13 Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals concelebrated various Masses and several Bishops took part in the actual procession through the streets of the nation’s capital.

Before the National March for Life, there was plenty of opportunity for spiritual nourishment. There was a Canadian Reformed Church and ecumenical prayer service as well as Catholic simultaneous masses at Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Basilica that were filled to capacity. The evening before, there was a Mass at St. Theresa’s Church preceding the candlelight vigil at the Human Rights Monument. In the bus trips organized by schools, youth groups and churches, many travelers took the opportunity to pray during the journey to Ottawa.

Approximately 500 people took part in the candlelight vigil the evening before the March, holding candles, listening to guest speakers including student activists, the Sisters for Life and the Sister Servants of the Cross (a new community of Sisters in Ottawa). They prayed and sang hymns. It was a powerful reminder that abortion is the human rights issue facing our nation.

After the March, there was musical entertainment by David MacDonald, a veteran pro-life activist and an annual staple of the National March for Life. His band invited students to join them on stage and they danced and sang as a testament to the joyful nature of doing the Lord’s work. The issue of abortion may be a grave one, but we need not be in the doldrums fighting it.

After the music, a number of men and women gave powerful and moving personal testimonies as part of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. The size of the crowd that stayed behind after the March to listen to these testimonies was at least 3-4,000, by far the largest ever. Many in the crowd were seen wiping tears from their eyes while listening to these heart wrenching personal stories. After that there was a Prayer Service led by Eastern Catholic Chaplaincy of Ottawa. At least 500 people stayed for this impressive Eastern rite ceremony and prayers.

In the evening, the Rose Dinner was a huge and successful event, sold out long in advance. Featured speakers were Tom Wappel, former Member of Parliament, as well as Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. Both speakers left the crowd aware of their duty to stand up both politically and in their everyday lives for a just nation where all life is protected

Over 800 people attended the Youth Conference the day after the March. They heard presentations from numerous speakers including MPs Pierre Lemieux (CPC, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) and Paul Szabo (Lib, Mississauga South) on “Canadian Politics: How to Get Life Issues on the Radar Screen”; Samantha Singson of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute spoke on “Human Rights, Abortion and the U.N.: What You Need to Know.” There were also workshops, including “Politics, Moral Beliefs and Reconciling the Two,” by Alex Schadenberg and Fr. John Lemire; “ An Introduction to the Pro-life Movement and Mentality,” by Francis James McManamy; “Not For Us But Not Necessarily Against Us: Pro-life tactics in the media,” by LifeSiteNews editor John-Henry Westen and London Free Press and Interim columnist Rory Leishman; “Pro-Life In Action: How you Can Make an Impact in Your School,” featuring high school student Kathleen Dunn, who also sang on the Hill and a pair of university pro-life activists, Daniel Gilman of the University of Ottawa and Natalie Fohl of McGill. The packed conference center at the Hampton Inn featured multi-media presentations which provided excellent opportunities to educate future pro-life activists and leaders. The feedback from students and teachers has been overwhelmingly positive.

Most of the Provinces (excluding Ontario and Quebec) had local Marches for Life. The demonstrations generally attracted several hundred participants and featured local speakers across the country collectively, 9 Bishops were present including: Victoria, BC Bishop Richard Gagnon; Vancouver, BC Archbishop Michael Miller; Edmonton, AB Archbishop Richard Smith; Edmonton, AB Eparch David Motiuk; Calgary, AB Bishop Fred Henry; St Paul, AB Bishop Luc Bouchard; Saskatoon Archbishop Daniel Bohan; Saskatoon Bishop Albery LeGatt; Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy, SK Bishop Bryan Bayda; Washington D.C. Rabbi Daniel Lapin and B.C. Senator Gerry St. Germain, as well as dozens of clergy from many faith communities. When you include the local marches for life held the week of the National March for Life, more than 15,000 Canadians stood up and spoke out against abortion to mark 40 years of baby-killing and to challenge the nation to imagine a future without abortion.

While we were in Ottawa for the National March for Life, a half-dozen pro-abortion protestors showed up at our Toronto offices. They came to the door on the fourth floor of our building and asked if there was a protest here and the staff who remained in Toronto that day thought they were talking about the March in Ottawa. After a brief discussion, the pro-abortion activists realized they were in enemy territory and went back downstairs to picket. They plastered anti-life propaganda on the doors going into the building and after a while disbanded. It’s always good to be picketed by the pro-aborts; it says we are getting their attention and they’re displeased with what the pro-life movement is up to. In Ottawa, there was the usual gaggle of a dozen pro-abortion demonstrators, which would be easy to miss among the gigantic throng of pro-life marchers.

Organizers are planning for the 2010 National March for Life. It is hard to imagine that next year could be bigger and better than this year’s event, but every March builds upon the previous ones. You might want to make your plans to join us in Ottawa next year (May 12-14) for the 13th annual National March for Life.

Yours for Life
Jim Hughes
CLC National President

One of the best means of spreading the pro-life message and keeping people informed about life and family issues is through the pages of The Interim, your pro-life newspaper that has been publishing monthly for 25 years. If you do not have a paid subscription, order one today. It is one of the best things you can do to promote pro-life news and views. A regular paid subscription is $40 per year, but a special rate is offered to CLC supporters, only $25 for a one year subscription. E-mail dirocco@lifesite.net or phone 416-204-1687.

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Yours for life,

Jim Hughes
CLC National President