By Colleen Rowan
WASHINGTON—The thousands of people who converged on the nation’s capitol Jan. 22 for the 37th annual March for Life made a statement to the nation’s leaders—“It shows our commitment to this cause,” said 16-year-old Zachary Ward of St. James Parish in Charles Town.

Ward was among the many groups of Catholics from West Virginia that attended the march and the Rally for Life on the National Mall in Washington to call for an end to abortion. Bishop Michael J. Bransfield joined the faithful at the rally and at a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception early that morning.

Bishop Bransfield said that he was happy to see the many people from the diocese that traveled all night to attend the march.

“It was wonderful to be present with people from our own communities from throughout West Virginia,” Bishop Bransfield said. “It’s really reassuring to see people who are willing to take overnight bus rides from Beckley, Wheeling and Charleston to march the next day and to be together with all those from the Eastern Panhandle. Everyone has the same dedication to show the value of life.”

Bishop Bransfield was also a concelebrant at the Mass for life at the shrine the night before the march.

A total of 39 students from Central Catholic High School in Wheeling attended the march as well as 35 people from Beckley who are parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Parish and friends from the area. “It means a lot to us to be able to come to not only further the cause of life, but to ... be on pilgrimage and to be with our bishop,” said Father Joshua Stevens, associate pastor of the parish who led the group.

Father Eric Hall, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Parkersburg and St. Monica Parish in Lubeck, led a large group from his area with participants hailing from his parishes, St. Margaret Mary Parish in Parkersburg and three parishes in neighboring Ohio.

“Every year it seems like a pro-life family reunion,” Father Hall said as he walked with parishioners in the march. “We’re ... praying for the end to the culture of death and it begins with the change in this law,” he said, referring to legalized abortion.

The Eastern Panhandle also had great attendance this year from St. Leo Parish in Inwood led by Father Brian Shoda, pastor, and Father Chapin Engler, associate pastor, and St. James in Charles Town led by Rev. Mr. David Galvin, permanent deacon for the parish. Father Leonard Smith, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Berkeley Springs, led a large group from his parish along with a neighboring parish in Maryland.

“This is my third year attending,” said 16-year-old Meagan Espinosa of St. Leo’s, “and I am just so excited to see all this hard work.”

“I am just overwhelmed by the level of excitement from the crowd,” said Rev. Mr. Todd Garland, executive director of the diocesan Department of Social Ministries and director of the diocesan Office of Justice and Life. “It’s just extraordinary to see the turnout. ... People expressing reverence for life is just wonderful to me.