Dozens of Butler County residents attend March for Life
More than 35 people were bused from Butler County to Washington, D.C., Friday to participate in the 50th anniversary of the March for Life, among thousands of other people there for the same reason.
The March for Life, promotes “the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion,” a mission that longtime attendee Ray Ferguson said is among several goals shared by marchers.
“It's also other life issues — protecting the elderly. Protect people from conception to their natural death,” said Ferguson, bus captain for All Saints Parish and resident of Butler Township. “We oppose euthanasia, as well.”
According to Ferguson, the All Saints Parish, which is made up of five Butler churches, has organized bus trips to the March for Life for decades, and he has been bus captain for about 25 of those trips.
The church started Friday with a Mass at 5:30 a.m. at St. Conrad, after which buses departed for Washington, D.C. The March for Life Rally was set for noon, followed by a march up Constitution Avenue, which was set to begin at 1 p.m. The buses were scheduled to get back to Butler around 11 p.m., according to the All Saints Parish website.
According to Ferguson, the atmosphere among the event’s attendees is always positive.
“It was good — it's always upbeat,” he said. “Everyone is excited, there are a lot of young people there — college, high school students.”
Mark Gorog, of South Buffalo Township, also attended the march with members of Holy Sepulcher Roman Catholic Church in Middlesex Township. He has attended about eight times, and said he continues attending as part of practicing his belief system.
“If we don't believe that child in the womb is life, then what do we believe?” Gorog asked. “It has never been about what is legal and illegal. What it's really about is changing hearts.”
Gorog also said his church, Walkchalk Salem Baptist Church in Armstrong County, donates money to Life Choices, a nonprofit pregnancy resource center in Kittanning. He said the nonprofit supports adoption, which he said is the “obvious solution” to stopping abortions.
Gorog also said he is not angry with people who support the legality of abortion.
“It's not that they're evil or bad,” Gorog said. “Again, what motivates us is a child is a gift from God.”
Anita Theiss, regional coordinator for the national and state March for Life for Western Pennsylvania, said that although Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, the March for Life will remain an important annual event.
“Things haven’t really changed,” Theiss said. “There are different ways that abortion is trying to legalize itself.
Ferguson also said the speakers at the event, from politicians to actors and activists, are one of the highlights of attending the March for Life each year. Dianna Edwards, a member of All Saints Parish from Connoquenessing Township, said the speeches were one of the most moving parts of the event.
“They had many moving and touching stories, it was just a celebration of life, how precious all life is from the moment of conception,” Edwards said. “Then we all began our march toward the (Cannon House Office) building.”
Ferguson said he is always encouraged by the people who attend the event to continue going year after year.
“Every year is different; but you get a different feel, different things happen,” Ferguson said. “We'll do this march in January again next year.”
