Butler residents disappointed as March for Life trip is canceled Friday
Alice Omelia and her son, Atticus, 8, were prepared Friday, Jan. 19, to catch the bus transporting people to the March for Life in Washington D.C., but the trip was canceled due to snowy conditions.
Omelia and other marchers were notified Thursday evening that restrictions on the Pennsylvania Turnpike prohibited buses, and they could not make the trip. Under PennDOT’s Tier 1 restrictions, which were in place early Friday, school buses, commercial buses and motor coaches are not permitted on affected road.
“My son and I did get to sleep in,” Omelia said. “We’re still trying to make the day focused around (the march).”
It would have been Atticus’ second time attending the rally, after he initially asked his mom to take him with her in 2019.
Participants were expected to gather at three different churches in the county and make the trip to the nation’s capital. Those churches are St. Conrad’s Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Oakland Township and Gospel Fellowship Church in Middlesex Township.
According to Ray Ferguson, the bus coordinator for the St. Conrad location, nearly 100,000 people were expected to show in Washington D.C.
Ferguson said he’s been attending the march for 35 years.
“I’d say it’s just standing up for the basic rights. It’s ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness …’ We need to be a voice for the unborn children,” he said.
Omelia recalled she started attending the march in 2006 at the suggestion of a friend, and she said despite the trip’s cancellation, she and Atticus will make the most of the day.
“I consider the day a very spiritual day,” she said. “We’ll be going to Mass at noon, probably a little earlier … The cool thing is the march is still going on.”
The event starts with a rally, where attendees will hear speakers on the National Mall. Then, the marchers trek nearly two miles up to Capitol Hill. During that walk, Omelia said you often make friends along the way.
“Last year was pretty cool, we were trying to find the march and ran into someone else who was an intern in Washington D.C. who was going,” she said. “You’ll see people from your hometown.”
All six members of the Edwards family had previous experiences at the March for Life, and had planned to attend together this year before the cancellation, according to Omelia’s mother Dianna Edwards.
She said her husband Mike and their four children have always been enthusiastic about participating.
“It’s always a very peaceful experience,” she said. “We’re disappointed. The kids are disappointed as well … When the turnpike shuts down, there’s not much you can do.”
Her favorite part of attending the march was hearing the speeches, which often include testimonials.
While at home, Dianna said they will still recognize the day as a special one.
“(The march) is not the only way we can show support to mothers and babies,” she said. “We may say the Rosary together today as a family. We will be praying in a very special way today.”
Omelia said she hopes to attend the march next year. In the meantime, they will cope with the disappointment.
“Maybe we’ll go play in the snow today,” she laughed.
