March for Life
Fr. Foley and youth from Holy Cross at the March for Life in downtown Syracuse
“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are also witnesses.”
Selfie with Fr. Foley and teens at March for Life, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse, NY
Each year on (or as close to) January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade (1973), all U.S. dioceses observe a National Day of Prayer & Penance interceding for an end to abortion, an increase in respect for the dignity of all human life, and for the full restoration of the legal protection of the Right to Life. With the unfortunate need to cancel our diocesan pilgrimage to the National March for Life in Washington D.C., members of our Holy Cross family braved the cold temperatures and joined the faithful from across our diocese in prayer at the local March for Life in downtown Syracuse.
Prior to the March, Bishop Lucia led pilgrims in the celebration of the Eucharist followed by a communal Rosary and Holy Hour for Life. This points to an important takeaway for us as Catholics who often find ourselves facing the wider culture of society: whenever we stand up in defense of our faith, or simply whenever we go out to serve our brothers and sisters in need—how crucial it is that we always do so first nourished in prayer, and whenever possible, having first celebrated together the Eucharist. Then, our joyful witness to the Lord of Life is strengthened to lovingly transform the hearts of anyone we meet. This is how we must always witness: having authentically encountered the Light and Truth of the Gospel.
“O God, who adorn creation with splendor and beauty
and fashion human lives in your image and likeness,
awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain your precious gift of human life.”
Collect, Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life