OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — The 27th National March for Life is set to take place next month, when Canadians of all ages will gather to defend and celebrate life in all its stages.
On Thursday, May 9, the National March for Life, organized by the pro-life group
Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), will draw Canadians from across the country to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, to rally and march for the unborn.
“It is so important to be present in the nation’s capital to demonstrate that life is sacred from conception to natural death,” event organizer Debbie Duval told LifeSiteNews.
“As you may know, we hold the march on the Thursday closest to the date in 1969 on which Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and other MPs removed legal protection from the unborn,” she explained. “We march on a Thursday because our elected representatives are still here in Ottawa, instead of their home ridings, and can see us standing up for the dignity of each person.”
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Having been attended by over 5,000 people last year, the National March for Life remains the largest pro-life demonstration in Canada, and an annual highlight for many families, youth groups, and others dedicated to the sanctity of life.
This year, Duval suggests it’s well worth making the trip into a multi-day affair, as she promises a stellar line-up of speakers at various associated events, including former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, who inspired the film Unplanned.
Also, for the first time, the National March for Life will be accompanied by a Pro-Life Expo at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre on Thursday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday, May 10, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees will get the chance to learn about and receive merchandise from many major pro-life, religious, and media organizations.
Sponsors for the event include LifeSiteNews, EWTN, 40 Days for Life, and the Companions of the Cross.
The theme for this year’s march is “I Will Never Forget You” from Isaiah 49:15-16: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”
“Abortion and euthanasia are commonplace in Canada,” Duval explained. “In this age of extreme abandonment, it’s time to be reminded of the words of God, given through the prophet Isaiah almost 3,000 years ago.”
“His promise ‘I will never forget you’ is not only a reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness to His people, but also an eternal call for us all to be witnesses to the uniqueness and irreplaceability of every child made in His image,” she continued.
The events surrounding the National March for Life begin on Sunday, May 5, with a behind-the-scenes discussion on YouTube about new pro-life film ROE Canada: The True North in a Post-Roe World.
On Tuesday, May 7, there will be a “Songs for Life” coffee house hosted at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa at 7 p.m.
On Wednesday, May 8, CLC will host an in-person viewing of Johnson’s new film Unthinkable, with a panel discussion featuring the prominent pro-life leader herself.
Also on Wednesday, Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. at St. Theresa Church in Ottawa, followed by a candlelight procession to the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument. There, from 9 to 10 p.m., the Candlelight Vigil for the Victims of Abortion will feature prayer, singing, and moving personal testimonies. A Holy Hour will follow at St. Theresa’s.
On the Thursday morning before the March, there will be various Masses and prayer services including a bilingual Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, English Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica, and a Latin Mass at St. Clement’s Parish.
The National March for Life rally will occur on Parliament Hill from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., with the march through downtown Ottawa beginning at 1:30 p.m. After the march, at 2:30 p.m. on the Hill, post-abortive members of the Silent No More Awareness campaign will share personal testimonies of regret, hope, and healing. A closing prayer service will be led by the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute.
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The annual Rose Dinner, with reception at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m., will take place at the Ottawa Conference and Events Centre. The dinner will feature an exclusive sit-down discussion between Abby Johnson and co-founder and CEO of 40 Days for Life Shawn Carney, who played an indispensable role in Johnson’s conversion.
On Friday, young Canadians will gather for the Youth Summit, organized by Niagara Region
Right to Life and CLC Youth, which will include talks by Johnson, former abortionist Dr. John T. Bruchalski, and the beloved homegrown activist Mary Wagner, who has been imprisoned for her pro-life witness.
Following the summit, the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform will provide a workshop on abortion victim photography for any pro-lifer looking to understand why and how this tool is used in activism.
For more information regarding the National March for Life, including a complete schedule, sponsorship/exhibitor opportunities, and a list of buses, visit marchforlife.ca.