STEUBENVILLE, OH—Hundreds of Franciscan University of Steubenville students will travel to the nation’s capital on January 19 for the 45th Annual March for Life as a witness to this year’s theme, “Love Saves Lives.”

Organized by the University’s Students for Life club, the trip is completely student-led. Around 500 students will travel with the Students for Life on eight buses, says sophomore social work major Dominique Cognetti, coordinator of the University’s presence at the march. In addition, hundreds more students, faculty, staff, and alumni will travel separately, making the group affiliated with Franciscan University one of the largest at the march.

“Our Students for Life group is known for going to the march and being a face for the pro-life movement across America,” says Cognetti. “It is important that students attend the march to publicly show support for what we believe in.”

Sophomore theology and philosophy major Cassidy Roderick, president of Students for Life, says “Being pro-life is a way of life. It’s about how you treat people daily and what you do when no one’s watching. The march puts a public face on our pro-life beliefs.

“The thousands of people marching are a witness to the beauty and dignity of human life, which we as a University stand for,” says Roderick.

Students for Life will hold a Holy Hour in Christ the King Chapel the night of January 18 before departing for Washington, D.C.  They will attend a 7:30 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. Afterward, the group will gather under the Franciscan University banner for the march for Life Rally on the National Mall before joining the march up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court and Capitol Building. Following the march, students will have time to speak to senators and representatives and explore the capital before returning to the University.