I love but am always drained by these past few days! I attended for the 12th time the Annual Vigil Mass for Life and the Pro-Life March. Each night before the March, there is a giant mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is one of my favorite masses, it is paced with more than 15,000 people (mostly youth.) Cardinal Rigali from Philadelphia was the presider and homilist. His message was excellent about the relationship between life and Christ our Hope. He was inspiring for the young and not so young to get involved especially against the so-called Freedom of Choice Act. I found him to be quote respectful of our new president who is strongly and vocally pro-abortion. “we will work together when we can and we will respectfully protest when we must!”

Each year the mass is like a homecoming, I run into a number of friends (religious and lay) that I don;t see often because of geography. This year was no different, when I ran into Sr. Anna (A Nashville Domincian) and Ronny and Kevin (Jesuit friends.) After Mass, I headed over to CUA’s gym where they were hostin 1,600 kids. During the evening, they had all night adoration. I went and prayed a while and after rest fitfully.

In the morning after mass, 2 buses from Curley drove to DC to join the March. they came to the friary and after mass and donuts we went downtown. It was great to see my friends from the faculty and some of my former students. we went downtown and the heard talks for ahwile and eventually headed to the Supreme Court with 200,000 of my nearest and dearest friends! It is the largest annual protest and you never hear of us from the media!!!

When we got to the court, we regrouped and said a prayer for our country and for women who have unplanned pregnancies. We headed to Union Station to make the trip back to the friary. I wanted to be home for adoration and the beginning of our live in weekend! More to come later!

peace and prayers,
friar Matt