Pro-Life Club Attends March for Life in D.C.

JPCatholic's Pro-Life Club travelled to Washington D.C. this past weekend for the March for Life on January 23. While students have consistently attended San Diego’s Walk for Life, and occasionally the Walk for Life West Coast (San Francisco), this year was the first time a student organization represented JPCatholic at the national march.

Nine students, along with Director of Student Life Isaac Kiedrowski, joined tens of thousands of peaceful protesters in our nation's capital to protest abortion and stand up for the rights of the unborn. As reported by EWTN, JPCatholic students were among the first to arrive at the march, and they secured a spot right near the stage for Vice President JD Vance's speech.

The trip was a landmark event for the Pro-Life Club, following months of fundraising. Led by sophomores Judith Valverde and Bridget Gray, the club has ramped up their activity and outreach in the past year. Since freshman year, both students have volunteered at Culture of Life Family Services, a local health clinic that supports women through their pregnancies. Their heart for the pro-life movement prompted them to revitalize the Pro-Life Club shortly after arriving on campus. They now host educational meetings twice a month which equip students to articulate the pro-life worldview with scientific data and philosophical reasoning. Gray and Valverde also became certified with Sidewalk Advocates for Life, and lead monthly prayer vigils outside of a local Planned Parenthood.

“Our motto is Pro Life, Pro Love, Pro Science,” said Valverde. “We want to help support women who are suffering and scared, and feel like they have no other choice.”

Last fall, both women were invited along with a third student to attend a training for young pro-life leaders at the Live Action headquarters. Founded by Lila Rose, Live Action is one of the largest pro-life nonprofits in the nation, known for its investigative reporting, digital media campaigns, and advocacy efforts that promote the dignity of human life. This month JPCatholic’s Pro-Life Club officially became one of the first campus chapters of Live Action.

“I went to the March for Life my senior year of high school, and it was one of the most loving experiences I’ve ever had,” said Valverde. “Seeing people from every background you can imagine come together to support life was really beautiful. We’re so different in many ways, but we can unite around this one cause, and that’s what made me want our club to experience it too.”

“My hope is not only that human dignity will be protected, but also that every person will experience the profound beauty of the gift of life,” said Gray. “Our witness at the March is a small way for us to share the joy we feel when we love life.”

While in D.C. the group also visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the St. John Paul II National Shrine. They flew back to San Diego on Saturday, narrowly avoiding Sunday’s record-breaking flight cancellations caused by severe winter weather.

Meanwhile in San Diego, over 30 JPCatholic students attended the Walk for Life at Waterfront Park on Saturday.

Follow JPCatholic’s Pro-Life Club on Instagram @jpcu.prolifeclub

Vice President JD Vance addresses participants at the March for Life

JPCatholic's chapter of Live Action was among the first groups to arrive at the march.

JPCatholic students at the St. John Paul II National Shrine

Students faced temperatures as low as 20° F in D.C. on Friday

JPCatholic’s group at the Walk for Life in San Diego on Saturday