News

Teens find strength in numbers at life march

By Joanne Flemming
Compass Correspondent

The thousands of people showing their opposition to abortion at the Jan. 23 March for Life in Washington, D.C. was what impressed Fox Valley Catholic high school students who took part in the event.

"It was just kind of mind-blowing, so many people from so many states all . . . supporting one cause," said Liz Bierstaker, a freshman at Appleton's Xavier High School.

Ben Butelefski, a junior at St. Mary Central High School, Town of Menasha, said what was most memorable for him was "seeing thousands and thousands of people there that all believe in the same thing you do, trying to find a way to stop abortion."

Matt Gloede, his SMC classmate, used "amazing" to describe "all the people standing there in the cold for what they believed in."

According to Mary Beth Meehl, Xavier campus minister, and Barbara Stilp, SMC campus minister, 17 teens from their respective high schools attended the March and events leading up to it. All are members of their schools "Rock for Life" chapter.

Four students from the pro-life organization at Lawrence University, Appleton, also traveled to Washington, D.C.

On Jan. 22, the high school students attended the National Prayer Vigil for Life Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. On Jan. 23, they participated in the Youth Rally for Life Mass before the March.

The March for Life included a visit to Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court.

Steve Swedberg, Lawrence sophomore and organizer of the university's pro-life group, called the numbers at the March "outstanding". He estimated that 200,000 to 300,000 people participated, or "one in every thousand Americans."

"Having the actual walk showed how many people are pro-life in the world," said Corey Much, a junior at Xavier.

Xavier freshman Liz Bierstaker recalled going up a hill during the March, then turning around and looking back. "There were so many people. We were about in the middle of the line. So many people, you couldn't see the end."

"It made me very aware of how many people oppose abortion and how many are pro-life," she continued. "It made me confident enough to go out and spread the word about abortion; it's wrong. You're killing a person, a living being."

What touched Xavier junior Jenny Droese were the women in front of the Supreme Court building, carrying signs that read, "I regret my abortion." She commended them for their willingness to express their regrets. She noted that there were also a few men carrying signs that said, "I regret my lost fatherhood."

Some of the young people reported that the March changed them. Butelefski said that "after going to church there, I felt a lot closer to God. I felt I could relate to a lot more people."

"It increased my spiritual life," stated Mary Demerit, a junior at Xavier. "It made me believe there is hope that someday maybe there will be a law that bans abortion."

The Green Bay Diocesan group traveled with a group of teens from the La Crosse Diocese.