By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – More than 250 Louisiana Life March Central participants braved a steady rain, Feb. 3, as they marched to show their support for all pregnant and parenting woman.
Men and women, young and old, from various denominations and ethnicities joined together to make the journey from the Louisiana Christian University campus to Sacred Heart Church in Pineville.
Sarah Zagorski, communications director for Louisiana Right to Life, reminded the crowd that while Roe v. Wade (a decision in 1973 that legalized abortion) was overturned in 2022, pro-life supporters must continue the fight for life. She also encouraged the crowd to follow public policy decisions made by the state legislature in its upcoming session that begins in March.
“We’re very excited to see the progress we’ve already seen since the reversal of Roe vs. Wade,” she said. “It’s important that even though Roe was overturned, we continue stepping up for women because there will always be unplanned pregnancies. There’ll always be crisis pregnancies and women will always need us.”
The life march was the last of five held in the state over the past few weeks.
According to LRTL officials, inclement weather impacted all five marches this year in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Monroe/West Monroe and Shreveport/Bossier City over several weekends in January. Each march drew several hundred participants, LRTL officials said.
“We are here for her” was the theme for this year’s events.
Keynote speaker Michelle Smith, co-leader for Sabine Parish Citizens for Life, shared how she survived a chemical and saline injection abortion only a few months after her sister was born having survived the same procedure. Smith encouraged the crowd to become connected to pregnancy centers and other resources that help save the lives of unborn babies.
“This connection provides the opportunity for these churches and communities to be equipped to be there with a loving, pro-life message to women and men in need of help during an unplanned pregnancy, so they don’t have to seek out the help of the abortion industry,” she said. “Could God be calling you to be that voice in your church or your community?”
LCU President Rick Brewer led a prayer of thanksgiving for the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. He asked the Lord to bless the efforts of pregnancy centers and to help volunteers in their efforts to aid women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
“Lord, we march, we walk, we stand as people of convictions praying that our great nation will come back to you,” he said. “Lord, we know you have blessed this country in many ways, for hundreds of years. Lord, we see problems, schisms, we see prevailing sin in every corner. We pray for your abundant grace. We pray you will continue to raise up men and women, boys and girls, who will be salt, who will be light, who will stand in the marketplace, who will stand in the places of decision making and make those decisions that are consistent with Your Word, Your Principles and Your Truth.”
Abby Rose Bradshaw, marketing and communication specialist for the Cenla Pregnancy Center (with locations in Alexandria, Marksville and Vidalia), reiterated the important role the pregnancy centers play in the lives of women and their unborn children. She thanked the crowd for their role in the pro-life movement and invited them to get involved at the pregnancy center.
“Where would they be without your prayers, your donations, your sacrifice of time and your voice?” she said. “What I personally love about working at the pregnancy center is it is pro-life activism daily. It is constantly showing these moms their words so that they can see the words of life inside of their womb. It’s empowering women with better options, so that they will choose life with confidence. It is helping to create a culture where abortion is unthinkable. And what we do we could not do without every single one of you.”
CROWD REACTION
Among those who marched for life was Elijah McGrew, a senior at LCU. He was joined by nine other LCU students who participated in the march.
“So we all just decided to come out just to stand for the sanctity of life because it’s so important,” he said. “Even though Roe v. Wade has been overturned, there’s still a lot of work to do for the babies and for the mothers. And so I really love the theme of ‘Here for her’ this year in supporting women.”
Kevin Paul, an associate pastor from His Church in Pineville, echoed the thought.
“We think the Lord blessed life and we want to give these young ladies an opportunity to save their babies and to give them opportunity to live their life,” Paul said. “We just wanted to come to support and to bring attention to this.”
