Catholic school students from The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington were among hundreds of young people who gathered at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on Jan. 24, 2025, for a Youth Rally ahead of the Youth Mass for Life and the annual March for Life. Organized by the Archdiocese of Washington, the rally included opportunities for reflection, praise and worship through music, moments of fellowship, and fun. Attendees also participated in talks and testimonies that focused on the dignity and value of all human life.
Erik Lopez Rivas, a junior at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, Maryland, began the rally by sharing a personal testimony about his family’s pro-life journey. Rivas described how his mother faced life-threatening conditions while pregnant with him in El Salvador. Delivered prematurely at seven months, Rivas said doctors warned his mother about severe complications with his lungs and respiratory system.
“Instead of delivering good news, doctors brought fear and anxiety,” Rivas said, adding that his mother’s faith gave her strength. On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, she brought him to a local church. “With her hope and faith in one hand and me in the other, she asked for Our Lady of Guadalupe’s intercession,” Rivas said. He added that within a month, his health improved significantly, transitioning from “severe to treatable.”
“Here I am, 18 years old today,” Rivas said, sharing how his mother’s hope and faith shaped his life. Reflecting on his struggles, including depression and suicidal ideation stemming from racial discrimination he experienced, Rivas explained how he found strength in his mother’s words: “Life is not simple, life is beautiful. But who am I to take away the one blessing that God has granted me? Who am I not to love you?”
Rivas acknowledged his mother’s words for helping him to see his purpose. “I was created in God’s image, and He has a purpose for me,” he said. Rivas shared how this belief motivated him to start a chapter of Best Buddies at his high school, working to include friends with intellectual disabilities. “They, too, have a God-given purpose,” he said. He concluded by urging his peers to use their voices “to speak for the unborn, the vulnerable, and the forgotten,” drawing enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
The rally included live music performed by a band of priests from the archdiocese of Washington, who, the youth by a show of hands, named “Mass Appeal.” The group featured Father Patrick Agustin of St. Cecilia Parish in St. Mary’s City and St. Peter Claver Parish in St. Inigoes, Father Alex Wyvill of St. Bartholomew Parish in Bethesda, Father Phil Ilg of Holy Family Parish in Hillcrest Heights, Father Jan Pietryga of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Waldorf, Father John Benson of St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, and Father Daniele Rebeggiani from the Apostolic Nunciature. The priests also helped keep the day going by engaging with the youth in active dialogue and activities like dancing.
Charlene Howard, executive director of Pax Christi USA, delivered a witness talk focused on the intrinsic dignity of all human life. Howard told the crowd that being part of God’s family was like having a brand: “God has stamped His brand all over us. It doesn’t matter what we look like or our abilities, because we have value,” she said. “All life is sacred because God made it, God is in it, and it has value.” Howard urged attendees to adopt a “consistent ethic of life,” seeing every person through this lens of dignity.
T-shirt tosses drew cheers from the crowd throughout the morning. Many participants also lined up to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the event.
At 9 a.m., the rally transitioned to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which featured quiet moments for personal prayer and praise music.
The rally included a question-and-answer session with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, featuring questions submitted by youth from across the archdiocese. Andrea Patino, a 10th grader at The Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, Maryland; Erik Lopez Rivas, the junior at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Tacoma Park, Maryland, who had shared his testimony earlier in the morning; and Alivia Wade, an eighth grader at St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, D.C., posed the questions to the cardinal.
Addressing the role of youth in the pro-life movement, Cardinal Gregory emphasized the importance of their perspective. “The energy, wisdom, and commitment of our young people... are invaluable,” he said. “As adults, we have responsibility for the world and the direction we take, but young people have a way of pointing out things we overlook or pretend not to understand. You are persistent in helping us respond to the challenges of our time.”
The cardinal also stressed the importance of a broad understanding of pro-life advocacy. “Being pro-life means we must also embrace people who are immigrants. Do they not have rights, dignity, and human qualities that must be respected? What about people with physical or emotional disabilities, or those who are imprisoned? To be pro-life means that we speak up for life at every moment of life,” Cardinal Gregory said.
As the rally concluded, Joaquin Trejo, coordinator of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Washington, reflected on the significance of youth participation. He encouraged parents to bring their children to next year’s rally, Mass for Life, and other youth ministry opportunities in their local parishes. “Please have young people represent their communities because they are not just the future of the Church; they are the present of our Church,” Trejo said.
The rally concluded with a final round of live music at 10 a.m., energizing attendees for the Youth Mass for Life and the national March for Life event later in the day.
A full recording of the Youth Rally and Youth Mass for Life live stream is available on the Archdiocese of Washington’s YouTube channel.
