With the shift in the pro-life landscape after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, local events connected to the March for Life in Washington will have a different focus in 2023.

In one change, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington canceled its long-running arena-sized Youth Rally and Mass for Life to instead host a smaller Youth Mass of Celebration and Thanksgiving for Life on Jan. 20.

The traditional rally and Mass had already become smaller and more local during the last two years due to the pandemic. The 2023 events will be more in keeping with those events, which were held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle instead of Capital One Arena.

For more than 25 years, the archdiocese welcomed youth from around the country to the rally and Mass, held before the annual March for Life against abortion in January.

In 2023, the archdiocese will instead host the Youth Mass of Celebration and Thanksgiving for Life celebrated by Cardinal Wilton Gregory at the Cathedral. The change was announced in a statement on the Archdiocesan web site. It described a difficult decision to cancel the rally after consulting with all the dioceses that previously sent busloads of youth to the event.

The landscape for opposing abortion has adapted since June, when the Supreme Court in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned its nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand. After the Dobbs ruling, which leaves it up to states to determine their abortion laws, Catholic bishops across the country have emphasized local efforts in building a culture of life and in expanding outreach to women facing crisis pregnancies and to families in need, and in opposing legislative efforts to expand abortion rights.

The archdiocese in its statement on the cancellation of the youth rally noted that it was a difficult decision, but that pro-life advocacy has changed.

“We heard from many dioceses who shared that they are turning their efforts to their state’s March for Life now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. We certainly support their local work and pray for their success.”

The statement encouraged groups traveling to Washington to participate in the March for Life, which begins at noon on Jan. 20 with a rally at the National Mall. The archdiocese also encouraged people to attend the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which includes an opening Mass at 5 p.m. on Jan. 19.

In The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, as around the country, pro-life efforts are becoming more focused on state-level legislation, rather than on the federal courts. Debbie McDonald, the archdiocese’s Assistant Secretary for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns, told the Catholic Standard that the emphasis post-Roe is on “how can our young people engage? How can our families engage in support of other families, in support of young mothers, in support of young fathers, in support of children, in support of families in our parish level, but also connecting them and supporting our agencies that serve life issues and to really look at the big picture.”  

For example, McDonald said, the archdiocese will encourage participation in the Maryland March for Life (https://www.mdmarchforlife.com/), advocating with the Maryland General Assembly, and more work with agencies serving mothers, immigrants and families that are struggling. She described the efforts as “focusing on how we’re supporting life from birth to death.”

The statement from the archdiocese said that Cardinal Gregory “would like to express his deepest gratitude for the support and participation of archdiocesan youth and young people who traveled to Washington, D.C. over these past 25 years.”

In interviews, archdiocesan officials emphasized the extensive consultation process that preceded the decision to cancel the multi-diocese rally, and how the local Mass and other activities will offer an opportunity to engage area Catholic youth in life issues.

McDonald said feedback from other dioceses about their plans for January indicated they would be emphasizing a local approach to engaging their youth and advocating for life in their communities and state legislatures.

“So we heard them, and that was a major factor” in the decision to cancel the large-scale rally, McDonald said.

Joaquin Trejo, the archdiocese’s coordinator of Youth Ministry, said, “Our focus has always been, how do we serve our young people?” He added, “We will just continue doing what we have been doing, but on a smaller scale… the service to our young people will continue.”

Kevin E. Donoghue, the president and CEO for the archdiocese’s Office of Youth Ministry/Catholic Youth Organization, said the Cathedral-based format will enable more direct engagement between Cardinal Gregory and the youth.  

The archdiocesan announcement invites young people from local schools and parishes to participate. Registration will open the first week of December.

The link to the archdiocesan web page on the Youth Mass of Celebration and Thanksgiving for life can be found at: https://adw.org/youth-rally-mass-life/