At NJ Rally and March, pro-life advocates show resolve in ending abortion, supporting women

The first statewide New Jersey Rally and March for Life Sept. 26 saw hundreds of pro-life supporters gathering at the Trenton Statehouse annex in peaceful witness for the dignity of unborn children and their mothers.

PHOTO GALLERY: NJ Rally and March for Life

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Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson opened the rally with a prayer, building on the homily of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., delivered at the Mass for Life earlier that morning in Trenton’s St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral.

“Roe is overturned, and ‘we have a lot of work to do,’ as Bishop O’Connell reminded us,” he said. He also recalled St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1994, and her focus on the unborn, when she asked, “How do we help a mother? Through love.”

“My sisters and brothers, let us never condemn, but let us love – the mom, the dad and the child in the womb,” Bishop Sweeney noted, “and as Bishop O’Connell said, ‘life at every moment from conception to natural death.’”

Varied Voices

Themed “With Every Woman and For Every Child,” the Rally and March for Life saw an ecumenical gathering of pro-life advocates, including groups from every diocese in the state, as well as multiple Catholic school and parish delegations. Students of St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance, while the one-mile march that followed the rally was led by students and staff of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, carrying the event’s signature banner.

Although he was unable to attend in person, Representative Christopher Smith, (R-NJ, 4th district), parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, provided a statement that was read during the Rally.

“On behalf of my wife Marie and I, thanks to each of you for your extraordinary perseverance, courage, compassion, and above all, love for the weakest and most vulnerable,” Smith wrote. “As we all know far too well, the pro-abortion culture . . . continues to deny, devalue and disrespect unborn baby girls and boys, and trivialize the harm suffered by women. Many states, including our own under Gov. Murphy, have enacted extremist laws that legally sanction the killing of a baby … for any reason whatsoever, right up to the moment of birth.

“But no human rights abuse need be forever,” Smith continued. “We will never, never, never quit in our defense of the unborn children and their mothers. Now more than ever, we must double down, and pray, fast and work even harder to protect women and children from the violence of abortion.”

“Your presence here is a testament to the strength of the pro-life movement. You are all bright shining lights of joy and hope here today,” said NJ Right to Life director Marie Tasy. She pointed to the work of some 50 pregnancy resource centers in New Jersey, and a recent report that revealed they served more than 23,000 men, women and youth in 2022, and provided services valued at more than $3 million.

“They did it all without receiving state or federal funding,” Tasy said. “These centers give them the true choice, and because of the services they provide, thousands of children are alive today, and thousands of women have been spared the pain and grief of abortion.”

Other speakers at the rally included state legislators, healthcare workers, National and New Jersey March for Life representatives, abortion survivors and faith leaders – several of whom offered remarks from a Catholic perspective.

Responding with Love, Action

“We are bringing truth with love,” said Sister Deirdre “DeDe” Byrne, a religious sister of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart. A veteran with the retiring rank of colonel, Sister Dede works as a surgeon among the poor; her mission includes offering abortion pill reversal.

Referring to a woman who came to the convent for assistance, Sister Dede described her reversal as unsuccessful. The woman asked Sister Dede, “Will God forgive me?”

“God already forgave you; you have to forgive yourself,” the nun replied.

She then added, “To all the priests out there, I thank you for your priesthood … without you we would not have reconciliation to be in the state of grace.”

Felicia Pricenor, from the National March for Life and former associate director for the Virginia Catholic Conference, reminded the crowd of their “critical role in protecting life.”

“It is critical that we march here at the Statehouse, letting our legislators know that we are here, and we will not stop marching until every woman and every child, born and unborn, is protected in New Jersey,” she said.

Pricenor also referenced the more than 3,000 pregnancy resource centers in operation across the country, which provide assistance to mothers and families and make choosing life easier. But a current piece of New Jersey legislation – A861 – could jeopardize those centers’ work.

“The bill uses New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act – which is meant to protect you from legitimate fraud and business scams – to punish PRCs and attack them,” Pricenor said. “This proposed legislation is meant to attack their freedom of speech and discredit the work they perform, which would threaten the life-affirming work they do for women and families across the state. PRCs, as we know, provide free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests, they give families resources such as diapers and formula.”

Pricenor urged people to contact their representatives and voice their opposition to the proposed bill. “We cannot allow these centers – who are trusted community members … be threatened by this piece of legislation. They need to be able to continue to provide the critical care to families.”

Hundreds of pro-lifers from around the state stand on the property of the N.J. State House Annex for the Rally for Life Sept. 25. Mike Ehrmann photo