March for Life 2026
Posted on Monday, February 23, 2026
By Sr. Catherine Ng
Twelve Aquinas student sisters joined approximately 500 students traveling from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Sister Marie Hannah, O.P., Dean of the School of Education, accompanied an additional nineteen student sisters. Lay students also participated in the pilgrimage.
“I firmly believe that 50 years from now, when my generation has gone to God, your grandchildren will ask you, ‘Is it true that when you were my age, they put children to death in the womb?’”[1] While this remark made by Bishop James Conley in his homily for the 2026 March for Life Vigil Mass seemed ambitious, it is certainly not impossible. The high attendance at the March for Life this year, comprised predominantly of young people, has manifested to us that our country is raising up a new pro-life generation. Not only is it a people who recognize the threats and damages abortion can bring to women, families and our society, but also one who are determined to safeguard the dignity of the human person.
This awakening among young people springs from a deep recognition of the sacredness of human life, which is fostered through one’s personal relationship with the Creator. This echoes the theme of this year’s March: “Life is a Gift.” During the March, the joyful witnesses of young families, various religious communities, and students from Catholic schools and colleges have proven to our society the beauty of human life—a pure gift from God that seeks not for oneself but for others. “Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service,”[2] says our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.
As future Catholic educators, may we strive to promote the culture of life through prayer, preaching, and compassionate accompaniment to those who are yet to embrace their vocation to love and to life.
[1] Bishop James Conley, “Full Text: Bishop Conley’s Homily for the 2026 March for Life Vigil Mass,” NCR, January 23, 2026, https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/bishop-conley-march-for-life-2026-full-text.
[2] Pope Leo XIV, “Full Text: Pope Leo’s ‘State of the World’ Speech 2026,” NCR, January 9, 2026, https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/full-text-pope-leo-2026-state-of-the-world.
