Akron area high school students join in fifth annual Ohio March for Life

A busload of students from Archbishop Hoban High School and Chesterton Academy, both in Akron, were among hundreds of people who participated in the fifth annual Ohio March for Life on Oct. 9 in Columbus.

Tony Dipre, director of the diocesan Office for Human Life, said it was the first time the office was able to coordinate a bus of students and educators for the event. About 18 Hoban students, accompanied by teacher Kristen Heller, and about a dozen Chesterton students plus six educators, coordinated by Claire Catano, traveled to Columbus with Dipre and Victoria Uhase from the diocese.

Unfortunately, Dipre said due to a traffic accident that closed a portion of Interstate 71 that morning, the group did not arrive in Columbus in time for Mass. “However, both schools joined together to pray a Rosary for Life,” he said.

“As director of the Office for Human Life, I am always inspired by the willingness of our young people who choose to intentionally make time to publicly witness their commitment to the sanctity for human life. Being with the delegations from Hoban and Chesterton Academy was absolutely joyful, and I hope that we, as an office, can continue to offer this opportunity in the future as well as build a larger Cleveland delegation,” said Dipre.

Although the diocesan group missed the liturgy, they arrived in time to hear the speakers outside the Ohio Statehouse and to participate in the March for Life, despite the soggy weather.

“It was significant and encouraging to witness that the speakers at the rally spoke to a variety of threats to life.” Dipre said. Without a doubt, we as Ohioans need to continue advocating for the defenseless and the unborn. But, especially with the encroachment of euthanasia and assisted suicide within the United States (including legislation proposed in April in Ohio), hearing speakers name and address this issue was important and definitely needed. We must be a Church that promotes and protects a robust vision of human life and dignity at all stages and circumstances,” he added.
The day begin with the annual Mass for Life in St. Joseph Cathedral, a few blocks from the statehouse. Celebrants included Columbus Bishop Earl Fernandes, Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas and Cincinnati Archbishop Robert Casey, who also was the homilist.

The cathedral was standing-room only, filled with students from various Catholic schools, families and others of all ages. In addition to the Cleveland delegation, there were students from the Columbus area, Zanesville, Dublin, Hilliard, Cincinnati and Toledo in attendance.

“So easily some of our brothers and sisters can fall prey to thinking that some life is not good and not worthy, with their hearts growing sour as they view life in this world as something rancid and disposable,” Archbishop Casey said. He encouraged the faithful to change the hearts and minds of their brothers and sisters akin to a culture of death and asked the congregation to accompany individuals who do not share the same beliefs or understanding, and work to guard and preserve the sacred gift of life.

After Mass, the archbishop and bishops joined hundreds of other clergy, religious, laity, Columbus area seminarians and the students for a pre-march rally outside the statehouse. Several elected officials and representatives of pregnancy resource centers, organizations and pro-life advocates also addressed the crowd.