Faith in action

Save the dates of October 9-10 for opportunities aimed at prayer, reflection and action at the North Dakota March for Life. 
 
Events begin on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. with a Holy Hour for Life, led by Bishop Kagan at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismack. All are welcome to attend and join in prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament for the intention of defending life.
 
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, Bishop Kagan will celebrate Mass at the Bismarck Event Center arena. Due to the growing numbers attending the Mass each year, we have outgrown the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The Bismarck Event Center arena will be transformed into a sacred space for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (use door A1). This is an exciting change to this very important Mass. This will also allow for the number of those gathered to pray for life to continue to increase!
 
Following Mass, attendees will march (or drive) from the Bismarck Event Center to the state capitol south lawn just off Boulevard Avenue. There will then be a March for Life rally, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The featured speaker at the rally is Kimberly Marvin, a survivor of an abortion attempt on her life, which occurred prior to the Roe v. Wade decision. Hers is a story of truth and forgiveness that can’t be missed! During the rally, all attending will be asked to observe a moment of silence for 63 seconds, in honor of the 63 million babies’ lives lost.
 
Members of the public, of all faith denominations, are encouraged to attend all the events. More information and registration can be found at bismarckdiocese.com/ndmfl.
 
History of participation
 
Some might wonder why there’s both a local March for Life in Bismarck in October and the National March for Life in January in Washington, D.C. The Bismarck Diocese has had a strong and continuous presence at the march in Washington D.C., for many years, with groups from across the diocese attending. The national march raises awareness to the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. This pilgrimage and commitment to defend life at the national level is a long-standing tradition.
 
In January 2021, due to the global pandemic, pilgrims from the Bismarck Diocese were unable to attend the national March for Life. Partnering with other pro-life groups, including the national March for Life State March Program, the ND Pro-Life Committee was formed. Since that first-ever North Dakota March for Life to the state capitol, aspects of the event have differed slightly, such as locations and times. But the message remains constant at both the local and national level—all humans, from conception to natural death, possess inherent value and deserve respect and protection.
 
The first North Dakota March for Life was held in January as an alternative for the cancelled national event. However, in 2022, a decision was made to move the local march to be held annually in October which is designated as Respect Life Month. The first Sunday of the month is Respect Life Sunday. In correlation, the N.D. March for Life is the first Friday following the first Sunday of October. 

The goal of the march is to raise awareness and proclaim solidarity in the mission to pray for and to protect life from the moment of conception until natural death. It is our hope that spending the day standing up for the unborn will embolden people to continue to defend life in our daily lives and within our communities. 
 
 Additional information
 
While October is Respect Life Month, January is marked as the Sanctity of Human Life Month. Locally, every year, each parish within the Bismarck Diocese holds a Mass for the Legal Protection of the Unborn on January 22 (unless a Sunday), the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, and a Mass of Thanksgiving for the End of Federal Legalization of Abortion on June 24 (unless a Sunday) commemorating the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022.
 
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) provides resources and materials to help Catholics understand and value human life throughout October and beyond, available online at usccb.org/prolife. The Bismarck Diocese’s Respect Life ministry page is bismarckdiocese.com/respectlife. For additional information, contact Amanda at 701-204-7205 or [email protected] or Katie at 701-712-0418 or [email protected].