January 23, 2009
History and values combined in Washington trip
Among students from Memorial High School in Evansville beginning a trip to Washington D.C. are Chet Riddle, in front, Megan Miller, Rachel Massey, Leslie Riley and Stacey Thomas. The group of 33 students and seven adults went to Mass at Nativity Church in Evansville Jan. 17 beginning a series of events and activities including the inauguration of President Barack Obama Jan. 20 and the Right to Life Rally and March on Jan. 22. Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Thirty-three students and seven adults are scheduled to be back in Evansville today, Friday, Jan. 23, after spending the week in Washington, D.C. The group of Memorial Teens for Life left Evansville Jan. 17 after the 4:30 p.m. vigil Mass celebrated at Nativity Church in Evansville.
Sandy Morris, who teaches re-ligion at the high school, organized the trip, as she has done for the past “eight or nine years.”
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” she said. “I really enjoy it.”
The trip this year included the historic inauguration of Presi-dent Barack Obama on Jan. 20 and the annual Right to Life march Jan. 22. Quite a contrast said one parent, “marching for life and seeing the inauguration of the most pro-abortion president in American history.”
The historic inauguration ceremony drew literally millions to the Washington Mall and surrounding area, including the 40-person delegation from Memor-ial.
They also planned to take in many of the experiences Wash-ington has to offer. Their itinerary included the Smithsonian Institution Museums, the IMAX Theatre at Udvar Hazy featuring earth-views from space, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the National Archives, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Nurses’ Memorial, the Ko-rean War Veterans Memorials, the World War II Memorial, the International Spy Museum, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknowns, the Bureau of Engraving, the Holocaust Mus-eum and the Newseum.
The itinerary for Thursday, Jan. 22, was to begin with breakfast at their hotel in Vienna, Va, travel to the National Cathedral in the morning and participation in the Life Rally and March in the afternoon.
The travelers were expected to arrive back home in Indiana around 5 a.m. Friday morning in Evansville.
Other travelers from southwestern Indiana were also planning to take part in the March for Life. Steve Dabrowski, the new director of youth and young adult ministry in the Diocese of Evansville, said he was considering plans for a pilgrimage in 2010 — travel to be focused on prayer and witness for life.
The March for Life has been held each year since 1973, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalized abortion in the Roe v. Wade case. In early years, some 20,000 marchers went to Washington to witness to the value for life; in recent years, 200,000 marchers have participated.