Pro-Life Movement “Alive and Well” as Thousands Congregate in Capital City for Mass, Rally and March

Thousands of pro-life activists gathered in Trenton on Thursday, September 26, 2024, for the inaugural New Jersey Mass and March for Life.

The mass, which was held at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, was celebrated by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archdiocese of Newark, with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., Diocese of Trenton, serving as homilist. Bishop Kevin Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson; Bishops Dennis J. Sullivan, and Joseph Williams, Diocese of Camden; and Father Jospeh Toborowsky, Bishop James F. Checchio’s delegate, Diocese of Metuchen, concelebrated, along with more than 100 priests from parishes around the state. It was a standing room only crowd at the Cathedral, as more than 1,200 worshipers were in attendance.  

During his homily, Bishop O’Connell spoke about Catholics’ “duty to protect,” human life. “[Fighting] abortion is the preeminent priority [of the Catholic Church] because it directly attacks life itself and takes place within the sanctuary of family,” said O’Connell, adding that “Protecting life is the fundamental basis of all our other priorities.” He continued, “It is unambiguously clear why we have the duty to protect the child in a mother’s womb, because life begins at conception. Social doctrine all begins with choosing life, and today in Trenton, and in all dioceses throughout New Jersey, we affirm our duty to protect.” 

Following mass, attendees marched to the State House where they joined thousands of rally goers who came from across the state to call for more restrictive abortion laws in New Jersey. In 2023, New Jersey had the sixth highest number of abortions per state in the country at 58,420, or 29.2 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, compared to the national rate of 14.4, according to the Guttmacher Institute. “New Jersey has some of the most expansive pro-abortion laws in the country, and our goal today was to let New Jersey’s lawmakers know that there is a significant contingency of New Jerseyans who vehemently oppose these harmful laws,” said Cheryl Riley, director of the Archdiocese of Newark’s Respect Life Office. 

The rally included a long list of distinguished speakers, including Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, Bishop Kevin Sweeney, and Assemblymen John DiMaio and Brain Rumpf.  

Following the rally, thousands marched peacefully through the streets of Trenton around the State House to demonstrate the strength of the pro-life movement in the Garden State. “It’s exciting to see so many pro-life supporters march for such an important cause,” said Jennifer Ruggiero, Secretary, Secretariat for Family and Pastoral Life, Dioceses of Metuchen. “We believe life begins at conception and that abortion is an act that ends the life of a human person. As a Catholic and Pro-life Community, we need to change hearts and minds into seeing abortion as an unthinkable act.”   

High school students from as far away as Paramus and Red Bank were some of the most vocal supporters at the rally, which garnered admiration from one Mass organizer. “To see so many next generation leaders here today strengthens our belief that the pro-life movement is alive and well,” said Rachel Hendricks, respect life coordinator for the Trenton Diocese. “When I see these amazing young adults peacefully rallying to protect the dignity of every person, including those still in the womb, I know our future is in good hands.” 

But more work must be done for New Jersey to realize a reduction in the number of abortions, both legislatively and philosophically, said James King, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference. “As a Church, we’re fighting a two-front battle. Not only do we need to effectively advocate to the Legislature for more restrictive abortion laws, we also need to educate pregnant mothers who are contemplating abortion that the Catholic Church and its Catholic Charities have resources available to help them through the most difficult times following the birth of their child. As the largest charitable organization in the world, we don’t just condemn abortion, we offer many programs to help people choose life over the alternative.” 

The mass was organized by New Jersey’s five Roman Catholic dioceses, while the rally and march were organized by March for Life, a national organization that promotes the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion—uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which made abortion a state-level issue, New Jersey is among 16 states to hold an event in partnership with March for Life. Eniola Honsberger, director of Family Life, Dioceses of Paterson, who served on the planning committee said, “Today was a great day for the pro-life community in New Jersey. We didn’t know what to expect in terms of turnout because this was our first time partnering with March for Life, and we were delighted that so many showed up to offer their support for this critical issue. At the heart of our effort is love and I think that shined through today. We’re thankful to all who participated and helped organize the event, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s rally!” 

To access pictures from the event, click HERE and HERE. (Mike Ehrmann photo/courtesy of The Monitor)