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TOP: Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse — RIGHT: Photo by Jake Wright
“Christ says, ‘If you receive a little child in my name, you receive me.’ That is why abortion is such a terrible evil, because in refusing the little child we are refusing Christ himself. … If you do not want the child, I want it. Give it to me.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, Ottawa rally, Sept. 17, 1988 The Knights of Columbus has been a significant ally of the event from its infancy, assisting with funding, organization and participation. K of C state deputies and numerous Knights across the country have also helped organize smaller marches in the provincial capitals. “I am very grateful to the Knights of Columbus for their commitment, leadership and support,” said Hughes. Over the past 20 years, the National March for Life has evolved into a three-day event, beginning with a candlelight vigil on Parliament Hill the eve of the march. “Eighty percent of participants are under the age of 30,” Hughes noted. “It is a joyful event.” Today, more than 100,000 abortions are officially reported each year in Canada. But the national march reflects the growing numbers of citizens who are affirming, through word and action, the value of all human life. Hughes recalled Mother Teresa’s words to him when she was a keynote speaker at a 1988 pro-life rally on Parliament Hill: “The beautiful thing about the pro-life movement is that it’s ordinary people doing extraordinary things for God.”♦ COLLEEN ROULEAU writes from Edmonton, Alberta.
Opposite page: Supreme Director Graydon Nicholas of New Brunswick, joined by his wife, Elizabeth, and Ontario state officers, speaks at Parliament Hill prior to the Canadian National March for Life in Ottawa, May 11, 2017. • Ontario State Treasurer Marcel Lemmen (left) takes part in the 2017 National March for Life with his daughter, Grace, and wife, Charlene. Also pictured is District Deputy Randy Hingston of Granottier Council 2092 in Owen Sound, Ontario. JANUARY 2018
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