Valley residents heading to D.C. for Friday’s March for Life

Jan. 26--SELINSGROVE -- To Michael Seno and other Valley church members, no other issue is bigger than the right to life for unborn children.

On Friday, the Selinsgrove-based St. Pius X Catholic Church member will drive a 20-person bus filled with like-minded individuals to the nation's capital to participate in the 44th March for Life. Other churches in the Valley also are sending groups of people.

"To me, the senseless destruction of human life is one of the biggest issues the nation is facing today," said Seno, in his third year of driving to the march for the church. "It's the only issue I vote on. It's a major fight in my life."

The March for Life began in Washington, D.C., as a small demonstration and has grown to be the largest pro-life event in the world, according to the March for Life website. The peaceful demonstration has followed on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the Roe v. Wade case. It has been held every year since 1973.

"I believe in this in my heart," said Lupita Charles, a St. Pius member attending the march for fhe first time. She has been attending pro-life events for three decades. "We must defend life."

This year's March for Life comes less than a week after Saturday's Women's March on Washington, which focused on women's rights, including reproductive rights. It also takes place as President Trump's new administration looks to reshape the Supreme Court with more conservative justices and at a time when abortion rates are at historic lows.

The March for Life official program will be held Friday on the National Mall at the Washington Monument. The program begins with a rally at noon after a time of musical reflection at 11:45. There will be jumbo-trons for easier viewing.

Speakers scheduled to participate include Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to President Trump; Cardinal Timothy Dolan, of New York City; Benjamin Watson, tight end for the Baltimore Ravens; Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director and founder of And Then There Were None; Karyme Lozano, Mexican telenovela star; Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author and host of "The Eric Metaxas Show;" and Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr., president at Church of God In Christ World Missions.

Seno has been attending for nearly 15 years.

"It's exciting to see hundreds of thousands of people from all across the country," Seno said. "It's wall-to-wall people. It's a 'Praise God' event."

The common factor is the crowd's defense of life, Charles said.

"It's a phenomenal way of uniting people," she said.

Karen Konkolics, of Bloomsburg, has been organizing a bus trip for nearly 10 years. This year, approximately 50 people from Bloomsburg, Lewisburg and Danville are traveling with her to the March for Life.

"It's important we go down and make a stand," Konkolics said. "It's important for the government to see us there and important for the people who go, because we pray, we sacrifice, we work, we do as much as we can to change this Supreme Court decision."

The crowds of people give her "energy and conviction" to keep going, she said.

"It is a very difficult thing day after day after day hearing about all the babies killed and the mothers affected," Konkolics said. "There is some visible, palpable hope, and we're very excited for that."

Lewisburg residents Eileen and John Panell, a married couple of 46 years and members of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Lewisburg, said they have been attending the March for Life intermittently for 30 years. This is the first year they will be volunteering with St. Peter's on Capitol Hill Catholic Church to pass out coffee, doughnuts and other refreshments to marchers.

"It can be so bitterly cold, and some years, it's snowing," said Eileen Panell, director of the caring community at Sacred Heart. "These wonderful people come from all over the world. It gives them a place to rest."

The purpose of marching is to "urge everyone to respect human life from the moment of conception to natural death," she said.

"Sometimes, when I'm marching up Capitol Hill and I look ahead of me, there are all these people proclaiming they are planning to defend human life," she said. "Then, when I turn around, and as far as I can see, there are people with the goal of defending and protecting human life. That's really stunning."

Steve Resuta, of Elysburg, has organized a bus trip with his wife, Michele Resuta, for members of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church, Elysburg. More than 50 people, mostly members of the church, are going on the bus. Resuta's eight children -- ages 6 to 21 -- also will attend the march.

"We're going there to support life," Resuta said. "All different people from different races and religions come together for the same cause. There's electricity. God is truly active."

Resuta said a portion of today's generation is gone due to abortion.

"They could have been the one who cured cancer, or became president, your best friend, or your spouse," Resuta said.

Every person has a right to live, he said.

"Everybody is valuable," Resuta said. "No matter what they do, from the smallest to the biggest."

TJ Willoughby, a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Danville, is driving to D.C. with his four children -- ages 9 to 16.

"We go down to raise awareness of pro-life issues and abortions," Willoughby said. "This is one of the most important issues we face in this country. We stand on the side of life."

The march is peaceful and joyful, he said.

"Even though we're saddened by abortion, it's positive being down there," Willoughby said. "The message is one of hope. It's pretty profound."

Alka Shanahan, a member of St. Joseph, is missing her first trip since 2007 bcause she has to work.

"It's an amazing experience to show people we care about human life from birth to natural death," she said.

Email Justin Strawser at jstrawser@dailyitem.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinLStrawser.

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