HARRISBURG – The third annual PA March for Life will take place on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, outside the Capitol building in Harrisburg. Both the House and Senate will be in session that day, which will allow the pro-life community to come from every corner of the Commonwealth to have their voices heard.
The PA March for Life is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of life, advocate for a Commonwealth where every single life is cherished from the moment of conception to natural death and mourn the tragedy of abortion.
After a wave of pro-life legislation across other states, now is a great time to continue the momentum and show our state lawmakers support for protecting the sanctity of life in Pennsylvania.
The schedule of events for Oct. 16 include a Mass at Saint Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg at 9:30 a.m. At 10 a.m., a Prayer and Praise Pre-Rally will take place on the main stage at the front steps of the Capitol. At 11 a.m., the main rally will take place followed by the noon March around the Capitol. At 1:30 p.m., another Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick.
The speakers announced for the PA March for Life Rally include:
• Dawn Fitzpatrick, who is the Executive Director of the March for Life organization and a former Respect Life Director at the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
• David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life. 40 Days for Life helps communities lead prayer vigils outside of abortion facilities as a witness to the tragedy of abortion. David’s work has mobilized 750,000 volunteers in over 700 cities around the world.
• Dr. Kendra Kolb, a Pennsylvania neonatologist and pro-life advocate. She works with newborn and prematurely-born babies, and is a member of the Perinatal Palliative Care Committee, which provides compassionate medical care for babies with life-limiting diagnoses.
• Bishop Timothy Senior, Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg. Bishop Senior is a classically-trained pianist and he holds a Master’s in social work and a Master’s in business administration.
• Dr. Don Immel, superintendent of the PennDel Ministry Network with the Assemblies of God. Dr. Immel has been working in ministry as a youth pastor, a pastoral counselor, and a lead pastor since 1982.
• Pastors Jay and Tiffany Gilbert, founders of Voices for the Unborn pregnancy center in the City of Pittsburgh. Jay is senior pastor at Another Level Ministries, where Tiffany works alongside him, and leaders at Another Level Bible Institute.
All are welcome to attend the PA March for Life and no advanced registration is required. For more information on marchforlife.org/Pennsylvania-march-for-life.
The Diocese of Scranton is sponsoring a bus to the PA March for Life in Harrisburg. High school students, college students and families are welcome to join us. The cost of the trip is $30 per adult/$25 per student and includes charter bus and driver gratuity. Passenger pick-up in Scranton is at 7:45 a.m. The bus will depart Harrisburg at 2:45 p.m. following the conclusion of the 1:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Patrick Cathedral. For more information or to register, contact Shannon Kowalski at SKowalski@dioceseofscranton.org or call (570) 207-2213, x1155.
Another bus trip to the PA March for Life will originate from the Wilkes-Barre area. For more information, contact Chris Calore at (570) 824-5621.
The VOICE of JOHN, in conjunction with Pennsylvanians for Human Life in Hazleton, will host a bus trip that leaves from Saint John Bosco Church in Conyngham after the 8 a.m. Mass. It will return at approximately 4:30 p.m. Cost is $40 per adult/$25 per student. To reserve a seat, contact Carol Matz at (570) 956-0817 or Maryann Lawhon at (570) 788-5646.
