A Sea of Grace - The 2025 March for Life
And the Reason that the Pro-Life Movement will Ultimately Prevail
“So, how many years have you been covering this?” he asked kindly as we walked backward, facing the March for Life banner and the tens of thousands marching behind it. His long gray ponytail draped over the top of the Knights of Columbus logo on the ubiquitous white jacket worn by the March officials.
I thought about it and realized I had no idea. So I took my best guess. “Maybe 20?”
“I’ve been here since 1996,” he replied with a chuckle. “And when I tell a lot of these young people that, they say, ‘That was before I was even born!’”
We laughed. The fact that we’d been doing this for so long meant one thing: we’re old.
In covering the March for Life year after year, you develop “March buddies”—the people who feel like close friends but whom you only see once a year. Particularly fellow photographers, videographers, and the Knights who lead the March. It’s like a reunion of sorts, and it’s one of the little things about the March that brings a smile to your heart.
When I first began covering the March—whenever that was—I remember it was mostly older pro-lifers, well, older than me. Many were from the generation that started it all: the pillars of the pro-life movement. People like its foundress, Nellie Gray. One of the common sentiments among them was, “Who’ll take our place when we’re gone?” They feared that younger generations would drift away into the culture and that the movement would fade. After all, the culture of death was becoming more entrenched, and the culture of media and entertainment seemed to be marching lockstep with it on the road to perdition.
But remarkably, that’s not what happened.
In fact, quite the opposite occurred.
About ten years ago, something changed. The face of the pro-life movement began growing younger and younger. And today, you could take any three participants, add their ages together, and I’d still be older. Well, sort of.
So, why? Why, despite the toxic culture in which surrounds them, have they found their way to the streets of the nation’s capital on a frigid January day to stand passionately for the most vulnerable among us—the unborn?
Maybe their parents made them go?
Peer pressure?
Or could it be common sense? (Which is really just wisdom dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.)
Well, I’m no sociologist or theologian, but that’s never stopped me from trying to answer big questions before.
So my answer, in a single word, is this: Grace.
Here’s why.
The pro-life battle is a spiritual one, and its battlefield is the heart and soul of mankind and the weapons are those of prayer and sacrifice.
And if there’s one thing about the pro-life community, they’re the Navy SEALs, Force Recon, or Delta Force of this form of conflict. Just drop into a Witness for Life in downtown Manhattan if you need proof.
You’ll not find a more prayerful or self-sacrificing group. They’re the daily Mass crew, the lectors, the Eucharistic Ministers, and the Bible study leaders. They’re the ones who run Crisis Pregnancy Centers around the country and give their hearts to mothers and their unborn children. They’re the ones most likely to be there for a neighbor in need. And they’re the ones who are willing to sacrifice it all—even to the point of being jailed.

So, when you add it all up and do a little spiritual math, it absolutely stands to reason that those countless prayers are heard and answered and that Christ indeed has their backs.
And the Graces He pours out upon the movement are abundant and fruitful.
So, if you take a step back and look at the movement for what it is—a movement of Grace—it becomes clear that He’s the One who brings change to the hearts of those hardened by lies. He’s the One who brings light to those shrouded in spiritual darkness. And He’s the One who will continue to inspire and raise up the young and the old, despite the culture that surrounds them.
Because He’s the One who created it all.
And so long as our hearts and souls are fixed on Him, it’ll be alright.
And life will win.
After all these years, standing in the cold alongside my “March buddies” amidst the sea of youthful faces, I’m reminded of the simple truth: Grace prevails. And it will continue to work long after we’re gone.






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You have my heartfelt thanks for your generosity and support and please keep me in your prayers, and know of mine for each of you. God Bless, Jeff
Great essay and great photos, Jeff! The Dobbs decision has exposed how deeply committed so many have become to abortion. At the same time, it has opened the way for this continuous witness of grace to change hearts and minds—the greater problem all along. Let’s keep praying and witnessing and caring for women facing hardships.