March for Life changes
due to COVID-19

The annual March for Life in St. Augustine will become a car caravan in compliance with COVID-19 restrictions.

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The anti-abortion march planned for Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, will take place with some modifications at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. Masks and social distancing will be enforced according to the National Shrine and city requirements.

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Participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles with pro-life signs, excluding graphic images. The caravan will depart from the National Shrine at 2 p.m. and drive through the city.

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A life chain will also be in place on the waterfront between the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and the Bridge of Lions. It will consist of designated high school and college students spaced apart and holding signs.

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May Oliver, the director for the March for Life, said that because of the format change she has no idea how many will attend this year. Between 3,000 and 3,500 people have attended the march in the past.

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“We want to remind people that we have rights in this country,” said Oliver. “And those rights are being deteriorated, but life is the right that we will continue to fight for. That's why even with COVID-19, we're not forfeiting our right to assemble. We're not forfeiting our right to free speech. We're not forfeiting our right to be about our faith. And we're certainly not forfeiting the right to protect human life.”

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Every year around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, organizations across the country lead marches modeled after the National March for Life in Washington, D.C. The March for Life in St. Augustine began 15 years ago.

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“With regards to Roe v. Wade, we had no presence,” said Oliver. “So, several of us who usually go to Washington decided to have a march here at the birthplace of our country with the feeling that to change the heart of our country, we have to start at the beginning, which is at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche.”

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The theme of this year’s march is “Life. The First Human Right.”

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A kick-off event will be held on Jan. 15, with a leadership workshop for college students, followed by adoration, a rosary, and mass.

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On Saturday morning, Bishop Felipe Estevez of the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine will celebrate mass, followed by keynotes from Patricia Sandoval, a national pro-life speaker, and Pam Stenzel, the director of Alpha Women’s Center.

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“What we want to do is uphold and uplift the value of all human life,” said Oliver. “It doesn't matter your race, your creed, your faith, or your handicapping condition, all human life is precious and should receive dignity and respect.”