February 21, 2014: Today's Catholic article "Hundreds March for Life in Del Rio
On January 26, 2014, Del Rio joined with other cities across America, including the major events of the March for Life in Washington, DC and the Walk for Life in San Francisco, to show support and solidarity for the right to life.
Sunday afternoon brought warm temperatures and rays of sunlight shining upon the 400 – 500 individuals who came together to form the 2014 Del Rio for Life – March for Life.
The March for Life is a solemn procession of individuals in protest of the U.S Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade and in memorial of all the lives lost since abortion on demand was legalized.
The 2014 March for Life was organized under the sponsorship of Del Rio for Life (DR4L) headed by Eduardo Peña and his wife Jessica Salazar Peña.
Del Rio for Life was established as a community of pro-life minded individuals who have joined together to help defend human life, to raise awareness of the pro-life cause, to educate people on how destructive abortion is, to help promote healing for victims of abortion, and to express the pro-life cause to our elected officials in the hope of effecting change.
The March for Life attracted people from various church congregations in the city.
Raquel Cedillo, Sacristan at Sacred Heart Church, said she marched because she believes life is precious.
Adelaida Fira, a member of Primera Iglesia Bautista, said the reason she attended the march was because she is pro-life and she wanted women who are hurting because of abortion, to know that there is redemption through Jesus.
The march was approximately one (1) mile; starting at Star Park, located off a main thoroughfare in the city, and concluding at Greenwood Park located in downtown Del Rio, where the gathering listened to featured speakers.
Dr. Marian Casillas, began with “A Prayer for the Life Issues in our Society”, beseeching God’s blessings upon all the efforts to eradicate the culture of death so prevalent in our society, and to bring about a civilization of life and love by proudly, passionately and prayerfully being pro-life from conception to natural death.
Ricardo Torres, shared his personal testimony about how his birth was a result of his mother being raped when she was 15 years old, and how thankful he was for his mother bringing him into this world and not aborting him.
Dr. Irma Elena Montemayor, explicitly expounded on a list of astonishing scientific facts about the development of human beings in their mother’s womb.
This culminated in the unequivocal reality that life begins at conception and that the pre-born must be recognized with the legal status of personhood.
Keynote speaker Steve Pokorny, Director of the Covenant of Love for The Alexander House in San Antonio, spoke about how the solution to ending abortion, the legalized killing of a child, was to restore the fundamental cell in society which is marriage and family life.
He described in detail how each and every one of us must do our part to strengthen and support marriage and family life.
Amistad Pregnancy Care Center in Del Rio had an exhibit of free materials at Greenwood Park.
Rosie Aguilar, Volunteer Board President, was on hand to disseminate information about the Center that offers resources and services free of charge, to assist women who are experiencing a crisis pregnancy situation, by providing them alternatives to abortion.
It was truly inspirational to see the Del Rio community, of inter-faith and multi-generational individuals, participant in the March for Life and come together to proclaim the pro-life cause.
March for Life participants left to right:
- Father Wieslaw Mikulski, Parochial Vicar, St. Joseph Parish
- Sister Esther Cardenas, Director of Religious Education, St. Joseph Parish
- Father Antonio O. Moreno, Retired Chaplain USAF
- Father Henry Clay Hunt, III, Pastor, St. Joseph Parish
- Carmen Reyes, St. Joseph Church Office Administrator & her husband Tony Reyes
- Sister Esther Cardenas, Director of Religious Education, St. Joseph Parish
- Father Antonio O. Moreno, Retired Chaplain USAF
- Father Henry Clay Hunt, III, Pastor, St. Joseph Parish
- Carmen Reyes, St. Joseph Church Office Administrator & her husband Tony Reyes
Children carried the “March for Life” banner
Youth were evident throughout the event; these teenage girls proudly marched with posters they made that expressed their messages about being pro-life
St. Joseph Church Life Teen & EDGE