In what will go down as the most memorable moment in the history of the Walk for Life West Coast, seven pregnant women and their unborn children ascended the stage, put microphones to their bellies, and filled San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza with sounds of tiny heartbeats.
The heartbeats were a repudiation of the Culture of Death, exemplified by the state of New York’s legalization of the murder of such children up to the moment of birth.
The heartbeats brought an unprecedented response from the tens of thousands of pro-lifers who overflowed the plaza, and even shook the organizers. “I had tears in my eyes,” said Walk for Life co-chair Eva Muntean.
Photographs showing some attendees wiping their eyes, while others were moved to elation. The online comments about the experience included “amazing”…”awesome”… “beautiful”… ”fantastic,” and “Fue el sonido más hermoso que escuche” (“The most beautiful sound I ever heard”).
The day began with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone at St. Mary’s Cathedral. He was joined by ten fellow bishops, and many priests. The Mass was one of a number of Masses which qualified for a plenary indulgence decreed by the Vatican. This is the first time such an indulgence had been decreed. The archbishop imparted a papal blessing from Pope Francis on those in attendance. Archbishop Cordileone gave the invocation opening the Walk for Life rally.
Two of the pregnant mothers were speakers at the rally: former Planned Parenthood employees Abby Johnson and Patricia Sandoval. Both women walked away from their jobs at Planned Parenthood and are now among the most articulate pro-life advocates in the country. Johnson’s first book, Unplanned, has been made into a motion picture to be released this March.
Walk co-chair Dolores Meehan presented the St. Gianna Molla award to pro-life heroism to Mrs. Chastidy Ronan, former executive director of San Francisco’s Alpha Pregnancy Center. Meehan recalled how she had first met Chastidy at a fundraiser in a church basement and how she was won over by her warmth, humor, and commitment to helping women in need. A cancer sufferer, Chastidy told the story of how she came to Alpha as a troubled young mother, became a volunteer and the center’s executive director. The “little fundaisers” are now held in the event center of San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Other speakers included Father Shenan Bouqet of Human Life International, who gave an overview of the pro-life movement, the challenges faced, and urged the Walk for Life West Coast to try and grow as large as its big sister, the March for Life in Washington D.C. The final speaker was the Reverend Walter Hoye of Oakland who recounted the words that earned him a 30-day sentence in the Santa Rita jail: “God loves you and your baby. Let us help you.”
At 1:30 walkers left the Civic Center Plaza to head down Market Street to the Ferry Building. The local CBS affiliate KPIX estimated the crowd at 50,000. Counter-protestors this year were the smallest number ever, no more than 25-30 people. Walkers came from all over the western United States and as far away as Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and even the island of Fiji. Students For Life groups from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, San Jose State, and Stanford (among others) came plus Catholic colleges including Wyoming Catholic College and Thomas Aquinas College, who sent over 200 students. .
But certainly this Walk for Life West Coast will be remembered for the tiny heartbeats.
Where are the dads?
Who cares? Did you miss the point there?
No, but you might have missed mine. This was a beautiful, if incomplete, presentation.
The pro-abortion lobby relies on a fictional premise: pregnancy and birth are exclusively a “woman’s issue” and a woman’s “choice.” Singling out women is the premise which supports their “control over their own bodies” which is the engine driving abortion.
Of course the reality is different. As the church teaches, the family is a Trinitarian reality: Father Mother Child – this is God’s Design for the family. And biologically also all are required. Women do not make babies all by themselves and cannot make a family on their own. They have no right to “decide choice” all by themselves. It takes the family.
The march says “Abortion Hurts…
Hi Jim,
You make a good point. The dads were mostly taking care of their other kids. It would be great to have dads up there too – hopefully next time.
Unless the Wlak for Life marches into the offices of Nancy Pelosi, a self-described pro-abort Catholic under the authority of Abp Cordeleone, there will be no change, just annual Walks for Life.
They should have patched the heartbeats through to Nancy Pelosi’s office. I doubt that it would change her actions, but it would convict her conscience.
I think the annual Walk for Life is marvelous! However– many today may not realize– that with religious obligations there can be no so-called “individual freedom to do as you wish!” Since Vatican II, top Church leaders has been advocating “individual freedoms”– and it is a horrible mistake! The Catholic Church should instead be a powerful moral force in the world, as before the Council– to protect the helpless lives of the unborn, at all costs, no matter what!! Too bad, Mrs. Pelosi, if this were the year 1960– for example– you’d have NO POWER AT ALL
I was there. It was awesome!
What a powerful statement made by those beautiful pre-born babies.
I was at the cable car turntable during the entire Walk. I agree that the number of protesters was minimal. I estimated about the same number as reported in the story. Reconfiguration of the turntable area helped and so did the huge police presence.
But where were all the at least nominally pro-life and Catholic people who might have at least gone to stand along Market Street to watch the Walk, to support with applause, and, also, to protect the Walkers?
I saw one, only one, San Francisco parish banner. And of course, that was from the best parish in the city, Star of the Sea. Where were all the others? Why aren’t pastors from all the other at least nominally Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese urging, insisting, that their…
How did they get the heartbeats so synchronized? Does anyone know?
Only God knows! Those were live.
It does seem amazing that the babies’ hearts all beat at the same time, or at least it sounded as if they did.