March for Life Mobile organizers hoping for 6,000 marchers

The Catholic Week
MOBILE — March for Life Mobile officials hope 6,000 people will come to downtown Mobile on Jan. 24 to send a pro-life message.
According to organizers, 6,000 babies are aborted in Alabama each year. Because of that number, this year’s theme to March for Life Mobile is “Standing for the 6,000.”
“I think we need to have that goal of 6,000 marchers, one for every child aborted, so we can really put a visual to that number,” said March for Life organizer Emily Montague. “We’re going for that goal. I don’t know if we’ll make it, but that’s up to God.”
This will be the fourth year for March for Life Mobile and will take place on the same day as the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. Hundreds from the Archdiocese of Mobile will again join thousands for the national march. The local march, which is unaffiliated with the archdiocese, is faith-based and offers an alternative to those unable to make the pilgrimage to Washington.
The event has grown each year and included an estimated 1,500 people last year. Like last year, Montague said archdiocesan schools are invited to participate.
Montague said sacrifice and prayer are needed in order to reach 6,000 marchers this year
“What we’re asking people to do this year is to possibly sacrifice that day of work or do a half day and come and represent these children who have lost their lives to abortion,” Montague said.
“We know it is a huge thing and some people will not be able to and we respect that and understand that. But we are asking people who are maybe in a financial situation that allows them to do that to pray about it, to say ‘God, are you asking me to do this,’ and consider standing with us and marching with us.”
This year’s events will begin with 8:45 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception before the rally at Cathedral Square at 9:45 a.m. The march through downtown Mobile will start at about 11 a.m.
Featured speakers include Pam Whitehead and David and Heather Renshaw.
Whitehead works for the pro-life ministry “And Then There Were None.” David Renshaw is the former station manager of Archangel Radio and current director of communications for the Archdiocese of Portland (Ore.) Heather Renshaw is an active speaker and author of “Death by Minivan.”