by Christian McGrew
On Saturday, January 14th, thousands of pro-lifers gathered in Saint Augustine, Florida for the Florida March For Life.
Despite having a majority of conservative leadership in government, Florida remains the most abortion accessible state in the southeast. Florida allows abortions up to 15 weeks, and has not followed the pro-life game plan of states like Alabama, Texas, and others who have made their states almost entirely abortion-free.
Many people from Church of the Messiah CEC in Jacksonville made it down for the March For Life in Saint Augustine to fight for life in Florida.
Before the March, several people spoke at the Shrine of Our Lady la Leche Catholic Church in Saint Augustine. One of those speakers was a sidewalk counselor named Wayne Friday.
Some might remember Wayne from CEC For Life’s first “Learning to Save Lives” training in Jacksonville this past November. We showed a video of one of Wayne’s saves on the sidewalk during the training. Wayne spoke with a woman who was going in to a clinic for an abortion, he offered her resources and talked to her about other options. The woman chose life and, months later, brought her baby back to show Wayne and others on the sidewalk.
After Wayne told the story at the March, the mother also shared how much wonderful support has been available to her since that day. Stories like these, of how the pro-life movement helps mothers and children well after they are born, happen every day and are extremely encouraging.
After the story of the save, thousands of pro-Lifers lined up and got ready to march! I had the honor of leading the march, holding the head banner with some of my fellow college students.
We marched through the streets of Saint Augustine with bagpipes drowning out the noise of a few people who cussed us out from their cars. We marched passed many Floridians in the oldest section of the town. They saw our signs and saw the passion of thousands of individuals fighting for life.
The March ended in the center of town, where we packed an entire 1.3 acre lot for the post-March rally. Dr. Jason Philips, a local OB-GYN, spoke about the horrors of the the abortion pill, which will be getting even worse with Walgreens and CVS now distributing it.
He spoke of how he had to treat a woman who would have died from the abortion pill if she had listened to the abortion clinic, which told her no doctor was needed. He also spoke of how that woman held her dead child in her hands afterwards, a tragic reminder of what the abortion pill really does.
Melissa Coles, who you might recognize from the documentary I Lived on Parker Avenue, told her incredible story of how she chose life through adoption.
The powerful closing prayer and blessing of the final March For Life Saint Augustine was given by our own Fr. Scott Looker, Rector of Church of the Messiah CEC.
Next year, the Florida March For Life will be moved to the state capital, Tallahassee. This move has been made so that we can fight on the front lines of Florida’s government. The efforts from the pro-life movement in Florida must double down to battle pushback from the self-proclaimed conservative politicians who publicly disapproved of a recent pro-life visit to the capital.
We will continue to demand that abortion be abolished in Florida, despite the “conservative” majority’s reluctance to entertain pro-life legislation.
After the reversal of Roe v. Wade, statewide marches are now more important than ever. Working to see state governments, nationwide, and the federal government in D.C. abolish abortion is what’s needed to finally end this atrocity. It is extremely important to not only attend pro-life events, but participate in day-to-day pro-life outreach as well.
Please reach out to CEC For Life if you are interested in the “Learning to Save Lives” training that can equip your church or group with what is needed to be a successful pro-life force for life in your community — legally, prayerfully, and peacefully.
The fight is still needed on the front lines in front of every abortion clinic, and at every pregnancy resource center, in every country around the globe.
