Pro-life supporters pray across the street from Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City during the Iowa City March for Life on Jan. 25.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Catholics from the Diocese of Davenport took to the streets last month to pray for the protection of every human life.
Nearly 100 people participated in the Iowa City March for Life on Jan. 25. Participants carried signs, sang and prayed the rosary as they walked from St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church to the Emma Goldman Clinic, which provides abortions. The mild weather was a welcome reprieve from the frigid and snowy conditions of past marches, organizers said. “It was a beautiful morning,” said participant Paul Breitbach. “We gathered to be a prayerful, powerful, peaceful, presence as witnesses for the precious unborn children of God.”
Sheryl Schwager, executive director of Johnson County Right to Life, said many longtime participants commented on the large number of young adults in attendance. University of Iowa students have become increasingly involved in pro-life vigils over the past several years. “We also had many grade-school students march with signs,” Schwager said.
As in previous years, a group of pro-choice protesters stood along the sidewalk next to Emma Goldman to greet the marchers with signs and slurs. “Our friends on the other side of the street call us protesters and picketers; this is untrue,” Breitbach said. “We are prayer warriors, called by God to be a voice for the voiceless.” The pro-life group prayed for the conversion of the protesters and for all persons affected by abortion, he said. After the march, participants gathered in the parish center for a chili lunch and fellowship.
The same weekend, Iowa City high school students Ellie Johnson and Noelle Schnoebelen participated in the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. as part of Pulse Life Advocates’ bus pilgrimage. St. Mary Parish-Iowa City and Johnson County Right to Life sponsored the teens’ travel. “It was amazing to see how many young people showed up for the march and dedicated time to protecting the unborn,” Ellie said. She also appreciated the opportunity to participate in the Mass for the Unborn at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. “It was so cool to see all the priests, deacons and bishops at the Mass… there were thousands of people there!”
Noelle appreciated the opportunity to walk with thousands of pro-life individuals from around the country. “Throughout the days we were there, especially during the march and during the testimonies we heard from the many speakers, it really started to impact me that every life is irreplaceable and valuable… Each of us has been given a purpose in this world that is unique and special.” The march inspired her to continue “standing up for the right to life for everyone — especially those who are voiceless.”
Teenagers Noelle Schnoebelen, left, and Ellie Johnson, members of St. Mary Parish in Iowa City, attend the March for Life Jan. 24 in Washington, D.C.
March for Life events take place on or around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Although the high court overturned the ruling three years ago, allowing states the freedom to pass their own abortion legislation, Schwager believes it is important to continue marching. “The biggest challenge continues to be the proliferation of abortion pills across our nation. Just a decade ago, only 31% of abortions were performed by pill. That number increased to nearly two-thirds of all abortions in 2023.”
The support for life on the federal and state levels encourages the Iowa City-area pro-life community, Schwager said. She cited a recent Knights of Columbus poll in which two-thirds of respondents supported placing legal limits on abortions, while 83% percent supported the existence of pregnancy resource centers.
Last summer, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the “Heartbeat Bill” into law. The legislation outlaws most abortions in Iowa when embryonic cardiac activity can be detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy. President Donald Trump last month pardoned 23 pro-life advocates and signed several executive orders aimed at reducing federal funding for abortion. Additionally, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, introduced legislation to prohibit federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Iowa City March for Life organizers encouraged participants to sign a petition to defund Planned Parenthood at http://defundplannedparenthood.com.
The prayerful presence in Iowa City extends beyond the March for Life. Pro-life advocates pray outside Emma Goldman on Thursdays, when abortions are scheduled. “We continue to have meaningful and hopeful conversations with clients and passersby about God’s love, grace and mercy for all,” Schwager said.
