Malankara Exarchate in the March for Life 2013
It was a cold and blustery morning, on Friday January 25, 2013 in Washington D.C, as thousands of people from all over the country gathered together at the annual March for Life. Held every year in the nation’s capitol in remembrance of the fateful decision that was made in the court case Roe vs. Wade to make abortion legal, this March, like other’s before it, gathered together people of all nations, cultures and religions in solidarity to represent the millions of unheard voices of those who had lost their lives to abortion.
Among the crowd, were a group of Syro Malankarites walking with the 4Life Ministry. This ministry, under the auspices of Jesus Youth, is a new initiative that has the Syro Malankara Exarchate of North America and the Syro Malabar Diocese of Chicago working together to promote and encourage all pro-life causes, especially as seen by the Catholic Church.
This newly formed ministry and all those gathered together that morning for the March were specially blessed by our very own Bishop Thomas Mar Eusebius through the celebration of the Holy Qurbono. The special help of the St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church in Maryland led by Fr. Mathai Mannoorvadekakkethil, truly made this celebration a blessed one. It was beautiful to see representation from a number of our parishes- namely St Mary’s (DC), St. Basil (Queens), St Peter’s (Rockland), St. John Chrysostom (Long Island), St. Jude's (Philadelphia), and St. Mary’s (Chicago). The presence of Fr. Abraham Lukose and Sr. Benedicta (Bethany Congregation) also added to the blessedness of the occasion. After reception of the Holy Eucharist and emboldened by the words of Pithave’s homily, the group set out to join the March.
After braving the cold, the snow, and inspired by the strength in numbers of all those gathered together in the nation’s capitol, some members of the group stayed on for the first 4Life Ministry National Gathering. This gathering was an opportunity for those interested to learn more about the situation surrounding the pro-life issue and encouraging these “missionaries of life” to take their passion for pro-life into their workplaces, schools and friend circles.
The entire weekend was an occasion for the Syro- Malankara Church to join together with fellow Catholics and countless others in defending and protecting life that God has so carefully and lovingly made. Surely, this will be the beginning of an annual presence of Syro Malankarites at the March for Life.
Read the Homily of His Excellency Thomas Mar Eusebius at the Celebration of Holy Qurbono
