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St. Michael Warriors and students from around the diocese celebrated life with several activities last week in lieu of the usual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

The pro-life week began with a full overnight lock-in, “Vigil for Life” experience, on St. Michael’s campus held January 15 - 16. The event, themed “Light has Dawned,” hosted over 200 students from seven different schools, and the Mercedarian Sisters as well as the Dominican sisters who flew in from Nashville, TN. Several priests and speakers were present throughout the weekend also.

The weekend vigil allowed participants to focus on four pro-life tenets: personal holiness, pro-life advocacy, vocations, and fun, while also raising over $3,000 for the Woman’s New Life Clinic in Baton Rouge. Students collected money from sponsors based on a “lockout for life,” where students spent the night in less-than-ideal conditions. On Sunday, students traveled to Our Lady of Mercy Church to attend mass held by Bishop Duca. From there, they held their own march and Eucharistic Procession from OLOM to the Delta Clinic off Government Street. The weekend concluded with adoration outside of the Delta Clinic and a tour of the Woman’s New Life Clinic next door.

After the lock-in weekend, pro-life celebration continued on St. Michael’s campus all week. All warriors were able to honor the preciousness of life while at school by dressing in pink and blue and other pro-life gear to represent the unborn.

The pro-life week festivities ended with the Baton Rouge March for Life event held downtown from 10 a.m. through noon. Approximately 20 St. Michael students attended.

“Last year we had a virtual March for Life/Vigil for Life event,” explains campus minister, Emily Froeba. “We had a great turn out last year. But this year, since we were still unable to go to DC, we had the opportunity to hold a local event in Baton Rouge. It turned out to be very successful,” she says. “Students were able to have a prayerful experience and dive further into the reality behind abortion. The students gained a deeper sense of their community and their faith. The weekend turned out even better than I expected because it was immersive and impactful.”

Senior Julia Coffey says that there were some extremely meaningful parts to the weekend’s Vigil for Life held on campus and around Baton Rouge. “When we marched after Mass at Our Lady of Mercy to the Delta Clinic, we prayed over a place where lives are sometimes lost. It was amazing because we did this not with anger, but with sympathy and love,” she shares. “I am so grateful that St. Michael offers experiences like this because it helps us gain perspective of the importance of life, and events like this help us refocus our attention on what is truly important.”

Jean Paul Bourgeois, a current senior, who has attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C., says he was impressed with St. Michael’s celebration of life. “We were not able to go to D.C. this year, but the spiritual effect felt the same,” he explains. “We included a lot of prayer through adoration, group prayer and discussions, and mass. Overall, it was a good time, and we were able to make the most of being in Baton Rouge for pro-life week.”