March for Life Video
This five minute video is so great. Please, watch and take it in. We are so proud of these students.
Each year, on the Friday nearest January 22 (the anniversary of Roe v. Wade), the whole school goes on the March for Life in Washington, DC. This year, one of our dads brought his camera along. Thank you, Mr. Bill Clark! This is brilliant.
Why do we march? Watch the video! The students will explain!
But if you're thinking it over, here's my answer: it's hard to wake up early in the dark and the cold, to bus down to DC and back, and get home late. But we do it in order to make a difference. We march in order to stand up and be counted, to remind ourselves who we are. We march in order to revive our spirits and our hope, to bask in the joy of being with others from all over the country who share our values. Going on the march is only one small step, but it's a step we need to take. Step by step is how we nurture a culture of life.
Since the first century, the Catholic Church has consistently taught that the "inalienable rights of the human person" (CCC 2273) do not depend on an individual's preferences, nor are our rights merely concessions granted by society, the law, or the state. Rather, our right to life, from the moment of conception until natural death, arises because we are each conceived in the image and likeness of God.
Abortion isn't the only issue that matters in Catholic Social Teaching. For example, Martin Saints observes Martin Luther King Day earlier in the same week. Dr. King's teaching about disciplined, dignified, non-violent, peaceful protest needs to be heard again today. We share his dream that people would be judged by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin. We give attention to a range of social issues through our Frassati Friday program and regular attention to the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Every week, in the days between MLK day and the March, Martin Saints hosts what we call the "imago dei" conference, where we take a few hours outside of our regular class schedule to focus on what it means to be created in the image of God. This year, Miss Lisa Eshleman drew on her years as a pro-life and chastity speaker to give a rousing introduction to basic Catholic teaching about the unborn. Then Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Anne Luna spoke about their son Sean, who was diagnosed in utero with Trisomy 18. The Luna family (including Luke, MSC class of 2023, Olivia class of 2026, and Maggie class of 2029) wrote a children's book about what it was like to welcome Sean into their family, who was born and lived less than a day. You can learn more about the Luna's story and buy their beautiful book here.
Towards the end of last year, Mrs. Gemma Baldon joined the MSC staff as our new admissions director. However, Mrs. Baldon had already been an MSC mom for five years. These last few weeks on staff, she has remarked several times how wonderful it is now to be in the building every day. Now, from her new position, she gets to experience all kinds of details in school life, things that she never even knew were happening, despite having been an attentive and involved mom. That's why we're sending you this March for Life video today. We obviously don't go to Washington every day, but the tone in this video is typical of daily school life, and that is what we want to share with you. There is so much goodness in this special school. Please may God protect and grow it.
Are we the right school for your son or daughter? Do you know a family with middle school children who should consider Martin Saints? Please pass along this email, and invite them to our next admissions open house on February 22nd. Details and RSVP here. This will be our last open house this year, so please give it some thought. Thank you and we hope to meet you soon!
