More than 5,000 young Catholics gathered at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Jan. 22 to worship at a vigil Mass on the eve of the March for Life.
Following Mass, which was celebrated by Bishop James D. Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, many worshippers prayed at the National Holy Hour for Life, which was held in the crypt of the basilica during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which included praying the Luminous Mysteries of The Holy Rosary.
During his homily, Conley said, “Our goal is not only to make abortion illegal. Our goal is to make abortion unthinkable.”
“Our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and the most voiceless,” he added, noting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has labeled the issue its preeminent priority in terms of political concerns.
Even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Conley noted there are still over one million abortions annually. Yet, he expressed hope that the young people in front of him “are the pro-life generation” and will help bring an end to abortion in the United States.
“I firmly believe that 50 years from now when my generation will have gone to God, your grandchildren will ask you: ‘Is it true, that when you were my age, they put children to death in the womb?’” Conley said.
Conley was the main celebrant of the Mass, but it was concelebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington; Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States; and other archbishops, bishops, and priests.
You know it’s the eve of the March for Life when the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is standing room only. Thousands of pilgrims, hundreds of clergy, and dozens of bishops filled the church tonight for the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil… pic.twitter.com/aF3mYhkYel
— EWTN Pro-Life Weekly (@EWTNProLife) January 23, 2026
