Oklahoma faith leaders announced the first annual Oklahoma March for Life to celebrate life and the value of the human person. The rally and march will be held Saturday, Jan. 22, at 10:30 a.m. at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
The event is open to families, parish groups, students, young adults and seniors, and will be child-friendly. Tickets and reservations are not required.
“This is an exciting milestone for the state and the Catholic Church in Oklahoma. It will be a time to come together with other faiths to celebrate life and show our support for pregnant moms, families and the unborn,” said Deacon Joe Vandervort, respect life coordinator for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
“We hope Oklahoma Catholics will take a little time out of a Saturday to come and pray, and show support for the innocent unborn and this important initiative.”
Speakers at the rally include Tulsa Bishop David Konderla, Todd Fisher, Ph.D., executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, and U.S. Sen. James Lankford.
The walk will begin on the north side of the state capitol and move south, ending in Midtown. Maps will be distributed at the event. Shuttles will be located at the beginning, middle and end of the march route, and signs are available.
“This will be an important day in our efforts to promote life in Oklahoma. I invite all people of faith to join in prayer for the first Oklahoma March for Life,” Archbishop Coakley said.
In his latest column in this issue of the Sooner Catholic, Archbishop Coakley wrote, “Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the abortion of unborn children in the United States has been legal with few limitations up to the very moment of birth. In terms of loss of life, alone, the consequences of Roe v. Wade have been devastating. More than 60,000,000 children have been killed through surgical abortions in the United States, and an unknown number have been lost through pharmaceutical abortion procedures.
What an unimaginable impoverishment of the human family to lose so many lives and so much human potential! Additionally, the very real emotional and spiritual impact on women and families affected by abortion can never be calculated. Abortion always is a tragedy, for both the child and the mother. We have an obligation to support and accompany both.
While abortion is certainly not the only life issue about which we are concerned, it remains the pre-eminent human rights and justice issue for Catholics. It is an egregious assault on human dignity because it attacks the most innocent and vulnerable among us. Without a right to life all other rights are built on sand.
Now is the time for us to pray ardently for our Supreme Court justices, and for each of us to recommit ourselves to the protection and promotion of every human life from conception to natural death, for mother and child, for families, for the condemned and the incarcerated, the trafficked and the immigrant, the aged and abandoned.”
To learn more about the Oklahoma March for Life and how to participate, visit
archokc.org/marchforlife.
Oklahoma March for Life 2022 n Saturday, Jan. 22 n 10:30 a.m. n Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Ave. n Parking north side of capitol in state agency lots; follow signs n Speakers Tulsa Bishop David Konderla, Todd Fisher, Rocio Montes, U.S. Sen. James Lankford n Families, student and parish groups, all faiths welcome n Two-mile march begins at state capitol; ends Midtown n Shuttles available at start, middle, end of march n Police escort for traffic safety n Vendors on site n Signs available for march narchokc.org/marchforlife