Students Ready For March For Life Trip

Shantel Preister (l) and Wenting Yu (r) are looking forward to their trip to Washington DC.

By Marie Meis

Elgin Review Intern

Yet another year, the Archdiocese of Omaha is sending six buses across the United States to Washington D.C. for the March for Life Pilgrimage. Participating students from Pope John XXIII will ride with other high schoolers from all across the diocese for the twenty hour ride to our nation’s capital.


Terry Reicks, one of the sponsors for Pope John, is going for his fifth year. He says he continues to go each year because he hopes if he can stand up for life, young people in our community can as well.
The students have many things to look forward to such as visiting many beautiful Churches, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; visiting “America’s Most Historic Square Mile” in Philadelphia; and the opportunity to stand on capital hill and have their voice heard. Conor Ramold, a freshman this year, is looking forward to going because he has never been to Washington D.C. and wants to see our nation’s capital. “I’m also excited to go to Philadelphia and see all the monuments in the city,” said Ramold.
The day of the march is normally January 22nd, the anniversary of the supreme court case, Roe v. Wade, that declared abortion legal, but because of inauguration being held that week, the march will be on the 27th.
Shantel Preister, a senior and co-president for Pope John’s Jr. Right to Life group, says that she is excited about how many Pope John students are attending. “We have a great program with generous donors and a community that supports our cause,” said Preister.
Each student has their own reasons for going and their own perspective, but coming from China, foreign exchange student Wenting Yu’s experience is truly unique. With abortion a common procedure in China, Yu is going for the second year in a row because she believes “It is the right thing to do”.

Shantel Preister (l) and Wenting Yu (r) are looking forward to their trip to Washington DC.

Although Reicks reminds the students, “It is not a trip, but a pilgrimage,” we hope the students will have a great time and can stand up for something they believe in.