It was another day of massive demonstration in Washington, D.C. today, this time for the March for Life, an anti-abortion protest that’s been held annually since 1974. We caught up with a contingent from Eagle River, and a Catholic chaplain from Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson.
Father Peter Pomposello stood in the shadow of the Washington Monument and looked over the crowd.
“You’re looking at banners from all over the East Coast, the Midwest, there’s group here from Scotland, we came from Alaska,” Pomposello said. “And it’s just a sea of colors.”
Much has been made of Washington crowd sizes lately, but Pomposello was, at that moment, just soaking it all in.
“How beautiful the symbolism behind us, this huge crowd in the backyard of the White House,” Pomposello said.
There were hundreds, maybe thousands of clergymen present, to judge by the collars. But Pomposello may have been the only priest who is also an active duty Army paratrooper. He’s with the 501st Airborne, at JBER.
The change of administration has the anti-abortion movement cheering. Pomposello is optimistic, too, but he takes the long view.
“It’s going to go the way of slavery. It’s going to be over. If not in their time,” Pomposello said, gesturing toward some high school students, “certainly in their kids’ time.”
With him were Ricky Shoop, the director of youth ministry at St. Andrew in Eagle River, and five students. Eagle River mom Michelle Roth came as a chaperon.
“It’s really great to see the impact of the event for the kids. It’s inspirational,” Roth said
Father Pomposello has attended about 18 of these annual marches, up Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Supreme Court. He has his traditions. So, as the small Alaska contingent walked with the crowd, carrying state flags, the paratrooper-priest led them in the rosary.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atlruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Lizhere.
