Late last month, Concordia’s Eagles4Life club sent three students across the country to Washington D.C. to participate in the national March for Life, which occurred on Fri., Jan. 24. The 2025 march was the 52nd annual March for Life to occur in D.C.

Sophomore Abigail Morazzini, senior Dylan Arant and the author of this article joined tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators at the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world. The theme of the event was Life: Why We March, which emphasized the pro-life interest in human life throughout all stages, from conception to death. The march led attendees from the Washington Monument and past the Capitol Building, culminating at the Supreme Court.

“Being a part of the March for Life this past weekend was absolutely incredible,” said Morazzini. “It was so inspiring to see thousands of people come together to advocate for the inherent value of human life, and to do so in a way that was peaceful yet firm and unwavering. Every baby deserves the right to their own life, and that is something we will continue to stand up for, whether marching in D.C. or in our daily conversations with others.”

Arant described the experience: “Hearing speakers like Vice-President JD Vance, Governor DeSantis, and Bethany Hamilton showed that this movement is not alone. The side of life is the side of freedom, science, humanity and God. Most marchers were no older than 30 years old, with so many groups representing high schools and colleges.”

The Christian sentiments of the movement were also highlighted, aligning with the Eagles4Life mission statement that acknowledges Christ as the maker of “all human life with inherent and eternal value.” This was the first time that Concordia has been represented at the national event.

“With Christ as the Lord of Life, it is vital for Christians of all denominations to be ‘for life’ in everything they do,” said Arant. “The unborn, the sick, the suffering, the poor, and the dying all are deserving of the gift of life God bestows. I am so thankful Concordia offers a club where the Christian ideal of being pro-life is supported.” 

“Having Eagles4Life at the March for Life in Washington D.C., shows that we at CUI do not only care about the lives here in Southern California but all lives,” said Emily Thoelke, secretary for Eagles4Life. “As it is a national event, we were able to attend by the grace of God. It also shows other schools and other 4Life groups that even though we are all the way out in California, it is a priority to join others in our mission. Hopefully, in the future, we can bring more people so that they might know more about what we do in Eagles4Life on a national level.”

Eagles4Life is a branch of the national organization Y4Life, an affiliate of Lutherans4Life, which supports the club and organizes travel opportunities for its members. Expenses for the Irvine students were generously funded using donations from CU GiveBack and the Lutherans4Life community. Eagles4Life joined fellow Concordia students from Nebraska, St. Paul, Chicago, and Ann Arbor at the Y4Life conferencing events over the course of the weekend. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) was well-represented at the March for Life, as one of the top two donors to the March for Life. The current LCMS president, Rev. Matthew Harrison, was also one of the speakers at the event. 

“Feelings of victory and determination filled the streets of D.C. this past weekend at the annual March for Life,” said Arant. “Seeing so many people from around the country all joining hands to support, celebrate and advocate for life was a definitive morale boost. This is truly the beginning of the Pro-Life Generation, and our work is just getting started.”

Members of Eagles4Life welcome open dialogue about current issues regarding human life, and invite students who hold any alternative views to reach out and engage in respectful conversation. The club can be contacted through its page on the Concordia website at cui.edu/eagles4life. The Eagles4Life mission is to “seek to be for life through education, service and outreach,” and attending the national March for Life is only one way the club is involved with issues regarding human life. Follow the club Instagram @cui_e4life to stay updated on campus events and collaborations.

 

Tags: community, clubs, Clubs and Organizations , Travel

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About Madison Zuniga

Madison Zuniga serves as the 24-25 Editor-in-Chief for the Concordia Courier. Her work in journalism has served to focus her vision for her career goals in studio arts and creative writing, and she's grateful to serve her campus community through the news!

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