Downtown Richmond’s Capitol Square was packed on Wednesday, Feb. 21, for the annual Virginia Pro-Life Day. The event each year brings people from every district in Virginia together to defend life from conception to natural death.

The day is a collaborative effort by the Virginia Catholic Conference, The Family Foundation, Virginia Society for Human Life, March for Life, and the dioceses of Arlington and Richmond.

Virginia Pro-Life Day is comprised of two parts: advocacy in the morning and the March for Life in the afternoon. Jeff Caruso, of the Virginia Catholic Conference, said more than 650 people showed up in the morning to meet with their legislators at the General Assembly Offices. They urged the state senators and delegates to support legislation that defends all human life, as well as programs that support both mother and child.

Bishop Knestout and Fr. Michael Boehling, vicar general, march with the students of Roanoke Catholic School.

Bishop Barry C. Knestout led the closing prayer of the rally preceding the march, saying “Father, we ask you for grace today, for all those entrusted with the responsibility of leadership in our Commonwealth, that they have the courage to turn away from the darkness of the culture of death, and turn toward the light of the Gospel of life.”