Second annual NJ Mass, Rally and March for Life to take faith into public square

Pro-life advocates across New Jersey are gearing up for the second annual statewide Mass, Rally and March for Life, beginning Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m. with Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. The liturgy will also be livestreamed.

Sponsored by the New Jersey Catholic Conference and pro-life offices of each New Jersey diocese, the Mass will be celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who will be joined by other New Jersey bishops and priests. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson, will be the homilist.

“We are most grateful to start the day at Mass with Bishop O’Connell,” “The Bishop serves our Diocese and our state in a unique way, as our state capitol is a place where the deeply connected elements of faith, culture and politics converge. [The] Bishop helps the faithful to recognize our responsibility to connect our faith with all other aspects of our lives, particularly in the public square.”

Standing together for the dignity of every human person

As in 2024, the Mass will be followed at 11 a.m. by a Rally at the Statehouse Annex a few blocks from the Cathedral, and a 12 p.m. March for Life, organized by New Jersey Right to Life and the National March for Life organizations, with support from dioceses in the state and other New Jersey pro-life organizations and groups.

“This statewide Mass for Life along with the Rally and March that will follow offer a unique and important opportunity for New Jerseyans to stand together, guided by our bishops in prayer and solidarity for the dignity of every human person, especially for the most vulnerable, the unborn,” said Rachel Hendricks, coordinator of the respect life ministry for the Diocese of Trenton.

While the day will focus mainly on protecting the unborn and vulnerable pregnant mothers, “we also recognize the need for more broad supports for vulnerable families and children,” Hendricks emphasized. “We need to be ‘pro-life’ in the fullest sense possible.”

This article was written by EmmaLee Italia for the Trenton Monitor.

For more information about this event, including a livestream link for the Mass, visit the Archdiocese of Newark’s Respect Life Office.

Featured image: OSV News photo/Bob Roller.