byJacqueline Tetrault Pilot Staff
Participants in the Archdiocese of Boston's Witness to Life Pilgrimage take part in the 2019 March for Life in Washington, D.C. Registration is open for the upcoming January 2020 march. Pilot file photo/Gregory L. Tracy
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BRAINTREE -- Planning for the archdiocese's annual trip to participate in the 2020 March for Life in Washington, D.C. is already well underway. This year, the Archdiocese of Boston is offering two options, called "tracks," for people who want to participate in the Witness to Life Pilgrimage to attend the march.
The March for Life is held each year close to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States. The 2020 March for Life will take place on Jan. 24.
The archdiocese typically offers two options for traveling to the march, one that takes place over roughly 24 hours and another that allows time for rest and activities over a few days.
The "24 Hours for Life" track will be Jan. 23-24, 2020. Buses for this track will depart in the evening on Jan. 23. The following day, pilgrims will go to Mass celebrated by Cardinal Sean O'Malley at the Sacred Heart Shrine and then participate in the March for Life. The buses will depart for Boston after the march.
The "Stay, Pray and Play" track will be Jan. 23-25, 2020. Buses for this multi-day track will depart in the morning on Jan. 23. That evening, the participants will attend the Life is VERY Good evening of prayer at Eagle Bank Arena at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The following day, Jan. 24, pilgrims will attend the cardinal's Mass at Sacred Heart Shrine and participate in the March for Life. They will then have a period of Eucharistic adoration and discussion as well as opportunities for confession. On Jan. 25, the pilgrims will attend a Mass in the morning and depart for Boston in the afternoon.
The deadline for registration has been extended to Nov. 22. Partial scholarships are available for students in grades six through 12.
Information about the Witness to Life Pilgrimage can be found at www.bostoncatholic.org/WitnessToLife.