WASHINGTON (OSV News) — In a basilica "adorned with beautiful mosaic art," the "most impressive" mosaic was "the gathering of people from so many different places coming together to stand for life and to be a light in our culture," Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, said Jan. 23.
The archbishop was the main celebrant and homilist at the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. A congregation of 5,500 filled the Great Upper Church. The annual vigil precedes the March for Life.
Four cardinals were among the concelebrants: Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, now retired as Washington's archbishop, and his newly named successor, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, formerly the bishop of San Diego; Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, retired archbishop of Boston; and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Among the 22 bishops concelebrating was the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. Fifty deacons and 300 seminarians were also at the altar.
During Mass, a second collection was taken to benefit the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
In his homily, Archbishop Naumann had a special message for young people, recalling that Pope St. John Paul II's custom almost everywhere he went in the world was to meet with young people. "He challenged them to be light as only young people can be light. ... The Lord has this particular love for the young to be his instruments of grace in the world," Archbishop Naumann said.
"My good young people, say not that you are too young to be a light in our culture and society," the archbishop said, pointing to many young saints in the life of the church, such as St. Agnes, an early Christian martyred for her faith when she was 12 or 13, and Blessed Carlo Acutis, who will be canonized in April. Widely regarded as a computer whiz, Blessed Carlo catalogued true stories of Eucharistic miracles before his death at age 15 from leukemia in 2006.
Archbishop Naumann called on young people "to be witnesses to your peers. You're called to help them to come to know what brought you here tonight."
Since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the issue to lawmakers, a victory for the pro-life movement, there have been "many disappointments" with the outcome of state referendums, "beginning with my state of Kansas," where nearly 60% voted to uphold legal abortion access.
Much of that victory was due to young voters who have "grown up in a culture where they've never known anything but legalized abortion," the archbishop said, acknowledging that "my generation has failed to protect them."
"These defeats have been sober reminders that we need to re-intensify our efforts" to build a culture of life, he said. "If we're gonna follow (Jesus), we have to follow him all the way to Calvary. We have to be prepared to take up the cross to transform our culture."
Archbishop Naumann said he was "encouraged to hear" that earlier in the day President Donald Trump had pardoned 23 pro-life activists convicted of violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, that afternoon. He also prayed for Trump and Vice President JD Vance "that they will have wisdom to be good leaders for our nation."
The archbishop is a past chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities and has served seven terms as a member of the committee. He was filling in as main celebrant and homilist for the current chairman, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, who was not able to attend due to a death in the family. The wife of his late brother, who was his only sibling, died unexpectedly, and he had to be with family in Philadelphia, Archbishop Naumann said, asking for a moment of silent prayer for the bishop and his family.
The archbishop shared notes from Bishop Thomas on the homily he would have given. His overall theme was "light and life."
With the March for Life and the National Prayer Vigil for Life that precedes it, Bishop Thomas wrote, "we take the time to give voice to our praise and thanksgiving for the gift of Christ, who is our life and light, to praise and thank him for the gift of human life in all its forms and at every stage, for the gift of life and light he has given each of us. (We're) called to witness to his life and light, in particular for the preborn, who may not have the opportunity to be born into this world and who may never see the light of day."
In concluding his homily, Archbishop Naumann said, "We ask Jesus -- this word made flesh who humbled himself to be an embryo," carried to term by Mary, "and humbles himself again to be present to us in the Eucharist -- to give us food for the journey. Let us take up the banner to be pilgrims of hope intent on building a culture of life and civilization of love."
At the beginning of the Mass, Cardinal Pierre read a message from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, issued on behalf of Pope Francis, who sent "the assurance of his spiritual closeness to those from throughout the United States who are participating in this 2025 March for Life."
The pope expressed appreciation "for this long-standing public witness to the sanctity of human life" and prayed that this annual gathering "may always be a visible sign of the immense goodness present in our world."
The focus of the Jubilee Year that the Catholic Church is observing in 2025 is a message of hope, which "entails having enthusiasm for life and the readiness to share it," the pope said. He encouraged all people of goodwill, especially young people, "to continue to foster a culture in which the innocent and most vulnerable are welcomed and protected."
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Julie Asher is senior editor for OSV News.
