Youth Pilgrimage for Life 2008
With Cardinal Sean O’Malley


Hundreds of Young People Join with Cardinal Sean in Pilgrimage to Washington D.C.

“I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal.”
- Abraham Lincoln (Speech at Chicago, Illinois July 10, 1858)

“The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless ones.  The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves.  If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend Life!”
- Pope John Paul II (Speech upon arriving at Denver International Airport, August 12, 1993)

More than ever before, the challenges issued by Abraham Lincoln, Pope John Paul II, and so many other great men and women, Defender’s of Human Life at all its stages, must resonate in the hearts and minds of today’s students.

With this in mind, the Archdiocese of Boston is again sponsoring a Pilgrimage of Life; three days in Washington D.C. to educate and inspire our young people to uphold a consistent ethic of life.  Over the past two years, the Vocation Office and the Pro-Life office have sponsored such a pilgrimage and led over two hundred students from our schools to join with tens of thousands of students from across the country to stand together and uphold the dignity of every human person.  In the opportunities we had for group reflection, many students commented that these pilgrimages helped them to realize that they were not alone in standing up for their Catholic values.  It was encouraging for them to see so many boys and girls their own age taking a stand for life.

This year, the Vocation Office and Pro-Life office are teaming up with Youth Ministry and the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese to sponsor another great pilgrimage and allow a wider number of Catholic Schools to participate.  We are confident that teens who attend this trip will grow in their desire to serve the Church and the wider community.

The pilgrimage will take place January 20-22.  Due to the long weekend, students would only have to miss one day of school.  The basic schedule of the trip is as follows…

Sunday January 20th
Depart Boston (St. John’s Seminary) at 8:00 a.m.
Arrive in the Washington D.C. area circa 4:00 p.m.
Dinner and Youth Activities at Bishop O’Connell High School/ Arlington, Va.
Stay at hotel (Comfort Inn in Falls Church/Arlington Va.)
 
Monday January 21st
Hot Breakfast at Hotel
Depart for Sightseeing Tour of Washington D.C.
Visit Memorials (Lincoln, Vietnam, WWII, etc.), Holocaust Museum
Lunch
Continue Tour
Dinner
Vigil Mass - National Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (arrive 6 pm)
Return to Hotel
 
Tuesday January 22nd
Hot Breakfast
Depart Hotel
Rally and Mass with over 30,000 young people at Verizon Center Washington D.C.
Lunch
Walk in the March for Life
Depart for Boston

Download the flyer here.

For more information please call the Vocation Office at 617-746-5949 or the Youth Ministry Office at 617-746-5811.