The Rev. Theodore J. Mens, director of pro-life activities for the Diocese of Gary, led a group of 52 people from across Northwest Indiana, including eighth-graders and parents from St. Mary School in Griffith, to the annual March for Life on Jan. 22 in Washington D.C.. It was the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion. Also attending were 54 members of the Knights of Columbus from Northwest Indiana. The march draws approximately 300,000 people from across the United States. The group attended Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the vigil of the march, Jan. 21, with 8,000 people in attendance including hundreds of priests, bishops, cardinals and 400 seminarians.

The morning of the march, the group first attended the pro-life youth rally and Mass at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington with more than 20,000 other people from across the country. During the Washington visit, the group also visited the Holocaust Museum, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian Institute, The John Paul II Cultural Center and an exhibit on the Holy Land in the early part of the 20th century. U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., met with the group who thanked Donnelly for his support of pro-life legislation.