Over 350 youth and adults from the Springfield diocese participated in the March for Life in Washington D.C., marking the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton that legalized abortion on demand in the United States.

Kyle Holtgrave, head of the diocese's youth ministry who organized one of the bus caravans, talked with Carmen Lanham of Blessed Sacrament in Springfield, who was making the trip for the sixth time.

"Every year there is something new that makes each trip different," said Lanham, a freshman at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, who helped Holtgrave's year-round planning committee and also served as a bus captain.

"I loved the message about how it is now the youth's time to push for life, to be done with Roe v. Wade," she said.

Beth Mayfield, a chaperone for the St. Aloysius School eighth-graders who went on the trip, said she was impressed to see to hundreds and hundreds of young people who were on the march.

Bob Feldhake, from Bishop Creek, Josh Green from Springfield, and Holtgrave participated in the First Annual Nellie Gray 5K Run/Walk sponsored by LIFE Runners. Bishop Paprocki is the national chaplain for LIFE Runners, and Holtgrave is the current leader for the Springfield chapter.

"My two companions placed well in the event, and I managed to be fast enough to earn the last medal, coming in 100th place out of about 130 participants," said Holtgrave.

The trip ended with Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Saturday evening and the long bus ride home. During the trip home, pilgrims were given the chance to talk about their experience with everyone on their bus.