Youth from across the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington will gather at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, for the annual Youth Mass for Life.
The Youth Mass for Life will be celebrated by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, and is open to students and young people from local schools, parish youth ministries, and other archdiocesan groups. The event takes place ahead of the national March for Life, which will be held later that day in Washington.
Doors at the cathedral will open at 7:30 a.m. Programming begins at 8 a.m. with worship music and the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A witness talk is scheduled for 8:30 a.m., followed by a question-and-answer session with Cardinal McElroy at 9 a.m. The celebration of Mass takes place at 9:30 a.m.
The Youth Mass for Life offers a time of prayer for young people from the Archdiocese of Washington and youth from across the country who will be joining the March. The Catholic Church teaches that all human life has God-given dignity from conception to natural death and should be respected and protected at all stages.
The Youth Mass for Life follows the conclusion of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, which begins the previous evening at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The vigil opens Thursday Jan. 22 with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 4:45 p.m. followed by the opening Mass at 5 p.m. celebrated by Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, who serves as the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
After the vigil’s opening Mass, a National Holy Hour for Life will be held at 7 p.m. in the National Shrine’s Crypt Church. The vigil concludes with a closing Mass at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23 celebrated by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM, Cap., the archbishop emeritus of Boston. Both the opening and closing Masses of the National Prayer Vigil for Life will be livestreamed by the shrine.
The national March for Life taking place after the Youth Mass will be held under the 2026 theme, Life Is a Gift. Organizers say the theme is intended to highlight what they describe as the inherent goodness and value of human life and to invite participants to reflect on life as something to be cherished and protected.
According to organizers, the March for Life continues each year following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned the earlier 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion on demand, with the annual march still being held as a witness to life during ongoing legal, cultural, and legislative challenges related to abortion policy in the United States. While abortion law is now largely determined at the state level, national policy debates continue, including efforts related to federal funding restrictions and other long standing legislative measures.
The purpose of the annual march extends beyond advocacy for laws, with an emphasis on shaping public attitudes and fostering a culture that recognizes the dignity of human life.
For more information on the March for Life, go online to https://marchforlife.org.
