The doors of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington opened early on Jan. 23, welcoming a steady stream of young people carrying backpacks. By 8 a.m., the marble nave had begun to fill with students from parishes and schools across the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and beyond, gathered for the annual Youth Mass for Life before the 2026 March for Life.
Worship music echoed through the cathedral, led by a priest band whose selections moved from joyful to contemplative. As the music played, priests heard Confessions along the side aisles, creating space for both celebration and quiet reflection before the liturgy began.
At 9:30 a.m., Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, processed to the altar as the principal celebrant, joined by Auxiliary Bishops Roy Campbell Jr., Juan Esposito and Evelio Menjivar, as well as Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, and priests of the archdiocese.
Msgr. W. Ronald Jameson, the cathedral’s rector, welcomed what he described as a “young Church” gathered before him, thanking the students for their advocacy for life “from conception to natural death.” The Mass, he said, offered an opportunity to celebrate life and the dignity of the human person.
Cardinal McElroy echoed that sentiment, addressing the students as more than simply the future of the Church. “They are the future of tomorrow,” he said, “but more importantly, they are the treasure of today.” As the youth prepared to participate in the March for Life later that day, the cardinal reminded them that their public witness pointed to “the sacredness of human life, from the womb until the tomb,” and he prayed that the day’s message would remain with them long after the march concluded.
The Mass took place as tens of thousands prepared to gather for the national March for Life, held this year under the theme “Life Is a Gift.” Organizers say the theme emphasizes the inherent goodness and value of human life and encourages reflection on life as something to be cherished and protected. The march continues annually following the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion on demand. While abortion policy is now largely determined at the state level, national debates continue, and organizers stress that the march extends beyond legislation to shaping culture and affirming human dignity.
During the liturgy, Cardinal Pierre read a message from Pope Leo XIV, sent from the Vatican for the occasion. In it, the Holy Father thanked participants for their “eloquent public witness” and affirmed that the protection of the right to life is “the indispensable foundation of every other human right.” He encouraged young people in particular to work to ensure that life is respected at every stage through dialogue and engagement at all levels of society. Entrusting the marchers to the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of the United States, the pope imparted his apostolic blessing.
Printed inside the Mass program was a decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican tribunal that oversees matters related to Confession and indulgences. The decree granted a plenary indulgence to the faithful who participated in the March for Life celebrations or devoted time to prayer and works of piety during the event, under the usual conditions. It underscored the Church’s desire, as it stated, “to increase the devotion of the faithful and the salvation of souls,” extending even to those unable to attend in person who united themselves spiritually to the observances.
The homily was preached by Father Danny Morrison, a parochial vicar at the Church of the Little Flower Parish in Bethesda, Maryland, who described himself with a smile as “the youngest priest of the archdiocese” entrusted with preaching the Mass. Drawing on the day’s first reading from the Book of Jeremiah, Father Morrison recalled God’s words to the prophet: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
“That call is not just for Jeremiah,” he said. “God is speaking those words to each and every one of you.”
Addressing the students directly, he challenged the idea that youth or inexperience disqualifies someone from bearing witness. “No one in this cathedral is too young to be a light,” he said.
Father Morrison spoke candidly about what he described as a darkness in society’s understanding of human worth. He shared the story of a friend named Ben, a 19-year-old man born with severe bodily deformities who has undergone more than 30 surgeries affecting his spine, gastrointestinal system, jaw and ears.
Despite those challenges, Father Morrison said, Ben’s faith is remarkable and his intellect brilliant. In a college class presentation on the history of euthanasia and abortion, Ben explained that such practices initially targeted those deemed to have a “low quality of life.” Listing commonly cited markers of that standard, Ben told his classmates, “I don’t have these qualities. Would it have been better for society if I had been euthanized? Does my life have worth?”
According to Father Morrison, no one responded. Even the professor remained silent.
“There is darkness out there,” he told the congregation.
Reflecting on his own generation, Father Morrison, 26, noted that one out of every three members of Generation Z did not make it out of the womb alive.
“There is a blindness in our society,” he said, “that prevents us from seeing the goodness and beauty of life right in front of us.”
Yet his message remained rooted in hope. In the face of darkness, he reminded the students, the light of Christ shines more brightly. Throughout the Church’s history, saints have arisen in the most difficult times. “You have been called,” he told them. “You have been commissioned.”
After Mass, students lingered inside the cathedral before streaming onto the stone steps and toward waiting buses. Others paused to take photos near the altar or listened as worship music continued.
Oleena Fonseca, a senior at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, said it was her first time attending the Youth Mass for Life at St. Matthew’s. “It was a wonderful experience,” she said. Asked how she tries to recognize the dignity of every person, even those who are difficult, Fonseca pointed to her belief that people are born good. “If you have a negative encounter with someone,” she said, “they’ve probably gone through a lot of pain to get to that point. Because of that, I try to give a lot of grace.”
Kylie Potter, a junior at Georgetown Visitation, said she has attended the March for Life since sixth grade. Asked whether the march felt different after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Potter said it did. “It felt a lot more celebratory,” she said, noting a sense of joy and gratitude among participants. When asked how she responds to peers who disagree about when life begins, Potter said she often points to science. “Even apart from faith,” she said, “there’s already so much development before birth.”
As the gathering thinned and groups prepared to depart for the March for Life, Father Morrison’s words from the pulpit lingered in the cathedral’s final moments.
“When you feel afraid, when you think you’re too young, when you don’t know what to say,” he said, “hear God’s promise again: ‘I am with you.’ Take courage. He has already conquered the world.”
