SAGINAW — While thousands of pro-life advocates participated in the 43rd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., Nouvel Catholic Central High School student's held their own mini-March at home on Friday, Jan. 22.
Each year, Nouvel sophomores, along with hundreds of young people from across the Diocese of Saginaw make a pilgrimage to the nation's capitol to rally for an end to abortion and to promote a culture of life. Organizers of the diocesan pilgrimage, made a decision to cancel the trip due to safety concerns with winter storm Jonas, predicted to dump approximately two feet of snow on the D.C. area.
As Nouvel students marched along Wieneke Road in Saginaw Twp. waving at vehicles and carrying signs, students prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and sang hymns such as "Amazing Grace."
Following the mini-March, sophomores who would have gone on the trip donated a total of 600 bagged breakfasts and lunches that had been prepared for the 300 diocesan pilgrims. The students split into groups and delivered 120 meals to each charity: the Good Samaritan Rescue Missions in Bay City and Saginaw, Hidden Harvest and East Side Soup Kitchen of Saginaw.
"It is the Year of Mercy, so any time we get the opportunity to show God's mercy, it makes our students' faith become real and more tangible," said John Hoving, principal of Nouvel Catholic Central. "It makes me proud, as a principal, to see how eager they are to help."
Nearly 20 cases of water that were also purchased for the journey are being donated to Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties as they respond to the Flint water crisis.