On the sunny Saturday morning of January 17, students, teachers, parishioners, clergy, and lay people from 12 schools and parishes across South Florida gathered at Monsignor Edward Pace High School’s football field and track course to take part in the school’s annual Walk for Life.
The Walk for Life was one of three Walks taking place within the Archdiocese of Miami that day to raise funds for the Archdiocese of Miami’s crisis pregnancy centers, which offer material and spiritual support and counseling to women with crisis pregnancies.
Pace High’s Walk, which was in its fifth straight year, was headed mainly by Pace Theology teacher George Rodriguez, who acted as an emcee for the morning’s events. In addition to raising funds, the walk aims to “raise awareness of the value and dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death, without exception,” according to Rodriguez.
Student members of Pace's Respect Life club helped with organizing the walk, along with the club's moderator and Pace theology teacher Nelson Bonet, who chaperoned five Pace students to the March for Life in Washington D.C. the following week.
Reny and Hilda Aguilera, Respect Life coordinators for Immaculate Conception Church and School, along with Fr. Manuel Alvarez, Fr. Salvador Diaz, and Fr. Alfred Chiofi from Immaculate Conception Church also attended and helped with the walk by leading walkers in prayer at various times throughout the morning.
Reny Aguilera stated that the goal of the Walk for Life was “to help teach the Gospel of our Lord to our community.” Walkers began their march around the track with a prayer and continued for a few hours as music played over the loud speaker. Some held up signs and banners proclaiming their faith and representing their parish.
The march ended with words from Deacon Jim Dugard, the spiritual guide of the Archdiocese’s Respect Life Ministry, and Joan Crown, the Ministry’s Director.
When asked what else he would want people to know about the Walk for Life and the Respect Life club’s efforts, Rodriguez said “We are all called to be a people of life and for life, in a world in great need of compassion and hope.”