Overnight Rose Rally for Life draws more than 200 teens

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

More than 200 teens from 10 youth groups gathered on the grounds of St. Angela Merici Church in Metairie Friday night – and into Saturday morning – for the third annual “Rose Rally for Life,” an overnight event of track-walking, festival-style fellowship, Mass, adoration and fundraising for two local pro-life agencies.

In the spirit of this year’s rally theme of “Lights! Camera! Take Action,” each youth group was invited to costume and design a concession stand and spirit stick inspired by the movie of their choice.

Rally participant Jordan Bourgauot, a rising senior at Northshore High School and a CYO member from St. Luke the Evangelist Church in Slidell, came costumed as a green-wigged, orange-faced Oompa Loompa in honor of her youth group's "Willy Wonka" theme. Bourgauot said said she was there to show her support for women who are dealing with difficult pregnancies and might be considering an abortion.

“I want to show them that they’re not alone and they will be OK – they can make it through the pregnancy with the support of others and the church," Bourgauot said.

At the 9 p.m. opening ceremony, Archbishop Gregory Aymond took to the stage to thank the teens for being part of today’s pro-life generation. He called on them to continue being a powerful voice “for that child in the womb” who is still not protected in some states. He also urged them to continue reaching out to local agencies that support women in crisis pregnancies, including through the archdiocese wide, parish-centered effort called “Walking With Moms.”

“Our work is not finished,” the archbishop said, thanking the teens for raising more than $22,500 through monetary donations, registration fees and the concessions to be sold that evening. This year's Rose Rally proceeds will be shared by two entities: ACCESS Pregnancy Centers, which offers prenatal screenings and maternal support to mothers and future mothers in need; and Rachel’s Vinyard, which provides post-abortive counseling and retreats.

“God used you to make a miracle!” Archbishop Aymond told the young people. “The organizations you’re supporting will be very grateful, and they will be able to help individual women who are in struggling situations.

“We are very, very proud of you!” he added. “There is no doubt that part of what has happened through the Supreme Court is through your activity, as well as your prayers. There is no doubt that the Young Church of today is pro-life!”

The archbishop also praised the young people for their willingness to fearlessly stand in opposition to their peers who disagree with them on the issue of abortion.

“We don’t criticize those who disagree with us, we listen to them, because we believe eventually we might help them to change their hearts, hoping they will see the great dignity of human life,” the archbishop said.

Before leading the teens, their youth ministers and attending clergy in the first few laps around the track, Archbishop Aymond led prayers for women who are considering abortion, who have had past abortions and and for all those who work tirelessly for life.

The rally also offered opportunities for confession and midnight Mass with Father Beau Charbonnet, St. Angela Merici’s pastor, and concelebrant and homilist Father Lawrence Murori, St. Angela's parochial vicar. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament closed out the event from 1 to 6 a.m.

“It’s great to see – especially in this somewhat post-COVID time – so many teens coming back (to church events) again,” Father Charbonnet said, noting that pro-life ministry has been “at the heart” of his parish, both during the 40 years an abortion clinic operated within the parish boundaries of St. Angela Merici (that facility closed in 2015), and through more recent years, through his parishioners’ dedication to embracing women in need and offering sidewalk counseling at the abortion clinic on General Pershing Street in New Orleans (now also closed).

“To see these teens standing up for life, walking for life – in so many ways this really rounds out their beliefs into a lived experience that will hopefully last a lifetime and lead them to spread the word (on the sanctity of life),” Father Charbonnet said.

Brother Martin freshman Jacob Giroir, who was attending the rally with his youth group from St. Francis Xavier Church in Metairie, said he enjoyed the opportunity to meet new friends from across the archdiocese and stand in solidarity with them on protecting babies.

“If we save one kid, and that kid proceeds to go on and be a famous engineer who makes some kind of revolutionary invention that changes the world – if we were to abort that kid, that futuristic technology wouldn’t be able to be unlocked for who knows how many years?” Giroir said.

Participating at the 2022 Rose Rally were CYO members from St. Angela Merici, St. Benilde, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Clement of Rome, St. Dominic, St. Edward the Confessor, St. Francis Xavier, St. Luke the Evangelist, St. Peter (Covington) and St. Pius X (New Orleans).

Since 2019 (and despite not being able to assemble in 2020, due to the pandemic),  teenage Rose Rally participants have raised more than $32,000 for local pro-life agencies. Donations are still being accepted at https://bit.ly/3Q6PZi3.

bdonze@clarionherald.org