HARRISBURG – Under overcast skies and amid heightened security, more than 5,000 pro-life advocates from across the Commonwealth gathered at the State Capitol on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, for the fifth annual Pennsylvania March for Life.
Among them were hundreds of faithful people from the Diocese of Scranton who were united in their prayerful witness to the sanctity of human life. Many traveled by bus from parishes in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Poconos, and the Northern Tier.
The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, was one of several Pennsylvania Bishops who joined the crowds in Harrisburg. His presence was a source of encouragement for many in the crowd, especially first-time participants.
Among those making the trip to Harrisburg for his first Pennsylvania March for Life was Mike Casey of Most Holy Trinity Parish in Cresco.
“It was great. It was very emotional, and I had a great time,” Casey said. “Hopefully, it sends the message for pro-life. We need (to be) pro-life. We have to end the abortion of babies. There are other ways of dealing with that solution.”
Frank Socha, a seasoned marcher from the Northern Tier, echoed that sentiment.
“This is the fifth one I’ve been to and I’m pretty passionate about the fact that abortion is murder,” Socha said. “These unborn babies have the right to live.”
Socha’s group from the Bradford County area has grown steadily in attendance each year, requiring two buses this time.
“The first year of the March we had 29 people on the bus. Then we went to 42. Last year, we went to 70,” he added. “This year, without pushing we had over 70 people, so I said we had to get two buses.”
Cathy Moliski of Sayre said she was touched by many stories she heard while marching around the State Capitol Complex.
“A lady I was walking with, her daughter just told her, ‘I could have had an abortion, and I didn’t.’ She put her child up for adoption at some point and she said to her mom, I was on that line where I could have said I’m going to abort,” Moliski recalled.
NEXT GENERATION MARCHES FORWARD
More than a dozen students from Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre made the trip to the Pennsylvania March for Life alongside two chaperones.
Alex Snyder, a junior who plays football for the Luzerne County Catholic School, attended with his classmates at the encouragement of their teacher.
“It’s awesome the amount of people that came out,” Snyder said. “There are thousands of people here supporting the same cause.”
Noting the importance of pro-life activism, Snyder hopes to march again next year.
“One guy on our bus said he’s been coming for 35 years to all different marches, so I think it’s cool to be able to attend one. This is our first … and hopefully many more to come,” he added.
Maryann Lawhon, CEO, The VOICE of JOHN Ministry, who has been a pro-life champion for decades, found inspiration in seeing all the youth representation at the Pennsylvania March for Life.
“I love seeing our students for life out in number. This is so important,” Lawhon explained.
Lawhon shared the story of how discovering the body of an aborted child changed her life more than four decades ago.
“I found him after he had been aborted. He would be 48 years old this month. I had the privilege of baptizing him. I knew his name was John and the last words I spoke to John were: ‘I will be your voice,’” Lawhon said.
CALLS TO ACTION
Prior to the march itself, a series of speakers delivered deeply personal, faith-filled testimonies about the pro-life cause.
Dr. Robby Waller, an emergency room physician, told the story of unexpectedly adopting a newborn baby girl after her birth mother asked for her to be placed in a loving home.
“We named this little girl Amanda, which means ‘worthy of love,’” he said. “We are so grateful that her mother gave her to us because Mandi has been a source of joy since the day she came home.”
The keynote address was given by Ryan Bomberger, a nationally known pro-life advocate and founder of the Radiance Foundation.
Adopted after being conceived in rape, Bomberger said, “Although my birth mom was a victim of the violence of rape, she did not make me a victim of the violence of abortion. For that, I am forever grateful.”
Sarah Bowen, founding president of the Pennsylvania Pregnancy Wellness Collaborative, delivered a powerful message about ongoing support for women in crisis pregnancies.
“Some mothers desperately want to carry their babies but are overwhelmed by fear. They may be pressured by family or friends to choose abortion, and they look to pregnancy centers to hear that they can do it,” she explained.
Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of March for Life, also energized the crowd.
“Science is on our side,” she declared. “Let us keep marching together for as long as it takes until every woman, and every child, born and unborn, is cherished and protected.”
She highlighted current legislation in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that would require public schools to teach fetal development beginning at conception through computer-generated animation or high-def ultrasound.
“This would ensure that Pennsylvania students learn about the extraordinary journey of life that begins in the womb and open their eyes at a formative age to the humanity of the unborn child in a really powerful way,” Lichter said.