Families with young children were well-represented in the crowd, as well as religious sisters. The Nashville Dominicans, the Sisters of Life and the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo were all present. Dozens of seminarians were on hand from both of the seminaries of Denver, as well as many members of the clergy.
The Martinez family from St. Augustine Parish in Brighton was one of many families in attendance. Jaime Martinez, along with his wife, children and parents-in-law, came to the procession to pray as a family for the end of abortion.
"We came here to speak for the unborn children who are getting aborted every single day here, and to pray for those mothers who are thinking about aborting their children so they can think about walking a different path and choosing a different option," Martinez said.
He added, "It was very touching to see a lot of people join forces to promote the pro-life movement. Hopefully we can see more of this in future."
Sam and Amber Bittner came with their two children, Matthew and Evelyn, as well as coordinating "Respect" and "Life" shirts. For the growing family – Amber is expecting their third child – they were there to "bring some joy."
"We need to bring some joy into the situation, and show that we care, and that we love," Sam told the Denver Catholic. "And it's not just 'you're wrong.'"
"We came as a witness to our kids," added Amber. "We wanted to show them that it's really important to be involved to pray for those who are making the decisions, and also for the babies."
This article originally appeared in the Denver Catholic.

Photo by Andrew Wright/Denver Catholic
Aaron Lambert is the managing editor of the Denver Catholic, the official publication for the Archdiocese of Denver. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.