"I love the fact that so many of these diverse groups can all get together and support each other… I think that's also the other important thing – to look around and see how much support there is from all kinds of people – everybody has a stake in this," said Heaton.
The day concluded with Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Some After the liturgy, 180 candles were lit and processed to the base of the altar in memory of the 180 unborn lives aborted that day in Southern California alone.
For many OneLife LA attendees, the march is just one way to witness to the dignity of life all year round.
Father Alan Benander, a Norbertine priest prays for the unborn at every Mass he celebrates. He is also the Right to Life Moderator at St. Michael's Preparatory School in Silverado, California, where he is also a teacher and coach.
When Fr. Benander leads his students on pro-life outings, he reassures them of the power of prayer and fasting.
"On this trip I took 20 students, and I said, 'We are going to pray for an end to abortion, and we might not be able to stop every abortion from happening … but pray for one particular girl right now who is thinking of killing her unborn child,'" he told CNA.
In addition to prayer, Father Benander said Catholics should aim to educate themselves more thoroughly, so that they can be sources of catechesis for those who support abortion.
Rangel-Santos, from the USC Caruso Catholic Center, agreed. He told CNA that he worked to support "The Real Sex Week" at the USC, where he is a senior. As part of the initiative, he spoke to students at the secular college about "the effects of pornography, developing healthy relationships, resources for reproductive health, support for victims of sexual assault, self-defense classes, and the effects of sex in the media."
In addition to advocating and praying for an end to abortion, march participants also focused on end-of-life care. California legalized assisted suicide in a high profile bill in 2016.
Sister Isabella, a Carmelite of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus of Los Angeles, has spent the last seven years caring for the elderly in the area. Those she works with often face suffering and depression, but Sister Isabella said the answer is not in handing them pills that will kill them.
"We are God's hands and feet in this world, and we have to say yes to the love," she told CNA. She recalled how an elderly man once told her, "When you all are near, the suffering doesn't matter anymore, because the love is greater."
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"That's what we have to do when someone is suffering. It's a call for help, it's a call to love to a greater degree, and if we don't listen to that call, our brothers and sisters…won't feel God's love for them."
Perry West is a staff writer for Catholic News Agency. He graduated from Franciscan University with his bachelor's in English. Prior to his job at CNA, he worked in construction staffing and coffee.