Mary Marsolais of St. Joseph in West St. Paul talks about being a sidewalk counselor in front of a Planned Parenthood clinic during her brief testimony at St. Agnes in St. Paul Jan. 22. In the background is Zachary Schmitz, a junior at St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, who likewise gave a testimony. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Martha Donnett, 15, a freshman at Holy Spirit Academy in Monticello, traveled to St. Paul Jan. 22 — as did more than 600 other people — to participate in a March for Life: Youth and Family Conference organized by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Pro-life issues are not strictly for adults, she said. “I think it’s important to show that we care, too.”

The event, organized because the ongoing pandemic made it impossible to gather for the March for Life in Washington, D.C., or to hold the annual march to the State Capitol in St. Paul, was held at three venues: two gathering areas at St. Agnes Church and School in St. Paul and one at the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Church in St. Paul. Participants were socially distanced to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Students and their families from about 20 Catholic schools in the archdiocese participated. The one-day conference with several pro-life speakers was organized by archdiocese’s Office of Marriage, Family and Life.

Speakers included Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Jason Adkins, executive director of Minnesota Catholic Conference, as well as three students who described their experiences praying in front of abortion clinics. Another speaker, Angela Erickson, a mother of four who helps produce a Twin Cities radio program Living the Gospel of Life, presented on pro-life apologetics, giving tips on how to discuss issues related to abortion in a respectful way, avoiding emotion or argument.

Donnett’s classmate, Anastasia Sis, 14, said she is the second oldest of “soon-to-be-nine siblings.” She said her older brother has disabilities.

“And just to think that if my parents weren’t pro-life, he could have been aborted, and he’s my hero,” Sis said. He’s been through so much, she said, but he made it through. Again, she said, “He’s my hero.”

Bishop Cozzens said that in the last 20 years, 20% to 30% of pregnancies in the U.S. ended in abortion.

“That means for every three of you, there should be a fourth,” he said.

He said that’s nearly 1 million abortions in the U.S. every year. By comparison, COVID-19 has taken about 410,000 U.S. lives.

He also referenced the human rights movement involved in ending slavery. “What a great movement it was,” he said.

“We look at those realities now and think, how could (someone) enslave a person, perhaps just because of the color of their skin?” he asked. “And yet … in the course of our culture right now, we have to acknowledge that we treat another person as disposable because they’re not yet old enough.”