March for Life 2019, Part One: The Journey There

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This year I had the incredible good luck to attend the March for Life with not only most of my best friends, but also with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest's young adult Sursum Corda group. I attended their retreat in August and it was fantastic. I blogged about it here. Last year I went to the March for Life too. But not with Sursum Corda. You can read about that trip here and here.

Anyway, I came home with about four hundred pictures just from the trip, so I decided to do several posts. Probably three or four.

We got up at 1:30 am Thursday morning so my dad could drive us to the park and ride, where a hired driver would drive us to the Shrine in Chicago.

Me in our van.

Rosie in our van.

I had some more pictures of people in our van, but they seem to have disappeared. Oh well.

The hired van was interesting. The two front rows of seats were facing each other and their was a table between them.

2:30 in the morning and everyone is "wide" awake. The four youngest girls stuffed themselves in the back row, while the "old" ladies made themselves comfortable spread out in the two front rows. Belladonna sat with Sam and Joseph.

We arrived at the Shrine and hour early. 5:00 am. Our driver rang the doorbell on the rectory until some opened the door. We were all glad he was doing it instead of us. But when we got out the door was shut again. After three more rings a very sleepy someone came and told us where to go. We found out soon afterwards that the doorbell rang all the phones in the rectory. Oops. We had rung it probably about ten times.

Heading for the waiting room. I thought this gate was neat it reminded me of the "Sound of Music." The part where the children attempt to visit Maria in the Convent.

Cameras were out and we were all taking pictures.

One other person got there the same time as us. Than there was at least a fifteen minute wait before anyone else showed up.

We boarded the bus at about 6:15 am.

I sat next to Maryanne for the ride there. Sam and Belladona were behind us. Joseph and his sister Lily sat in front of us.

First of many stops.

I was one of the first people back on the bus after the break. So I took pictures.

Our little St. Norbert's group always seemed to be waiting while everyone else was late. Hmm...

It takes great skills to hold a phone over your head and take pictures backwards. :D

 Joseph and Lily.

The stop in Toledo for two more people. Yay it's Alley.

The countryside started to get really hilly.

Mountainous country.

We stopped at St. Anthony's chapel in Pittsburgh for Mass.

This chapel contains the second largest collection of relics in the world. The first being the Vatican, of course.

I was awestruck as soon as we entered, so I failed to see the no picture taking sign. Oops.

The stations, which were built into the walls, were about five feet tall.

Another rest stop. I think we made about five stops.

 Getting dark. When we drove into DC it was to dark to see anything.

We arrived at the hotel about 11:00 am.

Everyone was eager to get in bed. :D

There were four people in each room. We lost our roommate, because they cancelled, but gained another one for one night.

Hmm... I don't think I want a TV the center of my room.

No that is not two doors. One of them is reflected in the mirror. I don't like floor to ceiling mirrors.

What is this? It certainly isn't art.

To Be Continued soon

The Shield-Maiden