New Orleans Archbishop Aymond at Geaux Forth 2023
Youth Program Directors Jacob Tonglet and Ashley Gilliam led the annual Geaux Forth Rally in Washington DC on January 19th. Harlee Barbier served as the emcee. Geaux Forth is a rally the day before the March For Life in DC for Louisiana high school students designed to educate and inspire students to be Pro-Life activists in their communities.
This year the day started with a prayer by Archbishop Aymond. Then, Ashley and Jacob facilitated a session on “Why we are Pro-Life” where students received education on human dignity, basic biology, abortion procedures, pro-life persuasion, and Louisiana abortion laws.
Keynote Pro-Life Speaker Amber Sims
Students also heard keynote speaker Amber Sims speak about her pro-life story and why being conceived in rape does not take away her human dignity. Amber challenged the attendees to consider that while women who choose abortion after rape account for only 1% of abortions
nationwide, in the room of one-thousand where Geaux Forth was taking place, that would account for 10 people. She said, “When I hear I’m pro-life except in cases of rape. I hear I’m pro-life except in the case of Amber. It feels a little personal.”
Harlee also spoke on how students can be pro-life activists at their schools and church communities. Ashley and Jacob finished the day out leading the students, who are not the future generation but rather the NOW Generation, in chants and the students were sent to “geaux forth” and March for Life.
Youth Directors Ashley Gilliam and Jacob Tonglet with Photographer Matthew Seymore and Geaux Forth emcee Harley Barbier
Youth Programs Directors and Louisiana Students for Life college students marched with hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates from around the United States at the National March for Life on January 20th, 2023. At the rally before the March, they were most inspired by the powerful testimony of Sister Mary Casey and her twin sister Casey, who has an amazing life and advocates for people who have Down Syndrome, like herself. During the March, students expressed awe and excitement about the amount of people willing to travel to DC and stand together for the dignity of human life.
Following the March, the Louisiana Students for Life college students attended the Students for Life Pro-Life Summit, where they joined hundreds of other young adults to celebrate a post-Roe United States and hear from national speakers about the future of the movement.
Geaux Forth and the March for Life are a reminder to our Louisiana high school and college there that our work has just begun. Now is the time to stand united with our pro-life friends across the US. Now is the time to create a culture of life that respects and uplifts every precious human being and their intrinsic human dignity. Now is the time to be actively pro-life.
