On Ascension Thursday, 14 May 2026, Canada’s annual witness to the sacredness of life took place in many cities throughout the country, with the major ‘National March for Life’ taking place in the nation’s capital - Ottawa at Canada’s House of Commons and through the city centre streets. The event occurred on the anniversary and on the site of when the House of Commons passed a bill that decriminalized abortion in 1969, which led eventually to abortion with no restrictions as is the case today. The march, however, encompasses all life issues, Besides the 4.5 million unborn babies that never saw the light of day since 1969, focus has widened to include the now heavily promoted euthanasia (“medical assistance in dying”) which has resulted in well over 100,000 deaths of the elderly and infirm since 2016. Other life-associated issues such as contraception and lifestyles were raised by some of the speakers.
In spite of the heartbreaking and gloomy subject matter, the massive rally was upbeat, bold and often joyful. The encouragement of being in a crowd of thousands from all across the country and filled with a firm hope that the laws and attitude in Canada would change one day – God willing, sooner than later – led to the positive spirit. Speaker after speaker emphasized the tragedies that are resulting from the “culture of death” that now pervaded western society, but also brought examples and message of hope that things can and are changing. Some brought personal experiences to back up their message - like the women who advocated for the importance of legislation that would protect the unborn and the elderly and vulnerable. When she was conceived, her young mother, pressured by those her, would have had an abortion and the speaker would not be here today. She is here, to the joy of her family, because at the time there was a law against abortion. As much as her mother tried, no doctor would abort her baby.
The march through the streets in the heart of Ottawa was a joyful witness that Canadians do care about and choose life. The chants of young voices throughout the actual march brought attention to the fact that a great percentage of the participants were young adults, students and families with children! Besides the great speakers and a Christian band, there was also a spirit of prayer that bound the entire day. Some groups came to pray in the course of the day, gathering off to the side, others chanted religious slogans as they walked, but there were also major prayer moments in the course of the day.
The March for Life day began with a truly packed Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown Ottawa. The main celebrant was the Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall, Most Rev. Marcel Damphousse. He was joined at the altar by the Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic and the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Toronto, Bishop Bryan Bayda, and New Westminster - Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski. Bishops Bryan and Michael just the evening before participated with Archpriest Andrew Oniuferko in the vigil Vespers at the St. John the Baptist National Ukrainian Catholic Shrine in the city. The Cathedral was filled to capacity with people raising their prayer to heaven for a conversion of all Canadians to rekindle the love of life and of neighbour – especially the vulnerable – the unborn, the elderly the ill, the troubled.
The event on Parliament Hill concluded with a beautiful Moleben’ for Life, sponsored by Toronto’s Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytstky Institute and led by St. Elias Parish of Brampton. After the events of the March for Life, several hundred participants made their way to Hampton Inn where there was large display hall was set up with many organisations and institutions promoting their work, products and movements. This was followed by the annual Rose Dinner Gala where the keynote speakers were two well-known figures in the effort to raise awareness about the tragedy of euthanasia - Slovenian activist Ales Primc of Movement for Children and Families and Canada’s Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
One of the major movers and shakers, especially for any Eastern Catholic involvement was Hieromonk Theodosy (Kreychuk), a member of Priests for Life and presently involved with Madonna House at Combermere, Ontario. He assisted in every event and oversaw the logistics of the amazing Moleben’ for Life that was attended by hundreds this year.
