WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The March for Life, remembering the 38th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade takes place on Monday, but hotels and churches around Washington are already buzzing with activity involving pro-life witnesses from around the country and other parts of the world.

On Saturday the March for Life Education and Defense Fund began its annual Convention and Exhibit Hall at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill.

Rock for Life hosted a prayer and outreach event in front of Planned Parenthood on 16th Street at 9:00am on Saturday morning.

At 5:00pm Saturday evening Georgetown University hosted the Mass for Life at the Dalghren Chapel of the Sacred Heart. The main Celebrant and Homilist was His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago. On Sunday the 12th Annual Cardinal O'Connor Conference on Life was also held in the Chapel.

Saturday evening events also included A Rally Against Late Term Abortions at the Neelsville Presbyterian Church in Germantown, MD and a Rock for Life Concert at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hagerstown, MD.

On Sunday, the March for Life Convention continued, including a March for Life Mini-Rally at the White House.  The gathering is scheduled for Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

On Sunday evening over 10,000 pro-life pilgrims are expected at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life.  

On Monday morning the Annual Youth Concert and Mass for Life will be held simultaneously at the Verizon Center and the D.C. Armory. Doors will open at 7:00am with the concert from 7:30 to 9:00am, confessions, rosary and the Mass at 10:00am.

His Eminence, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, will serve as the main celebrant at the Verizon Center and will be joined by cardinals, bishops and hundreds of priests from around the United States. The homilist at the Verizon Center will be Rev. Mark Ivany, parochial vicar at Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, MD.

With over 27,000 teens and young adults expected, the D.C. Armory was reserved as a second location. The principal celebrant at the Armory will be His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston.  The homilist at the D.C. Armory will be Rev. Patrick Riffle, parochial vicar at St. Peter in Olney, MD. Hundreds of local and visiting cardinals, bishops, rectors and priests will concelebrate this Mass as well.

Additional Masses will be held at four overflow sites around Washington between 8:30 a.m. and Noon at Immaculate Conception, St. Patrick, St. Stephen, Martyr and St. Mary, Mother of God.

At 12:00pm the actual March for Life will begin with an outdoor rally on the Mall at 4th Street. Around 1:30pm the marchers will begin their trek up Constitution Avenue toward the Supreme Court where several groups hold post-march activities.

The March for Life culminates with the annual Rose Dinner on Monday evening. The keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (MN-6).

On January 22, 1974, the first March for Life was held on the West Steps of the Capitol. An estimated 20,000 committed pro-life Americans rallied that day on behalf of our preborn brothers and sisters.

In 1974, the March for Life was incorporated as a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian organization.

Over the years the numbers have now grown to over 200,000 attendees for the annual event.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.