Lansing Update: Marching Onward for Unborn Life in Michigan
Posted November 7, 2025
Catholics March for Life in Lansing
Catholics from across Michigan prayed and marched for the protection of unborn human life at the state Capitol this week during the second-ever statewide Michigan March for Life.
Both at the March itself and the Mass for Life that preceded it, Catholics joined with many others who advocated with peace and joy for the dignity of human life.
The day began with a Mass for Life at St. Mary Cathedral, which was packed to capacity. In addition to Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing, bishops from five of the seven Michigan dioceses were present to concelebrate—Bishop David Walkowiak of Grand Rapids, Bishop Edward Lohse of Kalamazoo, Bishop Jeffrey Walsh of Gaylord, and Auxiliary Bishop Robert Fisher of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Later, Bishop Boyea was joined by his brother bishops on the Capitol steps to provide the opening invocation for the pre-March rally. In the invocation, Bishop Boyea prayed, in part:
Heavenly Father, your Son, Jesus Christ, said to his apostles in the world, you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. Father, you have placed us in this world, this world which you deeply love. Yet indeed, we do find trouble all around us. Give us the courage to face the evils of our times. Give us the courage to support life. Give us the courage to fight like heaven. Give us the courage which recognizes that indeed your Son has conquered the world and its troubles. Pour into the hearts of all our fellow citizens the knowledge of your Son’s victory and the Spirit of His love, so that all may experience a real change of heart and mind.
Groups of students from Catholic high schools across the state were among the most prominent constituencies present at the March. Priests as well as religious men and women were also visible throughout the crowd.
Several speakers delivered powerful testimonies during the rally. Event emcee and former television meteorologist Chuck Gaidica shared how a doctor provided him and his wife information about abortion when the couple learned their unborn baby had Downs syndrome. Another woman shared how she embraced motherhood after facing an unplanned pregnancy during college.
The keynote speaker, Mayra Rodriguez, a former Planned Parenthood employee who became Catholic and a pro-life advocate, shared how her perspective changed when she tried to blow the whistle on the abortion provider’s practices.
“I want to tell you something as someone who has been on both sides. Abortion does not empower women. It wounds them. It chains them in silence. It tells them they are not strong enough, not smart enough, not capable enough to be both mothers and leaders, that they must choose between life or death,” she told the crowd. “But one day, God opened my eyes, and the truth, the truth that I spent years fighting against, set me free, and once you know the truth, you cannot go back.”
Pro-life legislators representing Michigan in Congress and in the state Legislature also spoke at the event.
The Michigan-based March for Life was initiated after the passage of Proposal 3 in Michigan in recognition that the work to promote human life and end abortion has gravitated toward the states after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
MCC would like to thank all those who attended from dioceses in Michigan who worked to promote the March for Life to their schools and parishes, and for every Catholic who showed up to advocate for the protection of unborn human life.
Bill Ensures All Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Can Access Re-Entry Services
Legislation ensuring that all individuals released from prison have access to critical support services to help them successfully return to society was approved by a House committee this week with MCC support.
A state court ruling earlier this year could allow some individuals sentenced to life without parole as juveniles to be newly eligible for resentencing and possible release. However, due to current policy, many of those individuals may not qualify for re-entry services offered to other returning citizens upon release.
These services include housing, employment training, and mental health and substance abuse counseling, all of which are important to prevent individuals re-offending and re-entering the prison system.
House Bill 4211, sponsored by Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw), would address this gap by ensuring all returning citizens, including those impacted by the new state ruling, would have access to these services.
MCC supports policies that promote comprehensive re-entry services to assist the formerly incarcerated in becoming productive members of society, in accordance with its advocacy principle of pursuing restorative justice.
The House Judiciary Committee voted to send the bill to House floor for further consideration.
Water Affordability Package Advances to Full Senate
A bill package to make drinking water more affordable for lower-income households was approved by a Senate committee this week with MCC support.
Access to drinking water is a basic human right, so MCC is supporting Senate Bills 248–256, which would set up a water bill assistance program for customers with a household income of up to 200% of the federal poverty.
The legislation approved by the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee this week would also help prevent water shutoffs to certain customers. The package now sits on the Senate floor for further consideration.