In the hopeful spring of 1990, soon after the Berlin Wall had fallen and as freedom-seeking crowds of Eastern Europeans were kicking in the rotten doors of a crumbling Soviet empire, one of the great figures of the dawning decade stood by the Washington Monument looking out at the hundreds of thousands assembled in the nation’s capital for a rally. Calling attention to the press area packed with TV cameras and reporters, he challenged the media to tell the full story of the gathering that day.

The crowd picked up the theme, chanting, “Tell the truth! Tell the truth!”

For those of us who were there, it seemed to be a defining moment for the pro-life movement when Cardinal John O’Connor of New York, with a heartfelt, unscripted comment, drew a spontaneous reaction from the crowd of some 700,000 prolifers. President George H.W. Bush spoke by telephone hookup and Vice President Dan Quayle addressed the crowd in person, yet the highlight was the Cardinal’s exhortation and our response. Sick and tired of being misrepresented and maligned by the media, we joined in a chorus of righteous indignation, releasing our pent-up frustration and challenging the so-called fourth estate to “Tell the Truth!”—about our cause in general and the rally in particular, which had gathered sincere and selfless people from across the nation to petition not for themselves but for unborn babies targeted by abortion.

It was a moment of truth in itself, and perhaps it prodded the New York Times to run a fairly balanced above-the-fold front-page story with a large photo of the throng around the DC monument. Yet predictably, the photo, which focused on one man at the edge of the rally, was cropped to make its subject appear ominously larger than life, looming above the crowd with his back to the viewer while holding up his open right hand. He was probably praying in the evangelical fashion, but Times readers were likely to see him as a fascist figure giving a secret sign to the crowd. The headline announced the official US Park Police estimate: “200,000 Demonstrate Against Abortion,” though the article did note that rally organizers placed the number at 700,000.

The late-April Rally for Life was, of course, the second large pro-life gathering in the nation’s capital that young year, coming just three months after the annual March for Life. The idea was to hold an event in warmer weather, since the late-January date of the March, marking the anniversary of the Roe decision, was tied to often frigid, snowy forecasts. And it was a massive success, even if you split the difference between the crowd estimates and get 450,000! Many there were just like me at the time, fairly new to pro-life activism, responding to a flyer in my parish bulletin, catching a ride with the pastor and two other laypersons for a same-day round trip from New York City to Washington. I had never seen such a large crowd in person and was amazed to think that many had also been in DC for the March for Life. There was no doubt in my mind that Roe would soon go the way of the Soviet evil empire, that the good will and loving witness of prolifers would touch the hearts of even the hard-hearted media, and respect for life would spring forth like the cherry blossoms of that fair April day.

Looking back on more than 34 years, I wonder what happened. Roe was overruled, true, and prolifers are as hopeful and hardworking as ever, but the hearts and minds of so many in our nation seem untouched by our words and witness and maybe even more adamantly abortion-minded than ever. The “pro-life party” has amended its platform to soften its abortion stance, and who would have ever imagined that access to in vitro fertilization (recognized in news stories as simply IVF) would be an important campaign issue in 2024?

Something happened—or didn’t happen.

For decades, we have remarked about the youth and energy of our movement, the many high schools and colleges sending busloads of students—the “cool kids” among their many pro-life peers—to the March for Life. Where have they all gone? You would think they would have returned home, year after year, and by now have turned their states pro-life.

We have not done enough. I have not done enough. And maybe we’ve misread the mission. A priest I know speaks of the “endemic effects of original sin,” stating that any effort to move toward truth or virtue on a personal level is an uphill battle that takes more than good intentions and steadfast resolve. It takes prayer, fasting, sacrifice, and ultimately God’s grace. In any such effort beyond the personal—family, neighborhood, town, county, state, nation— it takes more prayer, more fasting, more sacrifice, and even a greater portion of God’s grace.

At my late age, I leave the polling and politicking to others, and wage pro-life warfare with prayer, fasting, sacrifice, and the hope of God’s grace. And you?