UMary Alumnae Embody 2020 March for Life Theme: ‘Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman’
BISMARCK, ND — Senior year is an exciting time for all students at the University of Mary. Not only is graduation in sight, but their careers start to take shape. In 2018, as a senior communication major at Mary, Bridget Hobbs thought she had landed a full-time internship that would provide the necessary skills, experience and career networking to help secure a job before graduation. And did it ever. However, not on the path she thought it would take …
“I was on track to serve at an organization that ultimately raised concerns about my activity in the pro-life movement after they researched my involvement,” said Hobbs, a St. Paul, Minnesota native. “Faced with a decision to either neutralize my career or stand true to the pro-life issue and potentially limit future professional opportunities, I decided to pursue a different internship that would embrace the heart of the pro-life movement.”
That display of courage helped lead her to the nation’s capital where North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer brought Hobbs on staff first as an intern and then later as a full-time employee. Hobbs’ pro-life conviction empowered her to hold true to her Catholic faith without sacrificing her beliefs.
“I assisted in drafting new legislation aimed at protecting patient rights in medical settings, including unborn children,” recalled Hobbs. “These experiences taught me the value of perseverance in the face of difficulty. While it was understood that legislation protecting unborn life would be rejected by many, it was nevertheless important to continue efforts in the pro-life movement.”
The Pro-Life Generation has quickly become more than just a label applied to young people across the United States who are passionate about protecting human life from the moment of conception. Hobbs represents this significant youth movement made up of millions of “joyful, enthusiastic teenagers, tweens and millennials who are literally bursting with excitement at the prospect of building a culture of life,” explained Jeanne Mancini, the president of the March for Life, in a 2018 commentary for RealClear Politics. “We call them the pro-life generation, not just because of their passion for the cause, but because they were born years after — in many cases decades after — Roe v Wade legalized abortion across the country. This generation hasn’t just seen ultrasound images of unborn children, they’ve seen advancements in technology allowing younger and younger babies to survive — and thrive — after a premature birth.”
Once again, Hobbs will join over 100,000 pro-life demonstrators from every corner of America, every working class, every age, and mostly her pro-life generation at this year’s 2020 March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday, January 24. Over 200 of the marchers will be Hobbs’ friends and former classmates from her alma mater, the University of Mary in Bismarck — a Cardinal Newman Society-recommended school — including school president Monsignor James Shea. They are making the pilgrimage — a 60-hour round trip by bus — starting with a 5 a.m. send-off Mass on campus Wednesday, January 22 and returning home late-night Sunday, Jan. 26.
According to Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report released earlier this month, their affiliates around the country performed 345,672 abortions in the 2018-19 fiscal year ending June 30, a three percent increase from 332,757 abortions the previous fiscal year.
With that statistic in mind, Hobbs reminds her UMary friends and pilgrims making the bus trip to the 2020 March for Life, that their pro-life voice is significant and a lifelong commitment in today’s culture-of-death society.
“To be involved in the pro-life movement is to take a stand against the greatest human rights abuse of our time,” said Hobbs. “In the face of insult and rejection, remember that your witness has value and is making an impact. Focus on building community and bring your combined pro-life advocacy back to your local cities and towns. Remain prayerful and have a great time with friends.”
2018 UMary Graduate
Speaks at Pre-March Rally before joining her University of Mary classmates to lead 2017 March For Life
Hobbs also joins University of Mary alum Katrina Gallic, who is now with the March for Life under Mancini. At the pre-march rally in D.C., as a senior, Gallic gave a powerful, humanizing and empowering speech moments before she and her classmates at the University of Mary led the March in 2017.
“Since Roe v Wade, more than 58 million innocent human beings have had their lives taken by abortion. A third of my generation — our classmates, our teammates and our friends, are missing from our lives directly because of abortion. Their body parts sold. Their rights disregarded. Fellow youth of America, fellow college students, this is not someone else’s problem. Indifference is not an option. Ending abortion is our responsibility,” said Gallic, from an excerpt of the speech that went viral on social media with over 8,000 views and drew thunderous cheers from the crowd at the pre-march rally.
Not only are Gallic and Hobbs the face of the pro-life generation, but the epitome of the 47thannual March For Life theme “Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman.” Like Gallic, Hobbs’ desire for life that God blessed her with kindled at an early age.
“By the grace of God, the inherent dignity of life was apparent to me from a young age. In my youth, I was inspired to write poems and music detailing the beauty of life and gradually grew in my understanding of God’s hand in every unique creation,” Hobbs explained. “As a teenager, I prayed outside abortion clinics and offered support to pregnant women in crisis situations. This ultimately led to me leading pro-life efforts at Saint Agnes, where I served as the president of the pro-life club in my high school.”
2019 University of Mary
Graduate
That flame continued to burn even stronger, bigger and brighter for Hobbs during her four years at the University of Mary, whose branding slogan is “For Life,” and everything that stands for.
“At the University of Mary, I served as a member of Collegians for Life and volunteered at life care centers,” Hobbs recalled. “One of the most profound pro-life experiences I had at the University of Mary was gathering with numerous students outside of a homeless shelter in freezing weather. We brought hot chocolate and sandwiches to those individuals without homes, and spent time discussing their lives and sharing Christ’s love. This memory stands out as a reminder that the pro-life movement is about treasuring life at all stages, including the child in the womb, the individuals who experience homelessness, and the elderly.”
Hobbs and Gallic, two empowered women alumnae of the University of Mary, continue to celebrate the sanctity and dignity of life with their work in Washington, D.C. Hobbs plans to continue participating in state marches, volunteering at pregnancy resource centers, and supporting pro-life organizations impacting public policy in America — just as she did in 2018 when confronted with the ultimatum of having to either silence her pro-life beliefs while choosing an internship, or playing a role in the pro-life movement. An incident, now with 20/20 hindsight, was a blessing and truly providential. Because, without worry, hesitation or any threat of being questioned, Hobbs will always choose life.