BY THE NUMBERS: Knights and the March for Life

1,960,000+ rosaries for life: More than 1,960,000 men are proud members of the Knights of Columbus. When becoming a Knight, they receive a K of C rosary, which they use when praying rosaries for life.

1,000,000: Millions of babies are being given a chance at life because of the power of the united brotherhood of the Knights of Columbus, and its members’ dedication to the cause for life.

100,000+ pro-lifers: Knights are among the hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers that attend the March for Life each year.

10,000 K of C signs: 10,000 Knights of Columbus “Love Life, Choose Life” signs will be carried by Knights and other pro-lifers. (We also have printable signs! Check out these 11 x 17 or 8.5 x 11 posters).

$575,000: The Knights have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for the March for Life Education and Defense Fund in 2018.

$250,000: In 2018, Knights and others donated $254,929 to the K of C Culture of Life Fund.

28,000 miles: To show his commitment to life, John Moore, a past grand knight of Fray Marcos Council 1783 in Gallup, N.M., is making a walk of faith across the entire country (approximately 2,800 miles), carrying a cross from San Francisco to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

1,000: Knights have placed 1,000 ultrasound machines in pro-life pregnancy centers in local communities around the world.

500+: About 500-750 College Knights of Columbus attend the March for Life each year.

120: 120 Knights, including members of The Catholic University of America Council 9542, serve as ushers during the National Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the night before the March for Life. This usher ministry is just a small part of the Knights’ long connection to the Basilica.

100: College Knights from approximately 100 colleges and universities attend the March for Life.

60: the March for Life has spread to more than 60 U.S. cities and to countries such as Mexico, Ireland, Peru, England, Nigeria, as well as Canada, where a large demonstration is held every year in Ottawa, the capital.

40+ years: “It is notable that, after four decades of being told that the Roe decision is ‘settled law,’ some three-quarters of the American people are not content with the status quo,” said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who has attended nearly every March for Life in Washington since 1977. Also for more than 40 years, Virginia Knights have served as marshals at the march, collecting donations and offering first aid.

40 Days: Prayer is a part of many pre-March events. The popular 40 Days for Life campaign — in which peaceful prayer vigils are organized outside of hundreds of abortion facilities worldwide — began as an initiative of Texas A & M University Council 10624 in College Station.

19 years: For the last 19 years, Knights from Georgetown University Council 6375 co-sponsor and organize the annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference for Life, the largest student-run pro-life conference in the U.S. It’s run entirely by college students.

7 years: For the last 7 years, since 2012, Deputy Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly has served as a chairman of the March for Life Board.

2 miles of marching: The nearly 2-mile march begins from the National Mall past the U.S. Capitol before concluding at the Supreme Court building.

1: Knights have been involved with the March for Life from day one. As March for Life Founder Nellie Gray remembered, “I received a call from [some] Knights of Columbus. I didn’t even know who they were, but they explained their stance against abortion and needed a place to meet to discuss plans for a march. That place was my living room.” That living room conversation started off a now more than 40-year tradition of Knights and the March for Life together speaking up for the unborn.

The Knights of Columbus have been at the forefront of every March for Life since the March began in 1974. Knights put their pro-life beliefs into action with countless other pro-life programs, including the Ultrasound Initiative, Pregnancy Center Support, Special Olympics, Masses for People with Special Needs and so much more. Each shows the world that every person deserves the chance to be loved, to be welcomed and to live to his or her full potential.

Want to be part of our global pro-life efforts? Join us by visiting kofc.org/joinus.

For questions, or to tell your Knights of Columbus pro-life story, reach out to Rose.Wagner@kofc.org.