Nationwide prayer vigil for life set for Jan. 23-24

“I enthusiastically invite Catholics from all around the country to join me in-person or virtually, in praying for an end to abortion and building up a culture of life,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities. The faithful are invited to observe a nationwide prayer vigil from Jan. 23 to 24 and encouraged to pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life in post-Roe America. 

In 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision Dobbs vs. Jackson which overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Since the Dobbs decision, abortion policy is now determined at the state and federal levels. Some states have increased access to abortion and others are working to ensure stronger policies to protect preborn children and their mothers.
 
“Together, we must pray to change hearts and build a culture of life as we advocate for the most vulnerable. I look forward to opening our Vigil with Holy Mass together with many other bishops, hundreds of priests, consecrated religious, seminarians, and many thousands of pilgrims,” said Bishop Thomas.
 
The National Prayer Vigil for Life is hosted each January by the USCCB’s Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and The Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry. The vigil has always taken place on the eve of the March for Life, which marks the date of the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
 
The Opening Mass will take place in the Great Upper Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. from 5-7 p.m. on Jan. 23. The principal celebrant and homilist for the opening Mass will be Bishop Thomas. 
 
After the Mass, there will be a Eucharistic Procession immediately followed by a National Holy Hour for Life, which will include Recitation of the Rosary and Benediction. The Opening Mass and Holy Hour of the National Prayer Vigil for Life will be broadcast on various Catholic networks and will be livestreamed on the Basilica’s website at www.nationalshrine.org/mass.
 
The vigil concludes at 8 a.m. Jan. 24 with the closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn.
 
The full schedule of the 2025 National Prayer Vigil for Life is listed below. (All times are in Eastern Time.)
 
Thursday, January 23:
 4:45 PM Chaplet of Divine Mercy
 5:00 PM Opening Mass with Bishop Thomas
 7:00 PM Holy Hour for Life
 
Friday, January 24:
8:00 AM Closing Mass with Bishop Brennan
 
The live television broadcasts on Jan. 23 from 5-8 p.m. and on Jan. 24 from 8-9 a.m. will be provided by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and will be available via live-stream on the Basilica’s website. For more information about on-site attendance at the Basilica for the National Prayer Vigil for Life, please visit the information page on the Basilica’s website.