The Archdiocese of Detroit recently celebrated a Mass for the Protection of the Unborn on the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in the United States. 

Archbishop Allen Vigneron celebrated the Mass on Jan. 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. 

“The Archdiocesan Mass for the Protection of the Unborn is an annual liturgy to pray for an end to the practice of abortion and to celebrate Christ’s victory over death," the Archdiocese of Detroit shared on Facebook. "The liturgy coincides with the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision and is said in solidarity with the thousands of pro-life witnesses who gather in Washington DC for the annual March for Life."

The first March for Life took place in January 1974 and was organized by Nellie Gray a year after the Supreme Court decision. The march will continue every year until the decision is overturned, according to March for Life.

The theme of the 49th annual March for Life on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C., was “equality begins in the womb.”  

"Participants in the March were optimistic about the future of the pro-life movement in the United States, as a decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case is expected this summer,” Fox News reported.

January 22 is the designated Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children in the U.S.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”