OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — Next week, the annual National March for Life will see Canadians gather to demand protection of the unborn from the moment of their conception.

On Thursday, May 8, Canadians from across the country will gather at Parliament Hill in Ottawa to stand up for the unborn at the 28th National March for Life, organized by the pro-life group Campaign Life Coalition (CLC).

“The March for Life bolsters the pro-life movement,” event organizer Debbie Duval told LifeSiteNews. “It shows all of us that we are there working together.”

“It shows everyone that we’re out there, and we really know the life that God has given us is sacred,” she continued. “And we need to protect it.”

This year, the theme for the March for Life is a call for “protection at conception.”

“This connection between ‘protection at conception,’ which is rooted in Scripture, is from Matthew 13:31 to 32 – that reads, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed’,” CLC Youth Coordinator Maeve Gainey explained. “‘A person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, yet when full grown, is the largest of plants.’”

“Similar to a mustard seed, zygotes and embryos are seemingly insignificant, but their humanity is unwavering and despite their size, they are invaluable as they were created in the image and likeness of God,” she continued

Duval stressed the importance of every person, however small, doing their part for the pro-life movement, through individual conversations, local activism, and attending this year’s march.

She explained that the March, which gathers thousands of Canadians from across the provinces and territories “empowers us” to continue the pro-life movement, especially when a newly elected Liberal government has made it clear that they do not value life in the womb.

This year, CLC is excited to announce their first Save the Babies Summit, to be held on Friday, May 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Open to adults, the summit will bring “together grassroots activists from across the country to set out a plan to save the babies through political, legal, & cultural change.” Speakers include CLC President Jeff Gunnarson and a panel of legal experts.

The events surrounding the National March for Life begin on Tuesday, May 6th, with  a “Songs for Life” coffee house hosted at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ottawa at 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, May 7, Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. at St. Theresa Church in Ottawa, followed by a candlelight procession to the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument. A Holy Hour will follow at St. Theresa’s.

On the Thursday morning before the March, there will be various Masses and prayer services including a bilingual Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, English Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica, and a Latin Mass at St. Clement’s Parish.

The National March for Life rally will occur on Parliament Hill from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., with the march through downtown Ottawa beginning at 1:30 p.m. After the march, at 2:30 p.m. on the Hill, post-abortive members of the Silent No More Awareness campaign will share personal testimonies of regret, hope, and healing. A closing prayer service will be led by the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute.

The annual Rose Dinner, with reception at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m., will take place at the Ottawa Conference and Events Centre. The evening will include keynote speaker keynote Emily Stimpson Chapman, who will be “addressing what it means to offer human beings protection at conception, including rejecting IVF and abortion, even in the midst of challenging personal struggles like infertility.”

On Friday, young Canadians will gather for the Youth Summit, organized by Niagara Region Right to Life and CLC Youth.

Throughout the Thursday evening and Friday event, the Pro-Life Expo will take place. Attendees will get the chance to learn about and receive merchandise from many major pro-life organizations.

For more information regarding the National March for Life, including a complete schedule, sponsorship/exhibitor opportunities, and a list of buses, visit marchforlife.ca.