700 Join Encino's March for Life on Ventura Boulevard

The Los Angeles March for Life celebrated 10 years as Encino residents joined more than 700 in the two-mile walk on Ventura Boulevard Saturday in Encino near St. Cyril’s of Jerusalem Catholic Church. 

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, Van Nuys Council 3148, the event included those of all faiths and among the other faiths that participated were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

“While members of our Church have participated in the past, this was the first time that we organized our local congregations and offically joined in, what we believe, is a very worthwhile effort to raise awareness of this issue,” said Encino resident Jerry Michels, a local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ. 

Nick Bryan with the Van Nuys’ Knights of Columbus explained that the Los Angeles March for Life is a celebration, not a protest, intended to make people more conscious of the significance of life. 

“We see life from a Christian perspective, that God creates life and therefore it is His gift, and we want women who might be struggling with this decision to know that there are local organizations who will help them choose life,” he said.

“We want the people in California, one of the states with the most abortions in the U.S., to know that we are saddened by the more than 54 million innocent lives lost to abortion since 1973,” he said.