WASHINGTON — Forty-five years after the Supreme Court ruling that mandated legal abortion nationwide, hundreds of thousands are expected to attend rallies supporting the dignity of life, from conception to natural death.

The national March for Life, held each year in Washington, D.C., typically draws large crowds from across the country. This year, the march will be held on Jan. 19 and will feature the theme “Love Saves Lives.”

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will speak.

Other speakers include Pam Tebow, mother of former NFL player Tim Tebow; Congressmen Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., and Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Sister Bethany Madonna from the Sisters of Life.

The D.C. march is one of the largest annual political rallies in the United States. Numerous other cities across the U.S. will also hold Masses, marches and other events on or near the Jan. 22 anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.

March for Life Chicago took place Jan. 14 at Federal Plaza from 2-4p.m. Speakers included former Planned Parenthood director Ramona Trevinoa and clergy such as Cardinal Blase Cupich; Bishop Donald Hying of Gary, Indiana; and Orthodox Bishop Paul of Chicago and the Midwest.

“Marching in peace through the streets of Chicago, our goal is to serve as a visual and vocal reminder that the people of Chicago and the Midwest stand for life,” read a statement from the March for Life Chicago website.

The Chicago pro-life march kicked off with a Rose Dinner on Jan. 13, and included a youth rally and Mass, as well as a brunch to aid women in need. This year, more than 6,000 people were expected to attend the Chicago march.  

California will host multiple pro-life rallies this month. The fourth annual OneLife LA event will take place on Jan. 20 from noon-4:00pm in Los Angeles, where thousands of people will march to declare “a commitment to valuing and protecting all human life, particularly the most vulnerable in our community,” according to the event’s website.

The L.A. march will include a one-mile walk from La Placita Olvera to the L.A. State Historic Park, where there will be speakers, musicians and food. Karen Gaffney, a pro-life advocate, will speak at the event.

Up the coast from L.A., the 14th annual West Coast Walk for Life will take place in San Francisco on Jan. 27 at 12:30 p.m. at the Civic Center Plaza. The event will include speakers such as pro-life author Terry Beatley; former abortion doctor John Bruchalski, who now runs a pro-life family clinic in Washington, D.C., area; and Rev. Clenard Childress of the New Calvary Baptist Church.

Denver hosted a “Celebrate Life” march on Jan. 13. Before the march, Masses were celebrated at seven different locations. Afterwards, a rally was held at the steps of the Colorado State Capitol at 1pm.

Speakers at the Denver march included Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, the Denver Sisters of Life, and Don Sweeting, president of Colorado Christian University, among others.