Thousands of pro-lifers to gather for National Prayer Vigil for Life this evening in DC

The 2026 National Prayer Vigil for Life will begin at 5:00 p.m. EST with the opening Mass and run until 8:00 a.m. the following day, to kick off the March for Life.

The opening Mass’s chief celebrant is Most Reverend James D. Conley, bishop of Lincoln.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, last year, Bishop Conley of Lincoln became the fourth Catholic prelate in the United States to denounce left-wing Cardinal Blase Cupich’s decision to bestow a “Lifetime Achievement Award” on pro-abortion, pro-LGBT Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. Bishop Conley said he was “shocked and bewildered” by the award.

As noted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the National Prayer Vigil for Life will see thousands of pilgrims from across the nation “pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life.”

The National Prayer Vigil for Life is sponsored by the USCCB’s Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, as well as the Catholic University of America Office of Campus Ministry.

Following the opening Mass, an hour of Eucharistic adoration for life will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Crypt Church.

On Friday, the National Prayer Vigil for Life will end with a closing Mass at 8:00 a.m.

For those unable to attend in person, both the opening and closing Masses will be livestreamed on www.nationalshrine.org/mass.

The USCCB notes that the “faithful who participate in the sacred celebrations during this time may obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions,” which are noted on its website.

LifeSiteNews, as always, will be on the ground for the 2026 March for Life, which will once again see Vice President JD Vance address America’s largest annual gathering of pro-lifers.

The March for Life Rally and Concert goes from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with the March for Life starting immediately following the rally.