Hundreds gather for People for Life’s 48th Annual Pro-Life Breakfast
By Melanie Sisinni01/20/2026
The 48th annual Pro-Life Breakfast hosted by People for Life drew nearly 550 guests to the Bayfront Convention Center on January 17, where participants gathered for prayer, testimony and reflection on the dignity of human life. Held each year near the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the breakfast continued a tradition that began in 1978. Although Roe was overturned by the Dobbs decision in 2022, speakers emphasized that the work of building a culture of life remains urgent.
The program was emceed by Karli Van Der Volgen, a registered nurse, mother of three and longtime People for Life volunteer. Attendees included students from Gannon University Students for Life, Cathedral Prep and Mercyhurst Prep, men and women religious from all faiths, as well as local, state and national leaders. Speakers throughout the morning included Gannon University Students for Life President Clare Caulfield, Slippery Rock Mayor Jondavid “JD” Longo, State Rep. Brad Roae, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and Bishop Lawrence Persico. A prerecorded message from U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick was also shared.
The featured guest speaker was Lydia Taylor Davis, national spokesperson and social media coordinator for Students for Life of America. Addressing the crowd, Davis challenged attendees to reject silence and comfort in the face of injustice.
“Abortion doesn’t just exist in America because people are ignorant,” Davis said. “It persists because silence is comfortable. It persists because most people don’t wake up wanting to do evil, but they learn how to live alongside it.”
Drawing on a historical analogy, Davis described a church in Nazi Germany that chose to sing louder to drown out the cries of people being transported to concentration camps. “They didn’t deny the trains existed,” she said. “They heard the screams and instead of stopping the service, instead of running outside, they adjusted the music. They chose comfort. They chose silence.”
Davis connected that story to the present day, saying, “We might not have train tracks running behind our homes, but we have abortion facilities next to our grocery stores, our schools and our churches. People are dying behind those walls. Abortion is more than politics. It is violence against innocent human beings.”
Throughout her remarks, Davis emphasized the importance of courage rooted in truth. “I do believe that abortion can truly end in our lifetime,” she said. “Not because the opposition isn’t powerful, but because truth still has power when people are brave enough to stand up for it.”
Davis recounted facing harassment, threats and physical attacks during her campus advocacy work, yet said those experiences only deepened her conviction.
“Courage is not theoretical when your safety is at stake,” she said. “But countless hearts and minds were changed, not because we were safe, but because we were faithful.”
People for Life, incorporated in 1975, is affiliated with the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and National Right to Life. In addition to hosting the annual breakfast, the organization continues to offer education, advocacy and support throughout the year. People for Life is also organizing a bus trip for Erie-area residents to attend the National March for Life in Washington DC on January 23.
More information about People for Life and its ongoing efforts is available at peopleforlife.org. To view photos from the event, visit https://dioceseoferie.smugmug.com/2026-Moments/Pro-life-Breakfast.
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