Love saves lives.

That's the theme of this year's March for Life, which commemorates the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision to legalize abortion. Forty-five years later, more than 59 million babies have been killed through abortion, according to statistics from National Right to Life.

But the commitment to stopping this travesty isn't just about attending the March for Life in Washington, D.C., every year. It's a commitment — rooted in love — that requires our efforts every day of the year.

The pro-life community understands that choosing life isn't always easy. Facing poverty, abusive relationships and lack of education or employment are among the reasons women seek abortion.

We're called to love and support both the unborn child and the mother. We must remain committed to building a culture of life from the womb through all stages of life. It isn't only the loving thing to do, but also empowering when a woman chooses life for her child.

Large groups of teens and others from the Archdiocese of St. Louis annually journey to Washington, D.C., to participate in the March for Life as part of the Generation Life pilgrimage. With other pilgrim groups considered, about 3,000 from the archdiocese annually proclaim their witness to life in the nation's capital.

Throughout the year they will continue their witness, including praying on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood, volunteering at pro-life organizations including Birthright and Our Lady's Inn, which help women in crisis pregnancies, and standing up for life from conception to natural death in conversations with peers and on social media.

As Catholics, we know that our loving witness is fostered through our love for God. All lives are precious and we must remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable among us. We must help women who have chosen abortion find healing and reconciliation through post-abortion services.

As St. John Paul II noted in "The Gospel of Life," we're asked "to work with perseverance and courage" to establish "a new culture of life, the fruit of the culture of truth and of love."