WASHINGTON – The pro-life movement has a new face and it’s younger and ready to challenge abortion rights activists.

A significantly large number of young adults were among the tens of thousands of pro-lifers who trekked out in the cold and muddy streets towards the U.S. Capitol on Monday to protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling to legalize abortion 34 years ago in the Roe v. Wade case.

Speakers at the annual March for Life rally at the National Mall, one of the nation’s largest pro-life events, repeatedly praised in excitement the large turn out of young adults.

“As all the members of congress are recognizing, we have all of you wonderful young people [with us] today and we welcome the young people who are going to work from their schools,” said Nellie J. Gray, president of March for Life.

Busloads of young adults from Christian high schools and colleges across the country came to join religious leaders, activists and congressmen in support for life.

The students heard from dozens of pro-life Congressmen, many of whom shared openly about the influence of their Christian faith in their pro-life stance.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), known for his Christian faith and conservative views on abortion and same-sex marriage, shared a personal story that made him an even stronger pro-life advocate.

Brownback spoke about a little girl he met seven years ago in China.

“Her name now is Jenna Joy Brownback and she is my daughter,” the Kansas senator said, sparking wild applause and shouts. “I mentioned her because some woman in China, that I will probably never meet, fought for her life…She fought for her life and you are fighting for someone’s life.

“Life is beautiful,” he continued, “And there is nothing ashamed about being pro-life. We want and we need a culture of life that respects and affirms life from conception to natural death. Life is too precious to do otherwise.”

An African American church leader shared how the African community has especially suffered from abortion. Pastor Luke J. Robinson of Quinn Chapel AME Church in Frederick, Md., said that over 500,000 babies were aborted last year in the African community– a number of unborn lives that could have populated the whole city of Frederick, Robinson pointed out.

“African American must come aboard and fight for life,” declared Robinson.

Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terry Schindler Schiavo, also spoke at the March for Life event about euthanasia.

“Never forget who you are,” concluded Congressman Todd Akin (R-Mo.). “We are a people who assembled here on this continent under the belief that there is a God who grants certain unalienable rights to all people – among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…

“Never forget who we are Americans,” emphasized Akin. “We are a unique people based on the idea that God grants right to life to all people, we can never forget that.”