Crossroads Pro-Life Blog

Our Blog's New Home

2010-06-02T13:58:00.001-04:00

Check out our new blog! The address is http://crossroadsprolife.wordpress.com

From the Rink to the Convent: How a Pro-Life Encounter Changed an Olympian's Life!

2010-02-17T22:14:00.001-05:00

Check out this cool story about one of our pro-life walkers!

Kirstin Holum says that her conversion was sparked by an experience with the pro-life group Crossroads that she says changed her life.

Walk with us - 2010 Walks!

2009-09-22T12:23:00.004-04:00

For 15 years college students from throughoughout the U.S. have sacrificed their summer to walk across America on Crossroads. Each summer lives have been saved and hearts changed through the tremendous efforts of our courageous Crossroads walkers.

If you would like to do more for the pro-life movement consider walking with us this summer. Make your voice heard! Let your steps this summer be steps to bring an end to abortion in America.

Take up the challenge and join us this summer. It will be a summer you will never forget.

For more information about Crossroads or to apply for the 2010 walks please visit our website at www.crossoradswalk.org or call us at 1-800-353-8817.

Storms and Trials

2009-06-27T22:42:00.004-04:00

As missionaries we have left behind so many things this summer in order to take the pro-life message to the streets. It seems that as soon as we get comfortable walking or making due without certain comforts we are asked to give more of ourselves. This past Friday we finished day shift early and thought we would get a good night's sleep for the first time this week. We had a 2 hour drive to Mitchell, SD, where we were staying for the weekend. Half way to Mitchell we encountered an incredible storm with reported winds of up to 65 miles per hour. We could barely see 10 feet in front of us because of the heavy rain that literally was going sideways! We were forced to turn around and find shelter - which was over 17 miles back from where we were. We waited out the storm at a gas station and hoped that we would be able to get some sleep that night. The weather cleared and we were able to drive to Mitchell. We didn't arrive until after midnight and had to get up early in the morning to drive another hour to go pray outside the only abortion clinic in South Dakota which is located in Sioux Falls.

This is just one example of how God is calling us each day to give more of ourselves to Him so that He can use us as His instruments in the world to save lives and change hearts. We believe that abortion is not something that we will have to live with - it is something we are all called to fight through our peaceful and prayerful witness as we walk the country this summer.

The true miracle of this summer is that God is using us who are imperfect to do His will. All we are doing is making ourselves available to Him and continually saying yes to Him when He asks more of us each day.

Northern Walk 2009
Mitchell, SD

Blessings in Billings

2009-06-14T19:57:00.003-04:00

Wow, we cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by so far! It has been such a blessing to be able to be on Crossroads this summer and be a voice for those who do not have a voice of their own. Right now we are about 65 miles outside of Billings, Montana and we're still trucking along.

It's amazing to see how generous people are in this economy. Today a man at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish shared with one of our walkers a story about how his mother, after she died, left him and his siblings an estate. He said that there was still some money left over and that "it would be an honor to make a donation to help such a worthy cause". We are so grateful for the generosity and kindness of others that makes our walks possible! The support we have received and the inspiring stories people share with us along the way give us that little extra boost to keep going.

This weekend we stayed with 3 amazing host families. Everyone has showed us so much of Christ's love and compassion. It was a hectic weekend with 6 different parishes to speak at, but God put us right where we needed to be.

We all miss our families so much, but we are so thankful for their support in our decision to follow God's call this summer.

Thank you again for all those who have been so generous with their donations and prayers. You all have no idea how much it means to us. We will continue to lift you up in our prayers through the intercession of Our Most Blessed Mother Mary.

Pauline Cerone
Northern Walk 2009

Central Walk makes it through the 3rd week!

2009-06-13T01:10:00.002-04:00

Enjoying some free time at the Maseks!

Montana the Sunshine State...NOT!

2009-06-08T23:59:00.003-04:00

Although Montana may not be the Sunshine State, it is definitely the friendliest. In one day we encountered snow, sleet, and rain and countless motorists who stopped to check to see if we were alright.

So far we've covered Washington State, Idaho, and currently we are walking through Montana. We knew from the beginning of the walk that this summer would be hard so we dedicated our walk to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We know that she has been watching over us, that's probably why we have not seen any bears...yet!

The walking has been tough, but the weekends have been our refuge. We would like to thank Martha and Fred Weiss in Seattle, WA and their family as well as the Delich family in Spokane, WA for opening their homes and hearts to us. We will never forget you! The kindness and generosity of our host families has truly been an image of God's love to us.

Doing missionary work is incredibly challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. We've had our share of blisters and sore muscles, but God cannot be outdone in generosity. Through being able to receive the Eucharist each day and praying to Our Lady as we walk we have felt God's Grace keeping us safe and helping us to succeed in our mission to take the pro-life message to the streets. We thank God for the small blessings that keep us going each day like being treated to breakfast, coffee, and donuts on several occasions after daily Mass. We have also met wonderful people who have cheered us on and encouraged us to keep up the good fight. However, we have also encountered some opposition. On the first day of walking one of us was spit on and this past week another girls was coughed on as she tried to cross the street. We have come to realize that these events are also Graces because they remind us that there is a need for us to be out here and to give witness to the people whose hearts have been hardened by the Culture of Death. As Christ carried His cross to Calvary he was beaten and bruised and slandered. We are honored to also be able to take some blows for the unborn.

As we have gotten to know each other on the walk we have shared lots of laughter and stories about what has led us to walk on Crossroads this summer. We come from 8 different states and for some of us this is our first time taking part in any type of missionary work.

We know that it is through the prayers and generosity of countless other pro-life Americans that we are able to continue to walk. We are all walking together as we work to bring our country back to the pro-life movement.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Pray for us!

Northern Walk 2009

Always an Adventure...(Central Walk)

2009-06-07T23:41:00.003-04:00

Well, the Central Walk is just a few hours from starting their third week of walking! It is crazy to think about how time is flying! I think it is safe to say that most of us thought the first week of walking was the longest week of our entire lives! But, it does eventually get easier as time goes on. We just have to push through the crazy terrain, extreme heat, and millions of blisters!

Along the miles we have encountered some of the most exciting adventures. For example: getting the support vehicle stuck in snow...in May...in California, meeting a gold miner in Nevada, walking 20 miles in the wrong direction, sleeping in Walmart parking lots...and much more!

We’ve spent the weekend in Reno, Nevada, with an awesome host family. We only had 19 Masses to speak at...compared to the 32 of last weekend in Sacramento! Next weekend we will be in Salt Lake City, Utah!

We are currently walking on HWY 50...also known as the loneliest road in America! Some of the girls on the team found a sticker in Austin, Nevada, that says: “I survived Hwy 50.” What did we get ourselves into? Haha.

I want to share a story that came up last weekend after a Mass I spoke at. A lady stopped me in the vestibule and started talking about her son. She said that her 7 year old was listening to me speak and questioned her: “Mommy, why are they walking for babies?” His mother explained to him about abortion and the purpose of Crossroads. The lady then told me that all of the sudden her son paused for a few seconds, and then gave her a great big hug. He embraced her for a few minutes and finally said: “Mommy, thank you for not killing me.” The lady’s story brought tears to my eyes. Situations like these just make me realize how important it is for us to spread and impact the pro-life movement. We need to become aware and get involved. After all, it’s the next generation that is being wiped out...

Well...here’s to more blisters and farmer’s tans...but, in the end--it’s all worth it.

Until next time,
Michelle, Central Walk 2009

The Southern Walk's Start

2009-06-03T14:11:00.002-04:00

A photo of the first members of the Crossroads Southern Walk Team, just before we left the Santa Monica Pier for Washington, DC

Central Walk With Bishop Soto

2009-06-02T20:47:00.005-04:00

The Central Walk after Mass with The Most Reverend Jaime Soto, Bishop of Sacramento, May 30, 2009

-Holy Spirit Parish in Sacramento, CA

End of Central & Southern Walk Training

2009-06-02T20:41:00.002-04:00

Thursday, May 21, 2009 - Lake Arrowhead, CA

Crossroads 2009 Pro-Life Walks Across America

2009-06-02T20:38:00.003-04:00

May 23, 2009 - August 15, 2009

Roadside Poetry

2009-06-02T13:35:00.004-04:00

Big feet, small feet, feet, feet, feet

Sore feet, stinky feet, the different feet you'll meet!

Hot feet, cold feet, wet feet, dry feet, the oh so fine feet

Oh how our feet blister from walking in the heat!
We walk from place to place down the street!

Over the hills, through the mountains,
past the big builders and the big fountains.

Uphill, downhill, and time to chill,
on the side of the road we get refills.

We are sore and tired but continue on,
we pray, and we walk and sing a song.

We rejoice at the end of the shift, knowing our time has come to rest,
but we sent the next ones out telling them to do their best.

As we wait for our turn to go on a walk,
we sit on the ground hoping the ants don't talk.

Desert blue, desert green, mountain snow, mountain stream,
we go different places we have never been,
we go to the different places with our friends.

Pretty sunset, beautiful sunrise, every day a splendid surprise!

We saw a deer today! We saw two!
One for me and one for you!

In KOA's and Safeways we stay, after leaving host families in the byways.
We laugh with each other along the way.

It doesn't matter where we stay
between me and my friends - it's all ok!

Yes, our journey that we walk is very long,
but doing God's work we can't go wrong!

We are Crossroads group 2009
I will never forget your heart, and you will never forget mine!

Northern Walk - The End

2008-08-22T14:51:00.003-04:00

The Northern Walk made it through its final days and an event-filled weekend with flying colours, hitting all its marks and then some, co-existing with the other Walks while retaining its own unique characteristics and personality.

The Walkers said Evening Prayer for the last time in common on Sunday night and praying the last few Prayer Intentions they've collected at parishes over the last three months, in addition to ensuring that all the Walkers got to their departure points (airports, etc.) in a timely, orderly, and safe manner.

And so the Walkers' fellowship is dissolved as the last two Walkers departed for their homelands on Tuesday morning. The Northern Walk of 2008 is ended but shall never be forgotten by those who traced its steps over the last three months.

The Walkers thank all those who have supported them over the summer; be assured of their eternal gratitude and thanksgiving for their help in this monumental task.

Pax,
Andrew
Your Triumphant Leader, Northern Walk

Northern Walk - Twelfth Week (In Review)

2008-08-22T14:44:00.003-04:00

Originally written August 12th, 2008

The Walkers are presently situated at the border of Washington, D.C., inside of three miles from the endpoint of their pilgrimage, the Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. They have redoubled their efforts to keep their focus pure and integral this close to the end despite a gradual shift in perspective over the last two weeks, as the Walkers make individual preparations for life after the Walk.

Also, the Walkers have had the chance to meet and "slap hands" with their separated brethren from the Central and Southern Walks who have been conducting their own parallel walks from Coast to Capital over the summer. For their part, the Northern Walk looks forward to the different perspectives (and possible scarring) which the other Walks may have to offer.

Continue to remember the Walkers as they cross the threshold of the Shrine's doors...

Pax,
Andrew
Fearless and Intrepid Leader, Northern Walk

Northern Walk - Eleventh Week

2008-08-08T11:08:00.005-04:00

The Walkers have walked to Hagerstown, MD in a straight shot towards Washington, D.C. While the route featured on the Crossroads website has largely been jettisoned for sundry practical considerations e.g. our not walking through flood-ravaged Iowa and its numerous road closures, the Northern Walk has nonetheless been walking Coast to Capital all these weeks one step at a time without skipping one foot of distance along the way.

Meanwhile, the Walkers have left their motorhome in seasonal Scranton, PA with the brother of our own Northern Walker Matthew, allowing an extended visit to a town uniquely rich in Catholic liturgy and affording speedy passage to their weekend destination, New York, NY. This strategem will also afford the Walkers the chance to enjoy a rare day off to sightsee in New York City, a special treat for those Walkers who come from faraway regions and lands.

The Northern Walk would be remiss not to mention the departure of our own Joe and Erin, who are leaving us this weekend for school in Atchison, KS. Their contributions to the Walk are deeply appreciated, and they will be missed. That said, we are welcoming two new "Transients," Joseph and Christina, who will join us at some point over the New York weekend through our arrival at the nation's capital.

Pax,
Andrew
Refocusing and Fearless Leader, Northern Walk

2008-08-04T10:31:00.006-04:00

Greetings all you pro-lifers out there!!

Just wanted to update everyone about our awesome weekend in Birmingham, AL. I'm typing this from home because my sister got married this weekend, but I'll be back on the road on Monday!! Please pray for the newly married couple. Our weekend in Birmingham was amazing...The team stayed at the home of former Southern Walker, Shannon Johnson. Her family opened their home to us and showed the team some true southern hospitality and some good cooking. Thank you Johnson family for your generosity.

As some of you might have heard, Father Frank Pavone held a funeral service for three aborted babies at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville. Shannon, Brendan, and myself were present for the funeral and burial of Karen Esther, Enoch, and Rebekah...all of whom were found in a dumpster behind an abortion mill in Detroit, Michigan. There was standing room only within the Shrine as people gathered to pay their respects and give honor and dignity to the bodies of the three children. It was such a great reminder of the innocence and humanity of the unborn. Father Frank reminded those present that the purpose of the service was not to provide a political statement, but rather to give the respect and honor that is due to the bodies of these human beings. This respect and honor was denied them in their short lives. The three children were buried in front of the Pieta on the monastery grounds.

We are truly thankful for the generosity of those in the Birmingham area. At this point, we have about two weeks left. Keep praying for us as we finish the last leg of our journey!!!

In Christ,
Adam

PS the pictures you see are three from the funeral service we attended at Mother Angelica's Shrine, one from our host family in Lubbock TX and one of us praying outside the abortion mill

Southern walk weekend # 8 update

2008-08-04T10:29:00.000-04:00

We haven't had internet for a while, so this post comes a little late.

We had amazing contacts in Shreveport, Matt and Mikki, who were former walkers. On Saturday morning they came with us to the abortion clinic to pray. Adam and I had just started counseling when one of the police officers who was there came over to us. He was uncomfortable with us talking to the women as they went inside and kept trying to get us to agree to be silent. The truth is, we have the legal right to speak to the women, but the police officer got frustrated with us and eventually threatened to arrest if we said even one word to the women. At this point, we called the police department and began videotaping the officer's statements and Adam and I both called our parents just to let them know the police were looking for an excuse to arrest us.

Eventually, the city sent out other officers who let us know that we were within our rights and, priase God, we were able to continue counseling. In the midst of all of this, a man pulled over and began to pray outside of the clinic. He was weraing a tux and explained that he was 10 minutes away from a wedding where he was a groomsman. He said he had never prayed outside of an abortion clinic before in his life, but that as he passed, God told him to go pray. Unfortunately, he had unknowingly parked in the parking lot for the clinic and as he walked back to his car, the police officer arrested him for trespassing. Obviously God wanted him there as a witness and I really hope everyone at the wedding found out why he wasn't there.

Thank you all for your prayers, especially those who were interceding for us that day.

AMDG,
Veronica

Northern Walk - Tenth Week

2008-08-02T18:09:00.008-04:00

The Walkers have taken a pilgrimage-within-our-pilgrimage, taking a day's drive to Boston, Ma. for the weekend parish visits. In the meantime, the Walkers had made it as far as the greater metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pa. area on foot before driving onwards, where they will pick up when walking resumes next week.

The Walkers have also has the pleasure of taking on another "transient," Kristie from Medina, Oh. She is another former Walker, having walked as recently as with the Central Walk earlier this summer in addition to stints in previous years.

Now that the end is so close, the Walkers are talking a bit of time to visit the sights in seasonal New England, having gone the first nine weeks without real pause. Do keep the Walkers in your prayers.

Pax,
Andrew
Recharging and Refocusing Leader, Northern Walk

P.S. For more pictures from the Cleveland Weekend please go to www.saintgregoryparish.org

Northern Walk - Ninth Week

2008-07-26T23:37:00.004-04:00

This weekend the Walkers are tarrying in the Greater Metropolitan Cleveland, Oh. Area after a fast-feeling week of walking. They welcomed the presence of "Transient" Will from found-to-be-seasonal Niles, Mi. who walked three days with the Day shift. His presence and experience on Crossroads were welcome, and the Walk is better for having had him even for a few days.

It presently dawns on one and all that the Walkers are in the autumn of their year, so to speak. Nine weeks have passed and only three remain; while there is time enough to reach Washington D.C. on foot, there is also time enough to lose focus and orientation as the Walkers come closer to their goal. That said, continually high spirits, a Friday evening youth group gathering and an event-filled rally at the abortion clinics in Cleveland this Saturday morning ought to serve the Walkers well in the coming days and weeks.

As newlywed-"Transient" Erin told the Northern Walkers with her parting words after a two-week stint with the Northern Walk, "It's not how many miles you walk, it's how you walk the miles."

Pax,
Andrew
Sunburned and Recharging Leader, Northern Walk

Central Walk - 3 weeks to DC!

2008-07-26T16:17:00.002-04:00

Hello and apologies for being tardy with posts ... now that I have a computer with internet I will try to update a little. We are spending this weekend in Indianapolis IN and will begin speaking tonight at our 6 assigned parishes. Walking-wise we well into Ohio and a bit ahead of schedule. Monday our group spent the day taking a retreat at Our Lady of Snows National Shrine in Illinois. It was a day of scripture, group bonding and rest. The rest of the week was spent walking through acres and acres of cornfields and soybean fields. The night shift had one night of very little walking since a huge storm blew in and there was a tornado watch - quite an experience for three people from states that don't have tornadoes! Since North Platte we have travelled through Lincoln/Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis. We hung around the arch in St. Louis at night and sat around the nearby water fountain. The past several saturdays have been very powerful as we have prayed and witnessed outside of several abortion clinics. This morning in Indianapolis at least two women changed their minds about having an abortion and may they persevere in the choice. Please keep us in your prayers!

Northern Walk - Eighth Week

2008-07-20T15:40:00.004-04:00

The Walkers are walking through eastern Illinois along Highways 30 and 52, reaching as far as seasonal Joliet, Il. on foot before departing for the greater metropolitan Ann Arbor, Mi. area for the weekend missions.

A quiet and pleasant weekend in relative estrangement was had by one and most, being hosted in three separate houses. In any event, the Walkers were very well received, as was their message.

The Walkers anticipate getting back on the road again and sallying forth with another "Transient" for a William from possibly-seasonal Niles, Mi. Between that and picking up Northern Walker Liz, who was away for the weekend, the Walkers will be able to "turn it up to 11" this coming week.

Pax,
Andrew
Pensive and Sunburned Leader, Northern Walk

Northern Walk - Seventh Week (In Review)

2008-07-15T21:39:00.005-04:00

Since our last update, the Walkers have made it on foot to seasonal De Witt, Iowa and are headed east through Illinois and onward. We drove forward to Chicago for the weekend and gave talks at some 22 Masses in six parishes.

We're going to Ann Arbor, Michigan this weekend and are looking forward to redoubling our efforts for the homestretch of our journey. The Walkers ask for your prayers that they remain focused on the true, supernatural end of the Walk.

Pax,
Andrew
Gentlemanly and Pensive Leader, Northern Walk

Southern walk in Big-D

2008-07-11T12:09:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

We've had 2 weekend stops since we last wrote and we're about to have our third. We apologize for the long awaited blog...not all of us can be as on top of our game as the northern walk ;-)

Two weeks ago we stopped in Lubbock, Texas. There the face of our team changed a little as we lost Dave (*tear*) and gained Carrie (*cheer*). Carrie was only supposed to be with us 2 weeks but she's decided to stay the whole summer!!! And Dave is going to return to us in Jackson, Mississippi!!! This weekend we're gaining two more girls as well, and we are all confident that they will be as awesome an addition to our team as everyone before them has been.

In Lubbock we split up and stayed with 2 host families, the Wilkes and the Powells. It was such a fun weekend! Both the Wilkes and the Powells had beautiful homes, amazing children, and adorable pets. They welcomed us into their homes like we were their own family. The Wilkes had us constantly laughing and having fun. Then the Powells hosted a great night at their home where we ate food, talked and played volleyball. Carrie, Chelsea, and myself were so good at volleyball, the Southern Walk may lose us when the Olympics roll around. I believe that together we may have had a combined 6 completed serves. And with that kind of talent, we can't imagine that Team USA would let us pass by.

After Lubbock we had a great week of walking through areas like Roswell, New Mexico and...well, a lot of open fields. However, Roswell was very cool to walk through, we only wish we had had time to stop at the UFO museum. We had a new walk leader during this time as well! Jon joined us on Monday. He will be our walk leader for the rest of the summer which we are quite excited about! Thus far, Jon has been a great motivator. He encourages us to remember why we are here, that we are called to love each other and to serve each other as well as to serve the cause. Jon has also been encouraging us to walk as many miles as possible with goals and subsequent rewards. Not to mention he is a great source of laughter, crazy moments, and funny stories.

Last weekend we stopped in Abilene, Texas. There we stayed at Holy Family parish. Father Mike was so kind to us. He made sure we had everything we needed and he celebrated a holy hour with us. It was an amazing weekend of renewal.

Now we've finished another week of walking. And because we made it to Dallas in the time Jon set for us, we're going to celebrate! Tonight we're going to celebrate our nation's birth cowboy style with country music and line dancing! I can't think of a better way to enjoy Dallas, Texas. So I hope everyone else is having a great 4th of July! We miss you all and wish you well. Thanks for all your love and prayers sent our way.

God bless!
Molly and the rest of the Southern Walkers

Northern Walk - Sixth Week

2008-07-06T02:33:00.004-04:00

The Walkers have made it as far as seasonal New Ulm, Minnesota on foot before heading down the I-35 for the weekend. Presently the Walkers are tarrying in seasonal Ames, Iowa to visit parishes, the stomping grounds of Erin Haakenson, a former Walker mentioned in a previous update who has joined us for a two-week stint before her wedding (congratulations!).

We should also mention that our walking route has changed from what is posted for the Northern Walk on the official Crossroads website (http://crossroadswalk.org/Schedule/NorthWalk.asp):

-Instead of walking down to Quinn, South Dakota for June 23rd, we turned onto Highway 34 after Sturgis, South Dakota, thus avoiding the I-90. Also, our last weekend (highlighted in bold) was spent in seasonal Sioux Falls and not Brookings - we walked through the latter but had no weekend mission there.

-Also, for this upcoming week, we will be walking through all of Minnesota and on to Wisconsin before later heading south to Chicagoland, only spending a weekend (aforementioned, natch) in Iowa.

The Walkers are resting up to visit five parishes on July 6 in Ames, Ankeny, and Des Moines, Iowa, a task made more difficult by the absence of Walkers Joe and Erin, who are visiting family, friends, and well-wishers (and the Central Walk!) in Nebraska for the July 4 weekend - they are missed, and we look forward to their return to the Northern Walk on Sunday afternoon...just in time to start Night Shift (for Joe, anyway).

Pax,
Andrew
Terrific and Gentlemanly Leader, Northern Walk

North Platte, Nebraska!

2008-07-03T11:56:00.008-04:00

The Central walkers had an amazing time in North Platte, NE this past weekend. Thank you to Peggy Orr and her family and for all the amazing host famillies who welcomed the walkers into their homes this past weekend and for thier amazing kindness and generosity!!

Northern Walk - Fifth Week (In Review)

2008-07-03T11:27:00.005-04:00

The Northern Walkers as featured in the Rapid City Journal, thanks to a line of contact established by our own Rosanne:

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/top/doc4861be85c6d1e027595635.txt

Greetings again from the Northern Walk; the Walkers passed the weekend in seasonal Sioux Falls, South Dakota (see Rosanne's post below) where we effectively exchanged one "Transient Walker," Nate, for another, Erin, a Northern Walk Alumna from 2007.

After having been hosted at the Good Samaritan House in Sioux Falls and speaking at a pair of parishes through the weekend, the Walkers swiftly returned Sunday night to Fort Pierre, South Dakota to pick up and walk exactly where they left off on Friday evening.

The Walkers continue to trek through South Dakota and are continually overwhelmed by the strong and large Pro-Life contingent in this state, a source of edification for one and all.

Pax,
Andrew
Tired and Terrific Leader, Northern Walk

northern walk, represent!

2008-06-29T00:49:00.003-04:00

wow, a ton of updates from us northern walkers, nothing from anyone else?? come on, guys! howdy, y'all, it's rosanne from the northern walk. we've tried calling y'all but your phones aren't working? *shrug*

this weekend, we are in souix falls, south dakota. it's been blustery all day (thank you, winnie the pooh). we prayed at the ONLY planned parenthood in south dakota that performs abortions. how awesome is that? and south dakota has passed a new law requiring women to see an ultrasound before having an abortion. thank God!!

lots has happened in the last week. we picked up a "transient walker" (as Tim (north leader 07) calls them) - nate - who walked 5 weeks of the northern walk in 05. that was pretty awesome and it took off some stress on getting our miles done. the night shift has hit some pretty heavy storms this past week, so it's been like a hard punch because it makes it a little harder to get miles in when it looks like there's about to be a tornado. on tuesday (i think? i've been on night shift for two weeks, it's messing with my head lol) the sherrif for sturgis, south dakota stopped on the side of the highway and it turns up he found a place for us to stay - at a baptist church! how cool is that? they were so open and welcome to having us stay there!

we also were hosted for a few days in pierre, which is the capital. we've had a few newspaper articles about us, and monday we have a radio interview. this weekend, the bishop of souix falls said mass for us at the cathedral and we didn't quite have a place to stay yet.. and a guy walks up and offers us a place to stay alright - in a hotel!!! it's sooooooo nice here!!! i'm not used to having a queen sized bed and a tv and a personal shower and such!! so, in short, there have been many blessings upon us as of lately - we just got another walker from here to chicago - erin - she walked last year. nate left today, which made us all sad, but that's okay.

the pranks have been on! we've taped things to the ceiling of the rv (day crew's toiletries) and some things we picked up were left at mile markers.. so we turned around the next week and got the day shift with a prank (wow i can't even remember what - i'm so out of it haha) and a suprise ambush with waterguns on the side of the higway. oh and we found the faith sign - for those who have seen the picture pointing towards "faith" - it's in south dakota.

anyhow, i fear this is getting long-winded, so i shall let you go do what you do best!

let's rock and roll and stride and stroll!!
peace out from the north,
rosanne

ps - call us!!!!

Northern Walk - Fourth Week

2008-06-22T15:02:00.003-04:00

The Northern Walkers are staling in seasonal Rapid City, South Dakota, having drove ahead of our walking stop-point near Broadus, Montana.

We have fallen back to "just" being on schedule after a rough couple of weeks - to wit, we were hailed upon quite severly this week, having endured a night of golf ball-sized hail stones while we waited out the storm in the RV.

We're off to check out Mount Rushmore before heading off again for another week of walking - of course, this week we're joined by Crossroads alum Nate this week, a welcome presence to cover miles and rosaries with us.

Pax,
Andrew
Wired and Tired Leader, Northern Walk

northern walk (part 2)

2008-06-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

so we made a video for the snow day.. here it is!

.....yyyeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!

2008-06-17T21:38:00.003-04:00

Sup y'all, it's Rosanne and Erin from the NORTHERN WALK!!!! So, the weather outside is no longer frightful. The stove fire was so delightful. Since we had a place to go (like... DC), let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!! Well, let's start from the beginning. It all began a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away known as Montana. One day, in June, it was really warm. The next, not so much. It started hailing, which then turned into a wintery mix. The next day was a blizzard. Not just a dairy queen blizzard, but actual SNOW! (Rosanne and Bess being from the south were very excited about the fact that we had three inches of snow). After that, it was warm again. Just a lot of wind. Now, tell me... what is up with that?? We thought it was supposed to be SUMMER!!!

Crossroads... we didn't sign up for that!

Anyways, walking has been pretty fun. We are in Hardin, MT right now, and hope to make it to Wyoming on Thursday and South Dakota on Friday. Three states in three days... pretty cool (eh? - our tribute to the wired and inspired intrepid Canadian leader Andrew). We hit our first 40 mile shift last week as well. We have finally climbed on top of the RV and jumped around quite vigorously. We've been pulled over twice for tickets, and we've been stopped by the cops countless times.

In Billings this weekend, we were praying at the abortion clinic Saturday morning and a cop drove by. He turned around and we were like.. ohh boy.... and when he drove by again he gave us a thumbs up! So then we saw Thumbs Up Cop Dude at mass later that evening and then at breakfast at this nifty little place called Stella's the next morning.

Anyhow, that's it for this night shift (Joe, Liz and Andrew are all here too). Off to make Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese for dinner!
Peace and Love
Erin and Rosanne (your residential tree hugger - Rosanne that is)

a rainbow after a bunch of rain

snow at a gas station

our duck taped feet

most of the group with Jim and Kathy, who provided breakfast for us one morning after mass

Me and Bess with our snowmen

Southern Walk Destination: El Paso

2008-06-16T17:21:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!We're just finishing up a weekend in El Paso, Texas and are getting ready to drive back to where we left off walking just past the Arizona-New Mexico border. The weekend has been amazing!!! The people here are so beautiful. We've been staying with the Madrids who insist on treating us just like familia. They took us out to dinner where we finally got authentic Mexican! They cooked us multiple meals, did our laundry, and have just in general been so sweet to us.Yesterday morning we went to an abortion clinic. There were sidewalk counselors there who had a saved life earlier that morning!! Please keep them in your prayers. Their ministry is so important and they do such good work.Last night we had dinner with some people from Project Gabriel. It was a backyard barbeque (also authentic Mexican!) with young and old all laughing and talking together.We are so close to the border (we were actually afraid we'd accidentally drive into Mexico a couple of times). Everyone speaks Spanish and many of us have gotten to practice our attempted bilingual skills.Chief (Brendan) left us yesterday for St. Louis. He spoke at a parish there and then flew on home for the week. It was extremely sad to see him go but luckily he'll be back next weekend, hopefully for good!! Adam is our new fearless leader. We gave him the name Shepherd or Shep. He seems to be a little unsure of his new name so please encourage him in its awesomeness. Oh, and as always, keep us in your prayers. We love and miss you all. Take care!God bless,Molly

Northern Walk 2008 - Third Week

2008-06-14T05:11:00.004-04:00

***
The Northern Walk has posted a video on YouTube, created by Northern Walker Rosanne:

***

The Northern Walkers are proselytizing in Billings, Mt. this weekend, which happens to be the hometown of our own Nicole who has been of great assistance in coordinating the panoply of events surrounding the Walkers' weekend.

The Walkers are a durable and high-spirited bunch, keeping each other - and those they encounter in their adventures - entertained and in good spirits while keeping sight on the mission of the Walk itself and never quitting...regardless of how many times in a day they lost their way in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

The Northern Walk remains on schedule and free from undue strife, in league with the other Walks; nonetheless, prayers and intercession (thank you, St. Anthony of Padua!) are always welcome and needed: man reaps, but God gives the increase.

Pax,
Andrew
Inspired and Wired Leader, Northern Walk

Central Walk 2008

2008-06-11T21:15:00.006-04:00

Hello from Ely Nevada! We are almost finished with the treck across America's lonliest road - highway 50 and we are aiming to reach Salt Lake City, UT this weekend! We have travelled through all sorts of terrain: From the vineyards of Nappa, to the heights of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and now across the desolate yet beautiful land of Nevada. We have been well-recieved in each of the cities on our route so far: San Francisco, Sacramento, and Reno. Our group leader Carlos keeps us all laughing and in good humor. Trish our assistant walk leader looks after us, keeps us supplied with the essentials, and reminds us to stay on schedule. Jeff, also know as "minnesota", kicks out mile after mile on his long legs and is sure to get us to daily mass on time. Katie is always brightening up everyones day with her smile and you can't be around her long without hearing her contagious giggle. John is ready and willing to help whenever and however - especially when he has had his coffee. Clare, the newest member to our team, spreads her energy enthusiasm as she runs through her shift and keeps us talking and smiling during breaks. We miss our faithful departed Anne and Cristie - though they had to return to the world and leave our band of walkers, their hearts are still with us in spirit and prayer. We miss you Anne and Cristie! I help with little odds and ends and while everyone else is working I am chill'n and blogging ;-) Keep us in your prayers as we work our way across the country! All the best to the Southern and Northern walkers! You are in our prayers! See you in D.C.! PAX, Michaela

Northern Walk - Second Week

2008-06-03T23:39:00.003-04:00

The Northern Walkers entered Idaho circa 05h00 and are staying for the evening at Mary House in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We are on schedule and plan to sally forth in the coming weeks and months, to cover an increasing amount of ground every day and night we walk.

The Day Shift walked into rain today, and the dreary weather promises to plague the Night Shift in turn. The Walkers are understandably tired but spirits remain high; while Idaho may not be cleared in a day, the pace continues to be brisk.

Pax,
Andrew
Intrepid and Inspired Leader, Northern Walk

Northern Walk 2008 - First Week

2008-06-01T04:40:00.001-04:00

The Northern Walkers are presently tarrying in seasonal Spokane, WA for a weekend of visiting local parishes to give brief Crossroads presentations, having walked eastward from the Space Needle in Seattle day and night since Monday morning. We've walked as far as Wilbur, WA and plan to enter Idaho on Tuesday morning.

As we have been (more or less) telling the local parishes, the Walk is part activism, part asceticism, and part athleticism, and that all who participate in the Mystical Body of Christ are walking with us and us with them, one and all using our gifts to weave a common pattern stronger than the sum of our individual strands.

In the meantime, the Northern Walk is going quite well and we look forward to sharing stories from the road as time and inspiration permit.

Pax,
Andrew
Fearless and Intrepid Leader, Northern Walk

Update from the South

2008-05-31T12:05:00.001-04:00

We're here in Chino Hills, CALI!! Pray for us, we've been having some mishaps with our vehicles, but we've got everything sorted out now. Pray that we can persevere in patience through all the trials and frustrations ahead.

Most of us are going to VEGAS today while Art and Clare are staying here and going to a wedding in San Bernardino.

We'll walking through the desert for the next few weeks. It's hot and can be really exhausting during the day, but it gives us the perfect opportunity to offer it up. Night shift loves it because the stars are absolutely spectacular.

Right not we're staying with a wonderful host family in Chino Hills. Their backyard overlooks the city and the view from the hot tub is incredible. It's been such a blessing to have a little time to rest our muscles and our hosts have been so kind and thoughtful.

Also, whenever we speak at churches, we ask for the parishioners prayer intentions so that we can remember them as we walk. If there is anything we can pray about for you guys, just post it here or message it to one of us.

AMDG
All to the greater glory of God,

Adam
Art
Chelsea
Clare
Lucy
Molly
Veronica

March for Life 2008

2008-01-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday January 22 2008 Crossroads gathered with 225,000 others to commemorate the anniversary of the infamous 1973 Roe v.Wade Supreme Court decision. This year marked the 35th year that the March for Life took place. Each year the March has grown in size and popularity, especially among the youth of today who, more and more, are truly Pro-Life.

Volunteers came from across the country to help Crossroads get its message to as many hungry Pro-Lifers as possible. Crossroads had booths at conferences throughout the city, including the Cardinal O’Connor Conference, the March for Life Conference and the Students for Life Conference. On the morning of the March itself Crossroads was able to distribute roughly 40,000 pieces of prolife literature including the extremely popular Pro-life stickers to roughly 60,000 youth who poured from the Verizon Center in Downtown Washington DC who had been inspired by a youth mass and rally. This enthusiastic mob of young Pro-Lifers teemed into the streets shouting prolife chants and singing songs as they headed a few blocks away to join the march.

Throughout the march Crossroads representatives passed out information about our annual cross-country walks as well as information about the newly launched www.ProLifeInternet.com Over all the whole weekend was an amazing success and inspirational for all involved.

Pro-Life Search Engine

2007-09-22T16:08:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, thought I'd post a link to a new pro-life search engine on the internet. www.ProLifeInternet.com - it's officially sponsored by Crossroads and 100% of funds raised through people using it will go directly to pro-life efforts. Make it your homepage and save babies!

Photos from the South

2007-07-21T22:07:00.001-04:00

2007-07-21T22:01:00.000-04:00

Hey! Maria Spears here! I walked for two weeks with the Southerners!

One food for thought that was brought up in a friendly discussion with my fellow Crossroad walkers, was the correlation between the everyday exercise of mind and body and our faith.
Sometimes the challange of walking Crossroads is not just the physical taxation but the mental.
Waking up for your shift and knowing there are 30-40 miles to be walked can be dawnting. Often times the last mile is the hardest, the last hill the one that you think "I can't take one more step"-it is on there that it is the most important to press on, to turn that walk into a jog to then that jog into a sprint up the hill. Mentally realizing that this phsical exercise is one that is for both the mid and spirit as well as the body. It is on our death bed that we will be the most tired; the worn-out warriors tired of fighting. But if in our everyday physical struggles we see the cross at the top and sprint for it, how much easier will it be when the Lord calls us home to "spiritually sprint" home to His arms.
Let us all fight the good fight and run the race till we are home in our Father's House.

Sick but still Tickin'

2007-07-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

Howdy, all! Alzbeta here from the Central Walk! This week has been crazy with the loss of our beloved RV to a shop for a little repairing and the first sickness. Tina and I have both contracted something that requires lots of nose-blowing (yay, toilet-paper!) Therefore, we've both had to take some walking time off - which would probably be more enjoyable if we didn't feel so yucky, but such is life. We'll soon be back on our feet and rockin' out with our amazing team again soon!

Today we are blessed to be staying with an amazing woman named Maria, who literally took us in on our good word. Because we are homeless right now, we meet such amazing people of the Church, willing to take in a group of smelly, hungry kids and give us their beds and food. She has truly lavished us with hospitality despite her busy life. Gerald, Missouri is certainly a place I never thought I'd remember with fondness (or possibly remember at all), but it's definitely going to be that way.

Soon our day walkers will return (the crew I'll hopefully be rejoining tomorrow to end out the week) and our night walkers will be headed out into the night. As we are again back on schedule, the walkers have been working extra hard to stay that way and we should be in St. Looeeey (Louis) by dark tomorrow.

Thank you to all of you who pray for us, by the way! It is truly an asset to our walk, something we literally could not do without. It is important that we continually remind ourselves of what we are walking for: the dignity of all human life! Such an important thing that is given so little by our society. So, please, keep praying for us, and especially for the reason we continue to put one foot in front of the other each day.

In all my excitement to post my first blog, I'm sure this is a relatively hard to follow train of thoughts, but thanks for checking in! Have a beautiful weekend and keep praying for the pro-life movement!

-Alzbeta and the Central Walk

Fields of blessings

2007-07-08T18:34:00.000-04:00

Hello this is Erin from the Northern Walk.
So many things have happened up here that I'm not sure where to start, so maybe I'll start with the most important thing, our walk was blessed to be able to go to the best city in the country Ames, IA.
So how did we end up in this great place you might ask when our schedule clearly says we should have gone through Minnesota and Wisconsin? Well my friends that is Crossroads. Our small but mighty walk was behind, so our brilliant team leader seeing that we could both save time and walk through a wonderful state that crossroads has been neglecting, drove us down I-35 to Ames where we could pick up our walking at essentially the same longitude.
In Ames one of our blessings was the addition of two new guys (Eric and Chris) that Martha brought down, so between them and Elizabeth who we picked up in Minneapolis we now have 9 walkers. This is such a blessing as just 2 weeks ago we had 6 when Charles was at a wedding. These three not only add 3 fresh sets of legs to the walk, but experience, as all three of these lovely people have walked on one or more crossroads walks.
While in Ames we were able to attend a prayer group, stay in a house with showers, laundry and beds (always a plus) and be fed abundantly by amazing people who were thrilled to have us with them.
Speaking of food and beds let me relate to you the story of the monsignor and his parish that kept on giving. The day before we left Minnesota for Iowa we went to church in the Cathedral in New Ulm where we got to receive Jesus in a beautiful mass. The monsignor was surprised but obviously pleased to see that his parish had had a pro-life invasion that morning. He even had one of our walkers give a little talk after mass that morning about what we were doing, then he took us out to breakfast, then he had his parish make a nice donation to the cause, then he offered us the rectory to stay in overnight(we each got our own bedroom and bathroom-such luxury), then he bought us dinner, the next morning with the help of a parishioner he sent us off with a home cooked breakfast and cases of water.
So from there it was to Ames, which has thus far been the highlight of my trip, I never thought going to the city where I go to school and seeing people I see all the time would be the best time that I have had thus far but it was. I appreciated so much more those things and people that I normally take for granted and even though I'm getting a lot of crap from the other walkers up here from being obsessed with a "boring" state I know that there is no place like home. Besides corn fields are cool.
Well thats it from me. I know theres stuff I missed so I'll have to post again later. Peace and God Bless.

P.S. Tom if you're reading this we miss you a lot man and we hope things go well with the new job

To My Fellow Americans...

2007-07-07T10:41:00.000-04:00

Ben here on the Canadian walk. We are in Thunder Bay, Ontario on beautiful Lake Superior. For all you ignorant Americans out there (Fear not, I used to be one myself), here are a few facts about the land to the north.

Country name: Canada
Population: 33,390,141 (fewer than California)
Patron Saint: St. Joseph the Worker
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II (picture on most currency), represented by Governor General Michaelle Jean
Head of Government: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Current Exchange Rate Canadian Dollar to US Dollar: $.95/$1
Current Abortion Status: In 1971, when Pierre Trudeau was Minister of Justice, legislation was introduced into Parliament which was quite widespread in its scope. One aspect of this particular legislation was the legalization of abortions in Canada. After many court battles, the last of which was in 1986, today there are absolutely no restrictions on abortion and all pro-life laws have been declared unconstitutional. A Canadian woman can have an abortion at any time during her pregnancy for whatever reason and have the government pay for it. Also, pro-life activists must remain outside restrictive bubble-zones when praying at abortion clinics or face the possibility of being arrested. Only in China, Cuba, and a handful of other nations is there a similar status on abortion.
Number of surgical abortions yearly in Canada: 101,000+

There you have it, some interesting Canadian statistics. Despite the poor legislation here as compared to the Unites States, there is still hope. The majority of Canadians are pro-life, despite what the media here claims. Every week at parishes we meet many young and growing families. Although the support while we are walking has not been as good as in the United States, we have had a considerable amount of support in every area of the country we have walked through.

Anyway, Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans, and a Happy Canada Day to all Canadians. To the Southern, Central, and Northern Walks, you are in our prayers and we thank you so very much for praying for us. This may be the first and last post from us, so I encourage all to persevere. As our journey nears its end, let us be steadfast in offering our sacrifices to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

St. Joseph, patron of Canada, pray for us!
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, pray for us!

Half Way There!

2007-06-30T14:43:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord Jesus this marks the half way point for our walk- 6 more weeks till Washington D.C.
Central Walk is rocking it out! We are currently in Lincoln, Nebraska. Being a Floridian, this is a complete culture shock for me... corn, corn, corn, corn. I saw feed farms, silos, wheat, beans, etc... When we were in North Platte, Nebraska it felt like I was in the middle of the movie Twister. It was this small quaint town where great grandma, grandma, ma, pa, uncle Jim, and his 10 kids all live right down the street from each other. Then when we would go into town our host would know everyone and their grandmother- literally! I am being cultured in the ways of the Midwest.
Walking with a Franciscan priest is one of the best experiences of this trip. One day I spent time teaching him some slang like, "Father, you are my brotha from anotha motha" (With a NY accent) And I am his "Sista from anotha mista" He loves saying it and he says he will use it in one of his homilies. Haha- let's see if that happens!
The night walk had one great pro-life encounter this past week. Father Dan and I were in the SUV at 3a.m. waiting for the walkers- well I was sleeping. All of a sudden Alzbeta and Will came up with another woman and 3 boys. This woman stopped on the side of the road because they saw our two walkers. Oh, at night we wear vests over our shirts for the traffic but on one of the vests is written Pro-Life, so this woman saw this and stopped. Well She decided that she wanted to walk with Alzbeta and Will for one mile. She then asked Father and I to drive back to her car and tell her little eight year old boy and 10 year old girl who were sitting on the side of the road in this big van at 3 in the morning that her mom and her brothers were going to walk. Hahahaha- poor little kids, they were probably so confused and frightened. After their mile was up Will and Alzbeta kept walking and we drove she and her 3 boys to their car. She ended up staying in the SUV with us and talking for like 30 minutes about pro-life. Father and I kept looking at each other, and I would randomly laugh because I felt so confused & helpless. It was 3:30 in the morning and this woman was just sitting in our car on the side of the road while her little kids sat in their car... what in the heck was she doing out this late, walking with us, and letting her kids just sit on the side of the road? I mean at least we had at purpose out there. It was crazy, but a funny story, and praise God she did walk with us. We need crazy and great encounters like that especially in the middle of the night- it's a great encouragement!:)
Well, off to take a much needed nap!
We are praying for the Northern, Southern, and Canada walks and I can't wait to meet you all in D.C.!!!

Peace,
Cassandra
Central Walker

Notes from the South

2007-06-29T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Southern walk here.
We've been making our way across Texas in sopping socks as we enjoy our first real rainstorm. Wet shoes aren't the most fun thing in the world, but there's a certain adventuresome pleasure to facing the warm wind and rain. It's also been a healthy reminder of our aim- that were are presenting each mile as a sacrificial offering and not just walking to get 35 miles east before dawn.

On a lighter note, some of us have been practicin our Texan grammer in the hopes of bein made honorary Texans this weekend. Here's a local version of grace before meals we've come up with recently:
D'you think you might could bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we're fixin to eat, if that's alright with you? Amen.

Yesterday after noontime Mass, we met a kind lady who took us all out for lunch and then invited us to park the RV, shower, and eat at her house! (She also offered us her computer, and thus this post.) Today a few of her little granddaughters were visiting, so we showed some future walkers around the RV. They were pretty impressed. (And it was good and clean- thanks Alexandra!)

Ode to Duct Tape

2007-06-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

Duct tape: the #1 material force against the culture of death.

Use it to...

...fix your bags
...hold your RV together
...hold your feet together (the serious version of moleskin)
...fix your shoes
...hold up your shorts (folded over, it makes a fine belt)

Hello from the Central Walk (Yes, We Are Alive!!)

2007-06-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

(Left to Right Standing: Will, Jason Gregory, Beth Ann, Tina, Fr Dan, Jason Michael; Kneeling: Clara, Cassandra, Alzbeta)

(Scene from Beautiful Lake Tahoe)

Hello. This is Fr Dan on the Central Walk of Crossroads! Currently I am writing this from North Platte, Nebraska where we will be for this coming weekend. Next weekend we will be in the Lincoln/Omaha areas which marks the HALF-WAY point of our journey, and what a journey it has been!!! We began our walk in San Francisco on May 20 without an RV. Martha and her brother drove the RV out toward San Francisco, but it only made it to Sacramento. Thanks to the hospitality of the Foley family (as in Miles Foley of Crossroads fame!) we were able to conduct our day and night walks through Sacramento, CA until we received an RV while serving the weekend in Sacramento. What a blessing! We went on from there to beautiful south Lake Tahoe where the Catholic Priest of St Therese Parish processed down the isle for Mass with his huge Alaskan Huskie in tow! His dog simply followed us down the isle and laid down inside of the Sanctuary until Mass was over. No one got hurt! After Mass we actually, finally, and definitively walked out of California and into the (as yet) luscious state of Nevada where we soon discovered why native Nevada residents refer to highway 50 as the loneliest road in America. There was nothing out there in the desert except salt flats and mountains (with yelping coyotes) and sand and freezing cold nights (including a blizzard of snow on June 6th in the Butte Mountain Range). By the time we exited the state of Nevada into the state of Utah, we were grateful not to have encountered a single Mormon Cricket and the only mountain lion we saw was a dead one on the side of the road. I could go on, but there is just one other thing to note before closing this already long blog. This last week, while on the night walk with Cassandra, Will, and Amanda (who joined us for two weeks), we discovered what can only be named "the beast," better known as the Rabbit Ear Pass at the outskirts of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Anyone who has walked the central walk knows what I am talking about, long upward curves in the road leading to more curves still ascending to more curves in the road still ascending to more curves . . . I think you get the idea. By the time we reached the summit, the sun had rose, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary had been prayed, and it was time to break for Mass, breakfast and, of course, bed. All I can say is that "we have made it this far. . . by the grace of God!" To all of the other 2007 walkers in the south, north, and Canada, we are praying for you!! God bless all of our efforts favoring life in the great lands we are serving! Peace to one and all. Fr Dan Pattee, TOR (Central Walker)

That's what I love about the South...

2007-06-10T22:29:00.001-04:00

Hi there! This is Elizabeth from the southern walk. Yes, we do exist...

Since I met up with the group a week and a bit ago, there have been some major changes- our walk leader migrated north in a somewhat ironic turn of events, and a whole slew of generous short-term walkers went home... leaving only 6 Southies. We've tried to look on the bright side: we all fit at one table, comfortably in one pew, and into the RV without squishage; there's also much more opportunity to get to know the others and more personal responsibility for...well, just about everything! We will be very glad when God sends more walkers our way, though, and we're sure praying for that!

As different as this walk may be right now, its mission is still the same, and I'm sure God will provide everything necessary to carry on according to His will!

"We strive for excellence, but we'll settle for perfection"

Anecdotes will have to wait... it sounds like we're headed back to Arizona right now!
God bless

More blogs...

2007-06-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

This summer our walkers are also posting personal blogs that contain more informaiton regarding their experiences on the walk.

Annette Corbett and Seth Wright are posting updates on the website for their parish - St. Patirck's in Denison, TX (an amazing parish that has hosted Crossroads for many years!). To view their blog please go to http://www.saintpats.net/home.html

Etienne O'Toole from Vancouver, B.C. is walking on our first ever Canada walk this summer. He is posting updates on his blog at http://prolifewalk.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

Crossroads Canada, eh!

2007-06-06T15:54:00.001-04:00

In the picture above, from left to right - Etienne O'Toole, Greg Roth, Sarah Gallaher, Jeremy Fraser, Marlon, Cyril Doll and Ben Broussard.

Comings and Goings

2007-06-05T00:20:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!! This is Wendy and Anne from the Nifty Northern Walk. We are here to tell some interesting stories from the road.
For example, last night after getting back from the airport, we arrived at the RV to find Tim, Tom, and a random baby hater (who we tried to convert) named Bobby, with their shirts over their heads, holding lit candles, and chanting. It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. There are all the times of walking down the highway singing random songs at the top of our lungs, which is always a lot of fun. Also, I (Wendy) have invented something called Water Bottle Aerobics (Registered Trademark). I realized that we were working out our legs so much, that our arms were just becoming flabby messes. So, we do random arm exercises (50 of each set) to work out our arms. Even though the bottles only weigh about a pound, we really feel the burn...... oh, yeah!! In Spokane, Washington while walking down the street... Katie, Kevin, and Erin met a very well dressed guy with an insane mo-hawk, who insisted that they "give him some skin" and then proceeded to say "Right on!!". While Christian, Erin, and I (Wendy) were walking down the highway one day, just singing along, a bear ran across the road in front of us. Erin was almost frozen in fear, and Christian and I were just kind of laughing in amazement. There are many more crazy stories, but to write them all down would take up several pages, so we figure that this is enough for now.
Speaking of wild creatures, we have found a very lovely, very large spider which we are saving as a present for our dear departed Christian. We miss you guys!!!
We were blessed with a new guy yesterday. Charles (heaven help you if you call him "Charlie"!) came from the Southern Walk to help us out. He has already brought a lot to our team, but has a few things to learn yet (for example, "Funk" is clearly the BEST last name ever!).
While so far this post has been in a jovial tone, our walk has been far from a pleasant saunter down the highway. It has been a blessed experience so far, but it definitely has included many difficult moments. Walking at night is very difficult, because it is like being in the dark night of the soul. We half-joke that while during the day, we are crazy PRO-LIFE people walking along the highways, during the night we are merely crazy people. No one can see our pro-life t-shirts, and the only people who stop to talk to us are cops. We are learning that these lonely and dark night hours are the times of complete prayer and sacrifice, since there are absolutely no tangible rewards. Sometimes, all we can say is "Jesus, we trust in You" that these blisters and unseen limpings actually help to save babies. The beautiful thing is that truly, it is when we are weak that He is strong! He uses our fraility and does so much more with it than we could ever do! Blessed be His Name!
May God Bless all of you and all the walks this summer. Stay Strong!! Peace and Love Always!!

The Northern Walk the Road less traveled

2007-06-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! This is Katie from the Northern walk and I would love to share how the experience has been so far. We all came to Seattle, uncertain but very excited about what was going to happen this summer. We have received numerous encouragements and support from people. The generosity given to us such as meals and donations have been very humbling. Even with some negative responses from people the positives are what keep us going.
In the beginning two girls, Stephanie and Anette had to go to the southern walk. We were very sad to see them go but are happy for the southern walk because they are getting two awesome girls. Friday two of our guys had to leave for summer classes. We were very upset to see them go because they were such amazing people but are thankful for the awesome times we had with them.
The physical sacrifices we have had to endure are hard but we just continue to pray and realize the pain we are in is all for the mission of the walk to bring the culture of life to the byways and highways of America. We all hope and know that the people that see us their hearts are changed for the better.
The parishes we go to every weekend have been wonderful and open to us. I would like to thank all the parishes for their generosity and the opportunity for us to talk to their parishioners. I am going to go now Please pray for us as we continue on this journey of a lifetime. God Bless!

Prayer to Our Lady of America

2007-04-27T15:52:00.000-04:00

The following prayer was composed by a humble nun by the name of Sr. Mary Ephrem of the Precious Blood Sisters (later a Contemplative of the Indwelling Trinity). She was born August 2, 1916 and died on January 10, 2000 at the age of 83. Sr. Mary Ephrem received private revelations from Our Lady, St. Joseph, St.Gabriel and St. Michael over the course of 46 years (1933-1979). For more information about Sr. Mary Ephrem and Our Lady of America please visit www.ourladyofamerica.com.

Prayer:

Oh Immaculate Mother, Queen of our country, open our hearts, our homes, and our land to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of Gods light shining in and about you. Be our leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.
We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.
We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments of peace among men and nations. Work your miracle of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.
May your valiant spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen.

Nihil Obstat: Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur: +Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, Jan. 25, 1963

Pro Life happenings in Denver

2007-02-28T12:44:00.000-05:00

Hello all! This is Wendy Macagno from the Central Walk of 2004 letting you all know of the pro life happenings here in Denver, Colorado. We were blessed to have Msgr. Reilly, founder of Helpers of God's Most Precious Infants come and speak at the archdiocese about a month ago. Inspired by his example, we set forth to begin our own branch of Helpers of God's Most Precious Infants right here in Denver. It has been a tremendous success so far in terms of volunteers. It's amazing how many people out there are just waiting to be invited to take part in something like this! So I do ask for all of your prayers as we begin to pray at all the abortion mills in the area. Please pray that we have the grace, and strength, and preserverence to win the battle for life in the city of Denver. If any of you have any questions about this organization, you can contact the Helpers at denverhelpers@gmail.com. God bless you all!

MARCH FOR LIFE 2007 - A Big Success!

2006-11-28T14:38:00.000-05:00

The 34th Annual March for Life in Washington, DC this past Tuesday, January 22nd, was awesome! Around 200,000 people, young and old, marched from downtown D.C. to the Supreme Court to proclaim the message that all human life is sacred! Like every year, Crossroads took part in many events the weekend leading up and including the March for Life. Over 20 volunteers came in from schools across the country to help recruit people for our summer 2007 walks and to spread the pro-life message.

We spoke at 4 churches the weekend of the March, gave out over 20,000 pro-life stickers, and sold hundreds of pro-life t-shirts for students to wear at their schools back home. Below is a listing of events that we attended.

MARCH FOR LIFE WEEKEND EVENTS

CONFERENCES
1) The March for Life Conference - Downtown Washington
2) Students for Life Conference - Catholic University
3) Cardinal O’Connor Conference - Georgetown University

OTHER EVENTS
1) Vigil Mass for Life - Bascilica of the Immaculate Conception
2) National Rosary for Life - Crypt Church, National Bascilica
3) Rally for Life and Youth Mass - Verizon Center, Downtown

If you are interested in walking with Crossroads this summer or would like more information, please give us a call, send us an e-mail, or check out our website!

Phone: (800) 353-8817
E-mail: contact@crossroadswalk.org
Website: http://www.crossroadswalk.org/

- Crossroads

Vote Yes for Life

2006-11-06T00:18:00.000-05:00

This November 7th the people of South Dakota will vote on Life. This year along with many other bills people are trying to pass, South Dakotans will vote on Referred Law Number Six. A law if passed will uphold the dignity of all human life, protecting the unborn from abortion and protecting women and men from the hurt and pain that is a result from the choice of abortion. Back in March their governor signed into law that all abortion is illegal except in the case of the health of the mother, a law that upholds that abortion is illegal in the case of rape and incest. A select handful of people along with Planned Parenthood pushed for the people of South Dakota to vote this November 7th believing that the South Dakotans will vote no which will keep abortion legal in all cases.

I along with ten other adults and four children hopped into two vans and drove four hours out to Sioux Falls from St. Paul, MN, to help the Vote Yes campaign. I met women who are the face of the campaign, from women who have had abortions trying to save women from the pain that they themselves went through and still go through, to women to have become pregnant in their early teens and sexual assault cases who have chosen to give their baby life and how thankful they are of their choice of life. When we were out there on Sunday we broke up onto groups to place literature onto windshields of cars that were parked in parking lots of churches who aren't in support of the Vote Yes for Life ban. People who saw us doing the drop told us that we needed a permit and also that it is illegal to place our literature on cars. We found out later that both times they were in the wrong and we did not brake any law. In the afternoon, we continued by going door to door handing out pamphlets on the law and also encouraging them to protect the women of South Dakota against the pain of abortion by voting yes on November 7th. As we went door to door, we met people that were in full support of the law and we met people who were not in support and chose not to speak to us. But the majority of people were undecided and they were thankful that we were there at their door informing them of what is Referred Law Number Six.

How did the people of South Dakota get so close to overturning Roe-V-Wade in their state? They have focused on the welfare of the woman. How abortion can and will harm women, their mental state and how they become depressed and suicidal. They have focused on the physical effects, from hysterectomies and infertility to even death. They have realized that you need to save the woman first from abortion before you are going to save the child from abortion, you are not going to reach the child until you reach the woman. Please pray for South Dakota this election, pray for the women and men who will vote and pray for the women of South Dakota as people vote yes to save them and their unborn child.

Kim Ehlert
2006 Central Walk

End of Summer Rally - U.S. Capitol

2006-09-07T19:15:00.000-04:00

Summer 2006 Crossroads Walkers

This is a picture of all three walks together for the 12th Annual Crossroads Pro-Life Rally at the Capitol. Steve Peroutka, chairman of the National Pro-Life Action Center, was the keynote speaker and congratulated the walkers for a record breaking summer and encouraged them to continue their pro-life work when they go schools across the country this fall.

Generosity in Pennsylvania

2006-08-04T11:22:00.000-04:00

Our Crossroads walk is filled with unexpected encounters. For example, last week (or was it 2 weeks ago?) we'd just finished our day shift somewhere in north central PA and decided to stop by a roadside ice cream shop for a sweet treat. The middle-aged woman, Anne*, who took our order was curious about our shirts (as most people are) so of course we delivered our usual explanation of Crossroads. She then shared that one of her employees, 19 year old Rebecca*, was struggling from the aftereffects of an abortion she had had within the past year. We proceeded to tell Anne about Project Rachel and Rachel's Vineyard. Anne plans to pass the information on to Rebecca and we continue to hold Rebecca, along with all post-abortive women, in our prayers.

Anne didn't let us pay for our ice cream that evening, in fact, she donated the amount that would have been our bill. I never cease to be amazed by the generosity and kindness of the many, many Americans we have encountered this summer. Wow.

Passionate for Life,
Christy Stutsman
Northern Walk

See You In D.C. Land!

2006-08-03T17:18:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,
Calvin here, your faithful walker with an identity problem. We are now only one week away from Washington D.C., and I have to say that I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the arrival will mean that I will be able to see my Northern Walk family again, I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Although, I am upset that I will not be able to properly say goodbye to everyone. (Sorry Christy and Jessica) Also, it will mean that I will be able to go home and see my family and friends again, I CAN'T WAIT... again. But on the other hand, it means that I will have to leave all my new friends that I've made over the summer, maybe forever.

The walk has definitely been a great experience for me, for many reasons, too many to list. I love that I was able to do this, and I would advise everyone to look into doing a walk. I am truly grateful to God for the people I've met and the relationships that I've made.

To everyone, good night and good luck.

Calvin Jensen
Your Northern Walker on the Central Walk

Get these demons off my back...

2006-08-03T12:21:00.000-04:00

Hello all!
This is Jamie from the Northern WaLk. That L is supposed to be capitalized. Anyway, we are somewhere in New Joisey right now at a library. There are 8 days until all three walks will meet up in Washington DC and I can't wait. So many things keep happening. I have found this to be completely true: the devil does not want us to finish and he is putting road blocks in our way to try to stop us. Past walkers have told us that the last few weeks are the hardest and they were definitely right. We're praying really hard; the rosary is our best weapon when we are walking. We're on the Northern Walk, but this week has been the hottest yet. I am so glad that I was on night shift, but even when I was walking, I was sweating profusely. Any attempts to sleep were futile. It's just too hot, and we usually didn't have air conditioning. We did make some pretty impressive sweat angels in various places in the RV though. I can't wait until Washington DC, but at the same time, I really don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to some of these people. They have become my family and I can't stop thinking that the day is coming when I'm going to have to say goodbye. And that day is coming sooner for some than for others. Jessica and Christy are leaving Saturday... I'd rather not think about that right now. We got a new guy last night - Keagan (sorry if I spelled that wrong), and we're getting another new guy Friday - Dave. That means its going to be 6 guys and 6 girls even with Calvin gone. Speaking of which (how is that a speaking of which?!), Calvin: the other Northern Walkers and I miss you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much! Part of us is definitely missing with you gone, and the Northern Walk just isn't the same. :o( Don't let the Central Walk tell you that you're one of them. You were born a Northern Walker, and you'll DIE a Northern Walker. That is, if I have anything to say about it... :o) I'm sure the Central Walkers are great... :o)
Ahem... what was I talking about? Sweat angels! I offered up every drop to save babies. If God saves one baby for every drop dripped......... well, I definitely hope that's what He's doing because that's a LOT of babies. Not to be gross or anything, but its miserable not being able to sleep in the RV because of the heat. I'm sure the Southern Walk has been going through this all summer. Good job guys, I can't even imagine that kind of heat! Sometimes I forget that there are other walks... I forget that its not just us, and that actually, with every step we take, there is a group of people we don't know yet who are taking the same steps on a different part of the country. Its going to be cool meeting everyone else. :o)

Well, I think I've written quite enough for now. I will talk to you all later... if you're lucky. Have good days!

-Jamie
Northern Walker

P.S. There are a lot of smiley faces in this entry. Don't be fooled... I miss Calvin a lot.

Finish Strong

2006-07-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

So here we are with about 3 weeks left as we come closer to Washington, D.C. We spent this past weekend in Indianapolis. Now we are making our way through Ohio. This weekend was the first time I had a woman come up to me after Mass and tell me that she had had an abortion. She was now working with Rachel's Project so that she could help and minister to other women who have had abortions. I didn't really know what to say except that I would pray for her. Let us finish strong as we get closer to D.C. Let us walk stronger, pray harder, and witness even more to the dignity of each person. May God continue to sanctify each step that we take and use us to awaken the minds and hearts of all. God bless you and please continue to pray for us. Happy Feast day of St. James!
In Christ, Claire from the Central Walk

Encouragement from the Bishops

2006-07-20T17:17:00.000-04:00

Above is a letter that the Most Rev. Michael D. Pfeifer, the Bishop of San Angelo, Texas sent us. He randomly ran into the southern walkers after Mass and was obviously very impressed! He took them out to eat afterwards and even mailed in a $150.00 personal donation.

It's good to hear encouragement like this, especially from the bishops!

Let us keep the bishops and priests in our prayers, that they will continue to stand up for the dignity and sanctity of all human life, from its very beginnings in the womb until natural death.

Only three weeks until DC....let's make them count!

Northern Walker In Florida

2006-07-19T23:26:00.000-04:00

As Jamie mentioned in her post, I took off a few days. I'm currently at home in Florida doing everything that I should have done in the week between my last final and the start of Crossroads but didn't do because I helped drive the Crossroads vehicles out to Seattle.

Anyhow, I'm finding that a week is more than enough time to start missing the the Crossroads' RV, fellow walkers, the "nice" beds in the RV, and saving plastic spoons. I can't wait until Sunday when I'll be heading back to the Northern walk, and I've yet to spend a day not wearing a pro life shirt although I've gone a day or two without my Crossroads shirts.

Elizabeth

And a small note to fellow Northern Walkers: Offer it up!

Sobe

2006-07-19T17:47:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!
This is Jamie from the Northern Walk. I just got finished waLking a 5 mile shift through Cleveland and some other town. Everyone was so supportive. So many people yelled positive things out their car windows. I love it when that happens! And one person on the street who we talked to knew who Nick Cannon was. He is the singer of our Theme Song here on the Northern Walk: Can I Live. Anyway, I was walking with Calvin and we were able to get this drink called Sobe Tsunami. It was absolutely perfect! It was this orange cream drink that tasted exactly like a dreamcicle. I just HAD to tell you all about it! They're supposed to be really good for you too. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's definitely amazing tasting.
So here are some updates on the Northern Walk: Elizabeth went home for a few days and we miss her a lot. . . especially her "offer it up"s; we got a new one -- Chadwicke (this whole summer we had all been planning on calling him Chadwick as a joke and then when he got here we found out that that is actually his name!! *weirded out*); and CHRISTY IS BACK!!!!!! We missed her so much and are all happy to have her with us again! One more thing: Calvin shaved his head and his beard completely off and now looks like a different person. Luckily, we all still love him.

Well, I have to go because the library is closing. I hop their our knot two manny spalling erers.

Love,
Jamie
The coolest Northern WaLker

P.S. Cleveland Rocks!

Meet me in St. Louis

2006-07-17T10:30:00.000-04:00

St. Louis....everything we dreamed it would be. From the Arch to the Cardinals baseball game to the delicious humidity that allows one to drink a glass of water without drinking a glass of water. And so we walk on with less than a month left continuing to pray for the unborn and for a culture of life to be brought about. We went to the beautiful Cathedral and then joined in on a rosary procession to the Planned Parenthood this past Saturday. There were over a 160 people who joined in on this peaceful and prayful procession. Praise Him! People often ask me if we ever get any negative feedback and well to be truthfully honest we do get a little, but most people are very supportive and even wish they could do the walk themselves. So to all those people... I ask that you get involved in the Pro-Life movement. If that means praying, volunteering at a Crisis Pregnancy center, or even wearing a pro-life t-shirt... whatever it is... go for it! Don't just wish you could do something to end abortion, but do something to end abortion. May God bless you and may Mother Mary wrap you in her mantle of purity and protection. To all of our fellow walkers... finish strong! We will see you soon in D.C. and we are praying for you.
"Whoop it up for the babies!" -Kim from Minnesota

In Christ, Claire from Picayune, Mississippi.

and then hilarity ensued...

2006-07-16T16:19:00.000-04:00

Missouri turned out to be more hot and humid than all the rest of the states we've been in put together. It was thus with a thankful heart that we all arrived in St. Louis (city of Catholicism, Baseball, and Unique Foods including but not limited to "Gooey Butter Cake") wherein we could be in the air conditioning most of the time. Here we visited the Cathedral-Basillica of St. Louis, home of many magnificent mosaics. It's definitely my favorite kind of church architecture, the Byzantine-Romanesque revival which was popular in the first half of the Twentieth Century. Fearless Leader (Admiral and Comrade Party Leader) Dave Kelch and I also attended a Pontifical High Mass with Archbishop Burke which was among the more beautiful and spiritually uplifting liturgies I have ever attended: a long stately Mass in the Ancient and Venerable Tridentine rite, with all the servers and priests moving reverently and precisely like an elaborate dance.

In Missouri this November they are voting on a Constitutional amendment which would make cloning human persons (through Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer) for the sake of killing them and harvesting stem cells a right. I don't think any life issue has made me more angry and more glad that I'm doing Crossroads than this issue. To create thousands of lives for the sole sake of killing them and using their parts to treat diseases--and to tout it as saving lives and actually helping people--seems the sickest parody of charity I can think of. The whole country, beginning with Catholics, needs to rise up to stop this evil. Please pray for the state of Missouri, that they will not allow this violence to legally occur. God bless you all.

In Pace Christi,
Mark Spencer

Sweet Home Chicago

2006-07-12T14:39:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!
Well, although last weekend was probably the most stressful, it was also definitely one of my favorites. We finally got to my home town Chicago. I've been waiting for this weekend for most of the walk. I got to see my family and they got to see the RV and meet my fellow walkers. Everyone came over for lunch and swimming. It was a lot of fun, but Chris and a couple others were busy planning how to get all of us to all of the different masses for the weekend. I've never driven in the city before even though I live so close; and after this weekend, I wouldn't say it's my favorite thing to do . . . My family was so helpful and it was so nice of them to host all of us. We also spent Sunday night at my house. Thanks guys!
Leaving Chicago was sad because I had to leave my family, and now that Crossroads is half way over and I don't have Chicago to look forward to anymore, I'm starting to realize that it is coming to an end really quickly. I don't know what I'm going to do when Crossroads is over. I am going to miss everyone so much. I've made some wonderful friends, and its not going to be any fun when I have to pry myself away from them. I'm not excited about that. . . Not at all.
I find myself wondering how I'm going to get up in the morning without Chris's signature "Good Morning!" and what I'm going to do knowing I don't have to walk 20 miles. I will almost certainly continue to eat oatmeal out of a Styrofoam cup, and keep the plastic spoon I eat it with.
Anyway, we're at Dave Bathon's house - best day of my life! He made us eggs this morning and let me use his shower.

Talk to you later,
Jamie Racki
Northern Walk

Crossroads in the News!

2006-07-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

This is pretty cool...all three walks were featured in The Christian Post today as well as on LifeNews.com (which is a great pro-life news site). The stories can be reached with the following links: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2409.html and http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060710/22828.htm

Happy 4th of July!

2006-07-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

The walkers on all three Crossroads pro-life walks across America would like to wish all of our fellow countrymen, born and unborn, a happy and blessed 4th of July. We would like to especially remember the words our Founding Fathers wrote in the Declaration of Independence ...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Let us hope that these rights will also be enjoyed by our unborn brothers and sisters in the womb. God bless America!

Leaving South Dakota Behind

2006-06-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,
Calvin Jensen here from the Northern walk. I'm happy to announce that, yesterday, day shift crossed yet another state boarder, leaving South Dakota behind and entering Minnesota.

But I don't like to look forward into the future. Instead, I would like to dwell on the past. So far, South Dakota has been the most supportive state we've gone though. I case you haven't already hear, South Dakota recently passed a bill outlawing ALL surgical abortions, and it goes to popular vote in November. (Pray for the bills success) But that's not all. While in South Dakota, we reacieved tons of positive feedback, and almost no negative feedback, the Govenor, State Senate, and State House are Pro-Life, and so is about 85% of the states Citizens. Also, through the kindness of others, all our walkers became incredibly spoiled by recieving showers every night last week.

Just one more quik thing to tell. On Monday morning, at 3:00 our vans battery died (sad day). However, since it was 3:00 we decided to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Amazingly, right after we finished, a man pulled up to see if we were all right, and we were able to be on our way. The power of prayer wins again.

Anyways, good bye and God Bless

Calvin and the Northern Walk.

ttfn (ta ta for now)

In middle of nowhere USA

2006-06-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

Hello Family, Friends, and those I don't know who are praying for us,

My name is Jen Luoma, and I'm on the central walk with lots of other wonderful people. I'm proud to be representing New England on this walk as well as Boston College- go Eagles. We have been so blessed this past month, always having a place to stay and food to eat. We're walking hard, and even not showering all the time, in order to save babies. Anyways, Crossroads has been amazing so far and I'm looking forward to sharing my experience with everyone once I get home and have internet more readily accessible. Go Red Sox, Jen

God and Satan Duking it out on the Central Walk--As Always, God Wins

2006-06-25T19:20:00.000-04:00

J.M.J.

I believe that it is God's will that we walk across the country with Crossroads, as warriors for the culture of life. I am confident of that. I also believe that Satan does not want us to persevere. He does not want us to walk across the country. If he cannot stop us from walking, however, above all, he does not want us to do so with good spirits, praising God all the way. He does not want us to do God's will and to love God.

This past week, I have seen more and more Satan adamantly trying to stop us and God showering His graces upon us, even before we knew that we needed them. Late Monday afternoon, we left Boulder, Colorado with the RV to meet the other half of our group, who was nearing Rocky Mountain National Park. As we climbed the mountains, the engine started making more noises, and the floor near the engine was getting extremely hot. We pulled over to let the engine cool off a bit, thinking that the Rockies were a bit much for the RV. When Dave turned the key, however, the RV would not start. After praying the Memorare, the engine readily started but was still making terrible noises. We thought the problem could be a belt, or at worst the transmission. Tuesday morning, however, when we arrived at the RV repair shop in Granby, Colorado, we found that the problem was that the engine was actually falling apart from the inside. We would have to leave the RV at the shop, at least through Thursday so that the engine could be replaced. Where would we sleep?

As soon as we found that the engine needed to be replaced, we called our office in Columbia, Maryland. Once again, God stepped up and provided that right in Granby, Colorado, lived the family of Erik Feltes, a 2004 walker. They happily put us up for the night, and provided us with a delicious dinner. What would we do for Wednesday and Thursday night, though? God once again, came through. He provided that our walker Jen, had an aunt, who had a Goddaughter, whose grandparents lived in Loveland, Colorado. (Confusing, distant relationship, yes, but God works in mysterious ways). Loveland was also right on our walk, and we were able to stay with Jen's acquaintances for two nights who provided us with wonderful lodging and meals.

Thursday, night, however, Satan took another shot at us. One of our walkers received a call that his grandfather had died. He needed to go to Denver right away so that he could fly home to Sacramento--Denver was about a 3 hour drive away at this point. How would he get there? Would we have to miss a whole night of walking? God was one step ahead of the game, though. He had provided that the former walker Erik Feltes had come up from the seminary in Denver to walk with us for the night. As a result, he was able to take our walker-Erik to Denver right away. In addition, God pulled through with style. See, the car Erik was driving was not his own but actually belonged to another seminarian, named Joe, who needed the car in the morning to take someone else to the airport, too. --Our Erik was able to get a ride back to Denver and a ride to the airport with someone who was going anyway.

Friday, Satan attacked again. Our RV was not ready yet and would not be ready until at least Monday, at which point we would have to drive back 4 or 5 hours to Granby to pick it up. In addition, the host family we were to stay with Friday night had something happen, and they would not be able to take us until Saturday at noon. We had no where to go Friday night.

Once again, God stepped up to the plate. He provided that Nate, from Iliff, Colorado, who attends Franciscan University of Steubenville, had heard about Crossroads on campus. He had called our office and asked if we could come over for a barbecue. When he heard about our situation, he gladly welcomed us into his home. And, because the rest of his family was out of town, there was plenty of room for 11 of us to sleep there.

We continue with good spirits and joyful hearts.

God wins again.

Stay tuned for more stories of the God and Satan duking it out--God always wins!!!

United in the Heart of Jesus,

Megan Otten, Central Walk

Holy Crossroads Batman!

2006-06-25T16:32:00.000-04:00

I'm back to the Central walk! I missed my Crossroads family, but all is well. I left this past week to volunteer at a Steubenville on the Bayou Conference and God is sooooo GOOD! One of the Conference speakers shared her testimony of how she had an abortion. She had such a powerful story of God's love and mercy. Before I left for the dirty South, we were at a small gas station somewhere in Colorado. We ended up talking to the dynamic duo, no not Batman and Robin, but Tony and Tommy who are two 8th graders from that area. I was talking to them about what we were doing and why abortion is wrong. After I explained what an abortion was, Tommy asked me is it wrong for a woman to do that. I said yes and tried to explain how each person is unique and that it is wrong for a woman to kill her child. I pray and hope that the Holy Spirit will continue to work in their lives and that they will seek the truth. You can pray for them too. Until next time... same Bat time, same Bat channel.

Where fore art thou tornados?

2006-06-25T15:31:00.000-04:00

Greetings and salutations from te Central Walk leader, Dave "It's so breezy here" Kelch. I honestly don't have much to say. One of the main apostolates related to the greater mission of Crossroads is talking to A LOT of people and talking to A LOT of people A LOT. I love it very much, but it does tire out the vocabularic part of my brain.

What a lovely stay we've had in North Platte. Honestly, it has been one of our most relaxed weekends, and providentially placed I might add. This past week we experienced our first real problems i.e. the RV breaking down....family members passing away(pray for Erik).....and general exhaustion. Last night we had a chance to hear about our host Mom's son, Zach, who lost control of most of his body in a water accident. During his 9 -month stay in the hospital, he was on 7 different I.V. bags! There were two medicines being pumped into his body with analogous side-effects. One would keep him awake and one would make his drowsy. So, being unable to take him off of either medicine he would become very frustrated with being exhausted and unable to get to sleep. The family discovered that the only way he would be able to fall asleep would be to pray the rosary and enter into its beautiful Marian rhythm. So, they would pray it together and soon the doctor's learned (one of which was Jewish) that when the rosary was being prayed in the room, they shouldn't disturb them. Eventually, the medical staff actually just made a blanket order that no one was to disturb the rosary - the only way that Zach would ever find rest. Beautiful, eh?

Our Lady certainly found happiness in helping this beautiful family, as she does with every family.

God bless you all,
Dave K.

From the Mountains to the Plains

2006-06-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

I think this is the first time that someone from the Central Walk has posted on this blog; we have been grossly inefficient in this regard. But it's been a beautiful wonderful walking experience thus far. We're in North Platte, Nebraska this weekend, but we went through Rocky Mountain National Park this last week which was spectacular. I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful landscape.

It's easy to get bogged down in the negative aspects of fighting abortion, contraception and euthanasia, but this walk thus far has allowed me to really see the positive aspects of the Culture of Life. I think the mountains are a great symbol of this, of the majesty and dignity of human life. Mountains bring out what is noble and glorious in man, and I know I will certainly miss them. When I think of the Culture of Life and what it will be like when it does come about across the world, I think of a lot of people eating a big meal around a table having excellent conversation on the Church and God in a house in the forest somewhere in the mountains. Of course, this is just the iconic representation that the Culture of Life has in my mind, but this trip has shown me that by walking, by praying as much as we do, by joining together in a close fellowship with one another and with those we meet, we are not just fighting the Culture of Death but are really building the community, the communio personarum, necessary to really create a total civilization of life and love. And that is really awesome.

We're in the plains now: cows, factory farms, corn. It's really breezy here. But that's part of the country too. God bless to everyone who reads this blog.

Pax Christi sit semper vobiscum,
Mark Spencer

Random Comment About Hugs

2006-06-18T00:02:00.000-04:00

I love hugs! They are so great! (My fellow walkers can attest to the fact that I'm a hugger! ;) My favorite hugs are the ones I receive from frail elderly women after Mass. Most will add a few words of encouragement too, it means so much to me! Last weekend, Teresa and I attended a quaint little church in which a woman stood at the entrance and greeted every parishioner with a warm hug before Mass. How awesome is that?! There are so many people in this world who are starving for human touch...

*Christy
Northern Walk

2006-06-17T17:29:00.000-04:00

Hello from the Northern Walk!
This is Jamie again. We are finally out of Montana!! Not that I don't love Montana (Calvin...), I do... I love Montana; its probably my favorite state that we will go through. Except Illinois of course -- SWEET HOME CHICAGO! It's just nice to move through states. We went through Wyoming in like 2 minutes. It was amazing. Now we are in South Dakota. Our favorite state because they currently don't do abortions here. :) Good one, SD!
We are staying at a parish this weekend -- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Rapid City. I would like to say thanks to the priests for letting us stay here. :)
Today has been pretty fun so far. We went to Mount Rushmore. It was pretty cool; I've always wanted to see it. I got some pretty good pictures. Unfortunately I can't load them up here right now because I don't have a cord... sorry about that. Afterwards, we got some delicious frosties because at one of our masses last weekend someone donated Wendy's gift certificates because they didn't have any money on them. WOO HOO!!! Tomorrow we are going to see Walldrug. My Dad said that he heard its the place to be in SD. We will see. (Ug too much rhyming, sorry guys). Some people on the trip have been there - they're split on whether or not its ridiculous or cute. Don't worry, we're only tourists sometimes. We all know why we're doing this. Honestly though, its good to go out where people are because the more people that see our shirts the better. Plus people are always asking about us and what we are doing. I personally think that that is one of the best things about this trip: we want to show people that young people care about this issue and we are going to stand up for what is right. AND when we went to Wendy's today, we got a donation :)
OK that's all I have to say for now. I hope you all have a spectacular day. I'd like to say hey to my family and friends: I love you guys! <3 :)

God Bless,
Jamie

More Southern Pictures

2006-06-16T14:46:00.000-04:00

Seth took a bunch of pictures when he was in LA with us.

Southern Pictures

2006-06-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

(Tiny) shots from the southern walk. Hopefully I'll have bigger versions up soon.

From 11:00, clockwise:
Home sweet home, 40-60 miles east of Twentynine Palms, CA

Some of the gang in a church parking lot in Chino, CA

Miriam, Brendan, and Shannon walking

Ben about to shoot above walkers

A familiar sight

A Las Vegas host family with Elizabeth and Curt

In the middle: desert scenery... Ben and Curt ran up a hill in the desert one evening before starting night shift!

2006-06-13T09:52:00.000-04:00

Prayer Vigil at the abortion clinic.

2006-06-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

Praying the Rosary at the abortion clinic.

Billings, Montana

2006-06-11T18:48:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! This is Jamie :). Calvin's dad took some pics of us and he's letting me put them on the blog. YAY! In the top one, we were having a candlelit prayer vigil outside of Planned Parenthood with a bunch of people from the community. Then next one is us praying the rosary and other prayers outside of Planned Parenthood.

The vigil was very nice. We did some Praise & Worship at St. Bernard's Parish and did a very nice rosary by the Tabernacle with everyone. After that, we all walked with candles and crosses down the street to Planned Parenthood. We walked in silence and when we got there we said a Divine Mercy Chaplet. So many people yelled negative things out there car windows at us. Andrew, a guy who led the Central (I think) walk in 1997 said this about that: "I've never got yelled and screamed at so much as just now at Planned Parenthood." He explained that before when he did it, everyone was indifferent about us, confident that abortion was here to stay. But now that we are becoming stronger and more and more people are claiming to be Pro Life instead of Pro Choice, they are scared and this is a last ditch effort. They know they are losing the battle. It was very well said. One guy even yelled "Get a job, you hippies!" He doesn't even know what words to grab for! Andrew said he'd been called a lot of things, but never a hippy. Haha. That's pretty funny.

OK well, I have to go. I hope everyone has a good day! :)

-Jamie

"CAN I LIVE?"

2006-06-11T13:43:00.000-04:00

We on the Northern Walk are pretty much obsessed with the song "Can I live?" by rapper Nick Cannon. Nick performs the song as a tribute to his mother who almost aborted him. At age 17, she walked away from the abortion clinic and chose life for her son Nick! The lyrics and music video are very powerful. Please view it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIrQ8z6_WJs&search=can%20I%20live and then share the link with everyone you know! Thanks ;)

Passionate for Life,
Christy Stutsman

Life, Jobs, and Hippies

2006-06-11T13:21:00.000-04:00

"GET A LIFE!!!" a young man yelled from his car window while we were holding a prayer vigil at the Planned Parenthood in Billings yesterday. My silent response to his supposed "insult" was "Yes, thank God that I did get a life. I'm now standing here praying that defenseless babies in danger of being aborted will get a life too."

"GET A JOB YOU HIPPIES!!!" This shout came from another car while we were processing back to St. Bernard's. I've never received the 'hippie' label before so that made me chuckle a bit. And as far as the "get a job" part, I was reminded to pray for the many men and women who dedicate their lives to working (and volunteering) in the pro-life movement. Awesome, so awesome. Thank you all and may God continue to bless you in your ministry!

Passionate for Life,
Christy Stutsman
Northern Walk

Home for the Weekend

2006-06-10T14:33:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

My name is Calvin Jensen, from the Northern Walk. This weekend we are in Billings, MT, which is my hometown by the way, and I have to say that I am glad to see my family again, not to mention sleep in my own bed, it's a real upgrade from the RV. Even though I miss staying at home and I miss my friends, my pets, and my family, I'm still glad that I am doing this walk over the summer.

the heat...

2006-06-10T12:57:00.000-04:00

I, your faithful southern walker, was not always a southern walker. Oh no I started in the moderate climate of the northern walk, but I then volunteered to move down to the southern walk with its 90 degree heat... on the night shift. despite the heat, the broken refrigerator, the broken AC and the moldy carpet, we are encouraged by the generosity and support of the all of the people on the way.

Peace,
Curt Seidel

AMDG

Humility

2006-06-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

Hey!! My name is Miriam and I am on the Southern walk.Right now we are in EL Paso, Texas and it is so much cooler here than it is in Arizona!! In AZ even if you weren't walking you still sweated, sweated, and sweated more still. Anyway, the people we meet as we go to parishes are so incredibly generous! It is so humbling to accept their generosity. In LA a woman at a parish we met made us strawberry muffins and then took her time to drive us around Hollywood!! It was so cool!!! I felt bad that she was spending her time to drive us around Hollywood, but it truly was a blessing to her and that was very humbling. In AZ we were at one parish going to masses their for a while and one morning this couple went and bought us breakfast as well as a bunch of groceries. Then the next morning they made us homemade waffles!! The last humbling experience I will mention (even though there have been many more) happened last night at our host's house. They soaked, washed, and messaged all our feet (very very dirty feet) with oil that had been blessed by their priest that had just passed away and who was very pro life!! That was the most humbling and beautiful experience. We all felt so bad she was touching our dirty feet, but it was a blessing for her and she was so humble about it as well. She touched our dirty, smelly, and blistered feet with loving hands as if she was bathing the feet of Jesus. All these experiences are teaching me to accept the gerosity of others when may be so hard to and that is so humbling and beautiful!!
God bless!! Miriam

Notes from the Southern Walk

2006-06-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

Hi!
I'm Elizabeth Tevald and I was with the Southern walk until Phoenix. Those two weeks were amazing and I can't until I'm free to do more walking!

The best part of being a walker, I think, is being able to forget about yourself and just be a part of Crossroads- and see God working through you. I think that I ventured significantly out of my "comfort zone" at least 5 times in the first two days! When you see people respond to your message with incredible enthusiasm and generosity, you realize that it has nothing to do with the one speaking or wearing that t-shirt or walking down that road- it's all God working through you.

Of course, it's pretty neat to tell people that your group is walking to D.C.; the desert night sky is awesome; and there are a lot of great people to spend your time with. I learned the words to tons of country (and other) songs I'd never heard of before. (But, hey, it's a great day to be alive...) And even when it gets rough, Mom (aka Brendan Flannery, our walk leader) is always there to sort things out.

So hello to Mom and the kids, stalwart Southern walkers and endurers of the heat,
and to the other walks,
and to all our blog visitors!

AMDG

In Our Lady,
Elizabeth

Northern Walk Blog!!!

2006-06-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone!!
My name is Jamie and since I'm pretty much obsessed with blogging, I thought I'd blog on the Crossroads site too.
We are in the process of finishing our third week of walking (as are the Central and Southern walks - but we win (obviously)).
I would like to quote fellow walker, Jessica Cozart who said about Crossroads: "It's pretty much the best thing ever". I would agree 100% with that statement.
Right now night shift is at walk leader, Chris (*El Capitan*)'s house watching Beauty & the Beast. It's amazing. We have been singing Disney Songs all week. Our favys have been: Can you feel the love tonight? (Lion King - good one), Friend Like Me (Aladdin - good one), A Whole New World (Aladdin - good one), Under the Sea (Little Mermaid - good one), and Be Our Guest (Beauty & the Beast - good one).
During night shift you don't get a lot of sleep, but the stars are amazing (especially in Montana). In my past two weeks on night shift, I've seen 3 shooting stars. I can see millions of stars. Even the Milky Way Galaxy.
OK its over!

-Jamie

P.S. Don't worry, El Capitan has laid down some rules for our safety:
1.) Don't die.
2.) Don't get arrested.
3.) Don't eat at McDonalds.
4.) No listening to boy bands with long hair who are brothers (although he claims that he didn't say that last part which means that it would include all boy bands and not just Hanson. What he doesn't realize is that his precious "Beatles" are a boy band... the first boy band even. Bah!)

P.P.S. Listen to Brian Regan. It's hilarious!

K Its over.

Bye.

Let's Get this Blog Rolling!

2006-06-01T19:06:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Let's get this blog goin'..We're hoping all three walks will post regularly so here's the important info: Go to www.blogger.com

Username: crossroadsprolife
Password: prolife

Jimmy

2006-05-26T11:36:00.000-04:00

Northern Walkers start the weekend in Seattle.

2006-05-26T11:30:00.000-04:00

The Central Walk kicks off by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

2006-05-24T00:32:00.000-04:00

Crossroads - Summer 2006