by Joseph Kenny
Review Staff Writer
“By being Catholic and being pro-life, I need to promote a culture of life in everything I do,” said Katy Fusz, a St. Louisan who took part in a walk across the country this summer to give public witness to the sacredness of life.
Fusz, a member of St. Alban Roe Parish in Wildwood, attends Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. She joined the group Crossroads for a walk from San Francisco to Toronto for World Youth Day.
Fusz continues to promote her message. Last weekend she visited a pro-life group in Ohio to talk about her experiences.
The group of primarily college students walked about 2,900 miles from May 20 to July 22. Along the way they prayed the rosary, visited abortion facilities and talked about the sanctity and dignity of all human life from conception to natural death. The group passed through St. Louis, where they spread out to visit parishes and speak at about 40 Masses. Group members came together for a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Naumann.
The walkers wore shirts with “Pro-Life” written across the front.
“We tell people that all life has to be protected,” Fusz said, mentioning the issues of abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia. She guessed that 90 percent of the response was positive.
It was the first such walk for Fusz, 19, who twice had participated in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Crossroads began in 1995 with students from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. Now it is affiliated with the American Life League. Two walks are held each year.
Fusz’s group started with 10 people and ended with 14. A priest from Australia accompanied them and celebrated daily Mass.
She cited the generosity of people who donated money and provided the walkers with water and Gatorade.
She found it shocking to see a dozen or so women entering the abortion facilities. However, some of the women would thank those praying outside, and a couple women would accept information. “It just makes such a difference” having someone there praying, Fusz said.
Fusz hopes to encourage other Catholics to be outspoken. Though she said she believes the “culture of death infiltrates all of society,” she also believes Catholic youth want a change and appreciate the Pope’s message on the topic.
“There’s always a choice, and that is to choose life. … Every life is sacred from the moment of conception to our last breath,” Fusz said.
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